Defending champion Tina Clayton and her Jamaican compatriot Serena Cole are safely through to today’s women’s 100m final at the World U-20 Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia.
The final is scheduled to start at 20:35.
Clayton, who won the title in Nairobi last year, easily won her semi-final match in 11.17 seconds on Wednesday night. N’ketia Seedo of the Netherlands finished second in 11.26 to secure the other automatic qualification spot from the heat.
Cole also secured an automatic qualifying spot in the medal round with second place in the third and final semi-final match.
Cole clocked 11.29 seconds to finish behind Nigeria’s Tima Seikeseye Godbless, who won in 11.20.
Godbless ran a national U20 record of 11.09 on Tuesday to lead the first round performances.
US champion Shawnti Jackson, daughter of 2005 world 400m hurdles champion Bershawn Jackson, is fastest in the semi-finals with a new personal best of 11.16, surpassing her previous best of 11.28 when she tied in the preliminary round.
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Clayton’s 11.17 represents second fastest in the heat.
Clayton is the heavy favorite for gold and given her performances this season, the 17-year-old looks in shape to win another gold medal. Clayton dipped below 11 seconds for the first time last month, breaking the Jamaican U20 record with her world leading U20 time of 10.96 – a mark that puts her fifth on the all-time world U20 list.
She was also part of Jamaica’s U20 world record-breaking 4x100m quartet in Nairobi last year, along with Cole, Kerrica Hill and her twin sister Tia Clayton.
