THERE were no signs of fatigue following a long journey from Barcelona, Spain as Jamaica’s team returned from the IAAF World Junior Championships yesterday with five medals including two gold, two silver, and a bronze.

The group of Under-20 athletes secured gold medals in the Men’s discus and Women’s 400m hurdles; silver in the Men’s 4x100m and Women’s 4x400m, and bronze in the Men’s 100m.

It was a medal haul head coach Michael Dyke said could have been better had it not been for the challenges the team faced in the Catalan capital.

Among them was Julian Forte who was headed for a gold medal in the 200m when he pulled up 10 metres from the line. Meanwhile, 800m runner Simoya Campbell pulled out of the event after feeling unwell.

“That would have really hurt us a lot. Those were some of the things that we could say were the downside of the championships,” said Dyke on the team’s arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport.

There were reasons aplenty to celebrate, however.

Gold medal winner in the 400m hurdles Janieve Russell was pictured making gestures with her hands following her win in Barcelona and she told the Jamaica Observer she was making the shape of the letter “W” in honour of coach Maurice Wilson.

“The performance was well executed as my coach was keeping in contact with me through the assistant coaches for the World Junior team,” Russell told the Observer.

“I executed very well… Going through the race I was nervous as well but I had to keep composed and get the gold for Jamaica,” she added.

Russell, who followed in the footsteps of Kaliese Spencers gold medallists in the event, said until her victory she was unaware of the feat.

“I’m very proud of myself, but I didn’t know that, so to find out that I was very elated by my performance, and I’m very proud to be a Jamaican giving that performance.

“It’s an event that I have grown to love and I’m focusing on it now because I think I can go very far in it…” she said.

Meanwhile, tall discus champion Fedrick Dacres who does not have the typical body structure of a discus thrower, told the Observer his body structure often “throws off” his opponents.

“I don’t mind my small figure because they doubt me and I don’t mind being doubted because in the end I can still throw as far as the big guys and I still have a bit of speed,” he said.

Dacres has the distinction of holding the World Youth and World Junior titles at the same time, having also won in Lille last year.

Jamaica finished seventh overall in the medal table.