Kimone Shaw has always been a model of consistency, but her smashing performance in the Class Two 100-metre final at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships took many inside the National Stadium on Friday by surprise.

Shaw brought the large crowd to its feet when she clocked a blistering 11.40 seconds in a positive 0.8 metres per second wind speed to lower the seven-year-old mark of 11.46 seconds set in 2008 by Jura Levy. Khamoy Farquharson (11.65secs) of Edwin Allen and Shaneil English (11.68secs) also of St Jago were second and third, respectively.

Shaw, a past student of May Pen Primary, said even though she was equally confident of winning the event, the record-breaking time was a bombshell. The 16-year-old credited her high-level preparation which has been evident in her rich vein of form all season.

“It was a difficult race knowing that Shellece Clarke was in it and my teammate Shaneil English, although everybody starts at zero for the final. But I just came out here with my ‘A’ game and I am sure everyone did the same, so I am very thankful,” she told the journalists in a post-race interview.

“No, I didn’t expect a record run, I just came out to do my best and hope that my best was good enough, but I have been training for it. I believe I did enough in training to come out and do my best.

“So I must first thank God for this victory, as well as my coaches who have prepared me well. My school manager and everybody else were supporting me and I want to say congrats to my teammate English for coming third,” she continued.

Shaw, whose parents are former athletes, has proudly continued the family tradition as she aims to emulate two of Jamaica’s most decorated sprinters — Veronica Campbell Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She believes both athletes have set a very good platform for her to follow.

Shaw just failed to complete the spirint double, as she was beaten into second place by teammate English in the 200m, but won her second gold medal when she anchored her team’s 4×100-metre relay.

“God knows what he is doing, so I am very thankful for the victory. I have the 200m still to come, I have the relays as well, which requires teamwork, so I am just going back to the drawing board, stay focused, and do what I have to do,” she ended.