BYDGOSZCZ, Poland — Jamaica captured three medals on yesterday’s final day of the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, including unexpected medals in the women’s 100-metre hurdles and men’s 4x400m relays, to end the six-day championships on a high.

Rushelle Burton highlighted the day with a national junior record 12.87 seconds (2.0m/s) in the 100m hurdles.

The women’s 4x400m team won silver and the men’s 4x400m team took bronze — both in season’s best times — as the team ended with eight medals, including two gold, three silver and three bronze in a tough six days of competition.

It was the best overall performance by a national Under-20 team at global championships in years. The eight medals equalled the total in three other championships: in 2000 in Santiago, Chile; 2006 in Beijing China; and in 2008 here in Bydgoszcz.

Only the 11 medals won in Kingston in 2002 is higher. That is followed by the nine won in 1992 in Seoul, South Korea and 2004 in Spain.

Head Coach Danny Hawthorne was over the moon with the performance of the team and singled out the men’s 4x400m team for high praises.

“We could have had the best team in the world in the 4x400m here, but fate has not been kind to us. We had injures and we had to cut and paste here, and it worked out as we got a bronze.

“These guys, they have done great, wonderful work, beyond expectations. It is my gold [medal performance] for the track meet,” he said.

Hawthorne said the team could have done better but got to Poland too close to the start, and the youngsters were not properly acclimatised to the conditions seven time zones away from Jamaica.

“One of my problems was that we were not properly acclimatised. we came in too close to the start and I think JAAA has to relook at what time we get to these meets in the future; we need to get to the meets early enough so we can maximise the performances,” he said.

“Given what we did over the last three days, it has vindicated my postulations that we needed more time. we had a camp in Jamaica, but that did not mirror the conditions we had here. I myself had issues acclimatising and I was not running,” Hawthorne added.

Burton got the overcast day off to a brilliant start when she took second in the 100m hurdles final. her 12.87 run is the joint fifth fastest of all time on her way to a silver medal that was a surprise even to her.

Elvira Herman of Belarus won in a championships record 12.85 seconds, which is fourth fastest of all time. American Tia Jones took bronze in 12.89 seconds.

Burton’s time took a 100th of a second off the 12.97 seconds set last year by Daeshon Gordon at the JAAA National Senior Championships at the National stadium.

It was the second personal best of the championships for Burton, who arrived in Poland with a personal best time of 13.28 seconds. She dropped that time to 13.21 seconds in Saturday’s semi-finals before yesterday’s scintillating run.

The last Jamaican to win a medal in the event was eight years ago when Shermaine Williams took the silver here in Bydgoszcz.

“I have no idea where the time came from. I am very surprised. I just came out here and ran as hard as I can, and that was the result and I am very pleased,” she told the Jamaica Observer after the race.

She said her expectation was to “get a PB and make the podium.”

She admitted being anxious after the semi-finals on Saturday, where two other runners went under 13.00 seconds and her time ranked her fifth overall.

“I was worrying about the times run yesterday, but when I came here my main focus was just to run as hard as I can, and I got out of the blocks and focus was to run hard between hurdles and execute.”

Despite coming into the final with the best time and adding 400m hurdles silver medallist Shannon Kalawan, the girls 4x400m team had to be satisfied with second in 3:31.01 minutes behind the USA, who won in a Under-20 world-leading time of 3:29.11 minutes. Canada were third in a national Under-20 record 3:32.25 minutes.

Tiffany James ran the second leg, handing off to Stacey Williams, who inexplicably ran the entire time in lane two, allowing the Americans the inside lane,which they gladly accepted. Junelle Bromfield anchored.

The boys team of Anthony Carpenter, Sean Bailey, Terry Thomas and Christopher Taylor delivered a surprise bronze, running a season’s best 3:04.83 minutes.

The USA won in a Under-20 world-leading 3:02.39 minutes ahead of pre race favorites Botswana, who ran an African Under-20 record 3:02.81 minutes.

Carpenter gave the team a solid lead and that was enough to hold off the Japan team that was expected to challenge for a medal, and Taylor, who replaced Aykeeme Francis in the team, held on for the bronze.