COACH Christopher Harley wanted Jaheel Hyde to deliver a 12.95-second timing in the final of the 110m hurdles at the Second International Olympic Committee (IOC) World Youth Olympics at the National Stadium in Nanjing, China, yesterday, but was “very happy and satisfied” with the 12.96 seconds (1.3m/s wind) World Youth Best that the star athlete got in winning gold.

On his way to a third global gold medal in 13 months, Hyde smashed Frenchman Wilhem Belocian’s two-year-old 13.12 seconds record to smithereens and established himself as the best hurdler of his generation. He might have gone even faster had he not started celebrating well before the line with the title sewn up.

Harley told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that while he had not seen the race yet, his first reaction when he got the news was “are you serious?” as Hyde continues to build on his awesome legacy. Hyde won the IAAF World Youth 110m hurdles gold medal in Donetsk, Ukraine, last year in 13.13 seconds, before winning the 400m hurdles at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last month to become the first man in history to win global hurdles titles in different distances at the age group level in successive years.

“To come here and win means the world to me because it now means I’ve won all the major gold medals in my age group; World Youth, World Junior and now Youth Olympics. What more can I ask for?” Hyde said. The 17-year-old Wolmer’s Boys’ School star athlete, who also plays football, was not surprised by the fast time. “I am not surprised. My times in training suggested I would run this fast,” He said, before adding: “I was a bit nervous beforehand.

That is just racing. I knew I had to follow my coach’s instructions, keep a cool head and win that gold medal.” Jamaicans have both World Youth Best marks in the sprint hurdles as Yanique Thomson’s 12.94 seconds done while winning the women’s 100m hurdles gold in Donetsk is still the fastest time ever run for the event. Jamaica won two gold medals in track and field on the first day they started handing them out in Nanjing, as Martin Manley added the Youth Olympic 400m title to his IAAF World Youth title won last year, clocking 46.31 seconds. “It means so much (to win). It takes a heavy burden off me,” declared Manley.

It was disappointment for Raheen Chambers, however, as he failed to show up for the men’s 100m A final due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the first round. More medals will be in the offing today when Jamaicans line up in three other finals. Chad Walker and Nattaliah Whyte are in the men’s and women’s 200m finals, respectively, while Obrian Wasome is in the men’s long Jump A final.

Yesterday belonged to Hyde, however, as he dominated the event, running a clean race, not touching any of the 10 hurdles as he streaked away from the field to win by a massive margin of over half-asecond. Germany’s Henrick Hannemann was second in 13.40 seconds and Korea’s Gyeongtae Kim took bronze in 13.43 seconds, both personal bests. Yesterday Harley said that when he last spoke to Hyde on Friday he asked him to run a fast time.

“I knew he could run fast and with this hurdle lower than the junior height, he should do well.” Manley made up for the disappointment of not making it to the final in Eugene by running a well-timed race Friday night (Jamaica time) and won easily in the third best time of the year among youth athletes. He came off the curve in front and while he was noticeably straining for the line, he beat Botswana’s Karabo Sibanda, who ran a personal best 46.76 seconds for silver, and the Bahamas’ Henri Delauze, who clocked 46.91 seconds, also a lifetime best running out of lane nine. Lushane Wilson had yet another personal best, clearing 2.08m but was fifth in the men’s high jump A final. He cleared three previous heights 2.00m, 2.04m and 2.08m before failing at 2.11m.

Janeek Brown was sixth in the women’s 100m hurdles, also run Friday night Jamaican time, in 13.91 seconds (0.0m/s). Discus throwers Janell Fulleron and Vashon McCarthy ended their seasons on a high with good showings Friday night. Fullerton won the B final with 43.36m, beating Hungary’s Alexandra Kalman with 42.05m and Venezuela’s Yerilda Zapata, 41.86m. McCarthy surpassed his previous personal best three times after fouling his opening throw to finish second in the B final with 55.63m. He threw 54.66m on his second attempt, then 55.63m before ending a good series with 55.62m.

Tiffany James, who just missed qualifying for the A final in the 400m, looked well set to win the B final before she was caught just before the line by Ukraine’s Yana Kachur, who won in 54.48 seconds to the Jamaican’s 54.54 seconds. Venezuela’s Maria Simancas was third in 54.92 seconds. In one other event, Junelle Bromfield finished seventh in the 800m B final, after being well set coming into the final stretch she was bumped, lost her rhythm and finished at the back of the field in 2 minutes 13.01 seconds.