Jamaica names 42 athletes for World Under-20 Championships in Oregon

Jamaica: Forty-two athletes will be representing Jamaica at the World Under-20 Championships, which will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, from August 5 to August 9, 2026.

The team is made up of 25 males and 17 females, with around 1,800 athletes expected to participate in the tournament. They qualified for the championships after winning 5 medals at the 2022 edition in Lima, Peru.

Three athletes have achieved world number one rankings in their events. In the women’s 100 meter and 200 meter, Shanoya Douglas led both the categories after she set personal best times of 10.98 and 22.14 seconds. She is the favorite for the 200 meter event and also a medal contender in the 100 meters, where American sprinter Mia Maxwell is also among the top competitors.

Joseph Salmon leads the men's discus, having achieved a best throw of 67.55 meters. This throw is almost four meters farther than the second-ranked competitor, making him a strong contender to win the gold medal.

Gary Card also tops the world rankings in the men’s 100 meter category. The national junior record holder clocked 9.93 seconds and will have to compete against strong contenders like United States’ Tate Taylor, South Africa’s Marko Ferreira, and Britain’s Jake Odey Jordan. He is also among the best contenders in the 200 meters after he ran a personal best of 20.28 seconds.

Douglas and Card were members of the squads that won the gold in the sprint relay at the World Championships in Lima. The women’s 4x100 meters relay team is aiming for their 4th consecutive title, while the men’s team is also expected to challenge for a top 3 finish.

Other medal contenders are Tiana Marshall in the women’s 100 meter hurdles and Michael Andre Edwards in the men’s triple jump. They also placed 4th in their respective events.

The team is projected to win five medals. Douglas is expected to win a gold medal in the 200-meter race and a silver medal in the 100-meter race. Salmon is projected to win a gold medal in the discus throw. Card is expected to win a silver medal in the men’s 100-meter race. The women’s 4x100 meters relay team might also win a gold.