Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport extended congratulations to Jaheel Hyde and Tiffany James on their outstanding performances at the recently concluded IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Poland.

Hyde retained his 400m hurdles title, while James gave Jamaica its first ever gold medal in the women’s 400m.

“Jaheel is a special athlete who will be going to his first Olympics next month. I am expecting great things from Jaheel who has a very bright future. His performance was breathtaking and augurs well for him and the country.

“Tiffany’s achievement is also very special for us as a country. Overall our athletes did exceptionally well and I am eager to meet them and let them know how proud they’ve made us all feel,” Minister Grange said.

The minister further commended all the participating athletes and said they would have gained invaluable experience that will prepare them for stronger competition at the senior level.

Jamaica finished fifth on the medal table with a total of eight medals — two gold, three silver, and three bronze. They ended behind the United States of America, Kenya, Ethiopia and Cuba.

“Our athletes did their best and we are really proud of them. Getting to the championships meant that every competing athlete is amongst the very best in the world, including those who did not medal. Their performance is an indication that the future of our track and field programme is strong and can only get stronger,” the minister noted.