Tina Clayton and Sister Ready to win races as Professional athlete in 2023, What's your opinion?
Channel: SPORTS CIRCLE TV
Date: 2023-01-23

Tina Clayton and Sister Ready to win races as Professional athlete in 2023, What's your opinion? 
Jamaica's Tina Clayton wins Gold In a RECORD time of 10.96 sec with teammate Serina Cole second U-20
For a country that has long ruled the women’s 100m at senior level, it seems almost unfair that Jamaica has such an enviable supply of talent still emerging in the teenage ranks. But at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 on Wednesday (3), the world was put on notice that the future of women’s sprinting could look a lot like its present – with yellow and green vests firmly to the fore. 

Tina Clayton claimed her second straight world U20 100m title in a championship record and national U20 record of 10.95 (-0.1m/s), with her teammate Serena Cole – who’s also her schoolmate at that factory of fast runners, Edwin Allen High School – taking silver in 11.14. 

Back in third, though, USA showed it also has a young sprinter capable of becoming a senior champion, and it likely won’t be long before Shawnti Jackson – the daughter of 2005 world 400m hurdles champion Bershawn – no longer has that piece of information mentioned alongside her name. The 17-year-old clocked a PB of 11.15 to take bronze and it was later confirmed that N’Ketia Seedo of the Netherlands would also claim a medal, matching that time – a national U20 record – to finish joint third.

Clayton got a flying start and, from there, the result was never in doubt, the 17-year-old putting open daylight between her and her rivals, staying low to the ground through the opening half before getting into full stride and zooming away to gold. 
Coming out, my mindset wasn’t about a personal best or championship record, it was to defend my title,” said Clayton. “I didn’t feel any pressure. I have all the confidence that I put in the work and I trusted my coach (Michael Dyke).”
EIGNING World Under-20 100m champion Tina Clayton said she was satisfied with her efforts after making her professional debut in the women's 400m at the Central Hurdles, Relays, Jumps & Throws meet at the G C Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in St Catherine on Saturday.

Clayton, who made the switch from Edwin Allen High School to the Stephen Francis-led MVP Track and Field Club at the end of last season, clocked a pedestrian 1:06.26 minutes to finish eighth overall in the 400m of the women's timed final event.

Odeshia Nanton from G C Foster was the overall winner of the event with a time of 56.47, Christine Cheka was second in 57.60, while third went to Keiffer Bailey in 58.06.

Tina's twin sister Tia, who is also coached by Francis at the MVP track club, was ninth overall in the event in a time of 1:13.57.

Tina said running the 400m at this stage of the season is not what she is accustomed to, but she was very happy she was able to finish the race healthy.

"It was not bad because to open up with the 400m is not what I had expected but I finished the race — and that was the most important thing for me," said Tina.

"I think that a lot of people have high expectations [of me] but I think that people don't understand that transition takes time, and so I am just working hard and staying focused this season because the aim is to run a personal best time this year," she added.

Tina, who has a personal best of 10.95 in the 100m and 23.30 in the 200m, was a member of Jamaica's 4×100m relay team that won the gold medal in that event at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, with a world record 42.56 seconds last August. The other members of that team are sibling Tia, Kerrica Hill and Serena Cole.

Tina shared that she is adjusting to life at the professional level as she has been receiving a lot of support from the club, family and friends.

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