KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Under 20 Championships double sprint gold medallist Briana Williams has been shortlisted for the 2018 Female Rising Star Award “to recognise this year’s best U20 athlete,” it was announced on Tuesday.

The 16-year-old is one of five females that were named in a release from the IAAF on Tuesday, a day after five men were named for the award that will take place at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2018 in Monaco on Tuesday, December 4.

Williams, who was too young for the IAAF World Under 18 championships last year, created waves when she won the sprint double in Tampere, Finland in July winning the 100m in 11.16 seconds then set a new Jamaican Youth and Junior records with her 22.50 seconds in the 200m two days later.

It also beat the Championship Record of 22.53 seconds set by Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas in Barcelona, Spain in 2012, when she copped the double.

Earlier in the year, Williams won three gold medals at the CARIFTA Games, winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medals in the Under 17 age group.

Paul Reid