The USA women's 4x100m team new they'd be in good shape heading into the finals after posting a world junior leading time of 44.03 without 200m gold medalist and 100m bronze medalist Kaylin Whitney. On Saturday, they one upped their round one performance, with First Academy rising senior Teahna Daniels leading off for the red,white,and blue. She posted a picture on twitter about an hour before the race with the words, "ready for finals". Indeed they were. Daniels, handed the baton to future Oregon Duck Arianna Washington, who passed the stick to Jada Martin, and finally East Ridge rising junior Kaylin Whitney. Whitney ended all hopes for other teams as she once again put on a sprinting clinic, crossing the line in 43.46, a new world junior leading time, and the second fastest time ever by an American quartet. It's the sixth straight gold medal for Team USA in this event.
Whitney ends her World Junior Championships debut with three medals; a gold in the 200, gold in the 4x100m, and bronze in the 100m. She definitely gets my vote for Meet MVP. Great news for track fans is she is only sixteen years old. She will definitely go down as the best high school sprinter ever in Florida and is making a case for best high school sprinter of all time after the spectacular season she has had. Rio 2016? Tokyo 2020?
Women's 4x100m Post Race Interview
Following in the women's footsteps, the men were not going to leave Eugene without gold. 100m gold medalist Kendal Williams and 200m gold medalist Trentavis Friday sat out round one, but stepped in and didn't miss a beat. Jalen Miller once again led off for Team USA with Kendal Williams receiving the handoff. Bromell took the third leg and gave it to Friday who looked like he shot out of a cannon and held off the Jamaicans and Japanese in a world junior leading time of 38.32 over a second faster than they ran in round one. The mark was the third fastest ever in history and fourth straight World Junior Championship gold medal for the Americans in the event.
Side note: Williams: 100m gold, 4x100m gold. Bromell 100m silver, 4x100m gold. Friday (FSU signee), 200m gold, 4x100m gold.
Men's 4x100m Post Race Interview (COMING)
Another relay that had success today was the women's 4x400m quarter featuring former Florida high school standout and University of Miami freshman Shakima Wimbley. Wimbley was the lead leg that also featured Majors, Barnes, and Baker. Team USA ran the fastest time in the prelims, a world junior leading 3:23.73 and will be the favorites headed into tomorrow night's final.
Women's 4x400m Post Race Interview
Northeast (Oakland Park) class of 2014 hurdler Daeshon Gordon ended her season after finishing fourth in the 100m hurdles semi-final. Gordon, an LSU signee and 4A state champion in the event, looked very smooth over the first hurdles, but slipped back in the second half of the race, crossing the line in 13.56 one of her best times of the year.
Daeshon Gordon Post Race Interview
More Coverage
- 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships Meet Page (Complete Coverage)