Christopher Taylor ran a lifetime-best 20.38 seconds (0.5m/s), fifth best among Under 20 men in the world this year, to win Jamaica’s first gold medal on yesterday’s penultimate day of the 19th Pan-American Under 20 track and field championships at Estadio Chan Chan in Trujillo, Peru.

Jamaica added three more medals, including two silver in the 4x100m relays, to take the total to five after winning a silver in the girls’ long jump and a bronze in the men’s discus throw on Friday’s opening day of competition.

Jamaica will hope to end on a high note today with nine athletes contesting six finals, as well as both 4x400m relays.

Nedrick and Kyle Mitchell are in the men’s shot put finals, Lushane Wilson in the men’s high jump, Carey McLeod and Damion Creary will contest the men’s triple jump, Akeem Colley is in the men’s 1500m finals, Nicolee Foster in the female 400m hurdles, and Jauavney James and Timor Barrett in the men’s 400m hurdles as well as both 4x400m finals.

Yesterday, Taylor, who had won Jamaica’s lone medal, a gold in the 400m at last year’s IAAF Under-18 Championships in Cali, Colombia, beat American favourite Tyrese Cooper (20.59 seconds), with Brazil’s Derick daSouza Silva taking the bronze in 20.77 seconds.

In the morning’s preliminaries, Taylor cruised to a 21.08-seconds clocking to win his semi-finals, the best of the round.

Taylor then returned to join jump specialist Carey McLeod, Ashanie Smith, and quarter-miler Anthony Carpenter to clock 39.74 seconds in the 4x100m relay, behind the USA who won with 39.33 seconds, with Trinidad and Tobago third in 39.90 seconds.

The female team of Amoi Brown, Aneka Brissett, Kashieka Cameron, and Patrice Moody also finished second, running 44.92 seconds to finish behind the USA (44.07 seconds), with Canada third in 45.14 seconds.

Moody was fourth in the women’s 200m in 24.04 seconds, with Cameron fifth in 24.21 seconds.

Long jump silver medallist Hickling had a best jump of 12.85m (0.0m/s) for sixth place in the triple jump finals, while Akeem Colley was also sixth in the men’s 800m in 1:53.12 minutes.

Fiona Richards placed sixth in the female discus finals with a best effort of 48.92m, while Gabrielle Bailey was seventh with 48.50m.