JAMES Beckford added a second gold medal after winning the men’s 40 long jump event at the 20th World Masters Athletics Championships that ended last weekend in Lyon, France.

Earlier 400m hurdler Winston Chambers had given Jamaica their first gold at the championships as they finished 41st on the medals table from the 98 countries that took part.

Beckford, who won medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Indoors, won with 7.40m (1.4m/s) to beat France’s Bakri Daroueche with 7.08m (1.0m/s), while Australian Robert Lehman was third with a wind-aided 6.75m (2.3m/s).

Gleneta Kenyon was the lone competitor for Jamaica on the final day, finishing the women’s 60 half marathon in a personal best one hour, 54 minutes, 24 seconds.

On Saturday, Gavin Sand did well to reach the men’s 35 400m semi-finals where he finished fifth in 51.60 seconds, but did not advance to the final.

Commenting on the team’s performance, President of the Jamaica Masters Athletics Association Leo McEwan said it was a good showing given the various challenges faced by the team.

“When one considers that masters athletics in Jamaica is still in its developmental stage with all the attendant issues which accompany that stage of growth, then I think commendations are quite in order.” he said.