Athletes to watch — Tia Clayton of Edwin Allen
Central Jamaica has been producing the core of Jamaica’s top female talent in recent times and the region is at it again, this time in the form of twins Tina and Tia Clayton of Edwin Allen.
Both are special talents and are said to be separated by five minutes at birth with Tina having the bragging rights of being the older sister.
Fourteen years later, they are once again separated; this time not by nature but by coach Michael Dyke on the track. Tia has been given the task of concentrating on the 100m, and Tina the 200m for the Central Championships, which is the second stop on the Digicel Grand Prix Series.
Two years ago Brianna Lyston, another of Jamaica’s most promising athletes, won the Class Four 100m in 11.86 seconds, with Tia Clayton third in 12.28. Lyston also won the 200m in a record 23.72 with Tina Clayton fourth in 24.87.
A year later, both Tia and Tina would gain a level of revenge, turning the tables in Class Three, although it could be argued that Lyston wasn’t at her best after returning from injury. Tia captured the 100m in 11.56, with Lyston in third with 11.71, then Tina, although not winning, was second in the 200m in 23.71 behind Hydel’s Gabrielle Mathews in 23.60. Lyston was fourth in 24.41.
However, 2019 seems to be the year when the Claytons could be unbeatable. They have started the year well and are ones to watch throughout the Digicel Grand Prix Series and Champs.
Tia, who won the 100m at Champs last year in her first year in Class Three in an impressive 11.56 seconds, threw down the gauntlet at Central Champs clocking an easy 11.70 seconds in the heats and erased the old mark of 11.78 held by Lyston of St Jago.
As her sister Tina eased to 24.12 (-0/.2 mps) seconds to be the fastest into the final of the 200m ahead of Lyston, who won her heat in 24.30 (+1.3 mps). The stage is set for an epic battle between two of Jamaica’s most promising runners.
But with Lyston opting not to contest the 100m, Tia should have little difficulty in winning. If the conditions are right today, fans could be in for a special run under 11.5 seconds.
She opened her season at the Purewater/R Danny Williams JC Invitational at the newly constructed Ashenheim Stadium and clocked an impressive 11.63 seconds.
— Howard Walker
