Barbados Assembles Strong Youth Team for World Athletics Under-20 Championships

Barbados will be represented by what Amateur Athletics Association of Barbados (AAAB) president Noel Lynch has described as one of the country’s strongest youth teams ever assembled for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, which run from August 5-9 in Eugene Oregon.

Speaking following the team’s departure on Monday, Lynch said the 16-member squad had the talent to challenge for medals against the world’s best.

“This team has athletes that in their own right, have already excelled and have shown they have global class. I start with Jayden Walcott in the shot put. I think that he is easily a medal contender.

“Any shot put competitor throwing over 20m is a potential finalist and medalist in any global competition at the junior level.”

President Lynch also believes quarter-miler Kadia Rock is capable of making an impact. Rock won silver at this year’s CARIFTA Games just before adding another silver at the NACAC Championships in Mexico.

“She did a personal best; I agree it was altitude, but the time of 51.04 seconds makes her a potential medal contender in the 400m as well,” he said.

Two-hundred-metre sprinter Jayden Green is another athlete Lynch expects to challenge for a podium finish after producing back-to-back personal best performances at the Barbados Grand Prix and the NACAC Championships.

The AAAB president holds similar expectations for Shamari Greenidge-Lewis, who anchored Barbados to a record-breaking gold medal during the Under-20 Boys’ 4×400-metre relay during the CARIFTA Games in Grenada.

“Everybody knows his potential in the 400m, he just ran 46.35 in Mexico at altitude, but his personal best is 46.2 and we believe he could have run in the 45 second bracket.

Also included in the team is promising young US-based sprinter Amir Thompson, who is the son of Olympic medalists Obadele Thompson and Marion Jones.

Lynch welcomed Thompson’s decision to represent Barbados.

“He ran a wind assisted 9.95 seconds over 100m while his personal best over 200m is 20.37 seconds and he’s chosen to compete for Barbados, which I think is a big thing,” Lynch explained.

Thompson will be joined on the team by Taylor Foster, who like him, was born in the USA. The young female hurdler is ranked number one in the New York State area and top five in the nation in the 100 m hurdles among the juniors. Lynch also believes multiple CARIFTA Games middle distance medalist Ashlyn Simmons can shine during the championship, describing her as full of potential.