KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica’s Jamal Stephenson will not be defending his Carifta Games Under-20 100m crown after he failed to finish his race in the heat at the Jamaica Carifta Games Trials on Friday.

Stephenson, who won last year in 10.24 seconds in heat three, which was won by William Knibb’s Sanjay Seymore in 10.29 (1.1 m/s). Johan-Rmaldo Smythe of Holland was second in 10.34, ahead of Calabar’s Khamani Gordon in 10.40. All three advanced to the final set at 6:00 pm on Friday.

Carifta Games and 2025 Champs 100m champion Gary Card of MVP failed to show, while Kingston College’s Nyron Wade won heat four in 10.30 ahead of Deequan Maragh of Camperdown High in 10.44.

Tyreece Foreman of St George’s College won Heat One in 10.50, and Requelme Reid of Excelsior High took Heat Two in 10.33, setting the stage for an epic final.

Things went according to the script on the girls’ side as Shanoya Douglas of Holland High eased into the Under-20 final, clocking 11.79 (1.7 m/s) from Heat Three. St Jago’s Adora Campbell was second fastest into the final, stopping the clock at 11.88, and Jada Lloyd of the University of North Carolina won Heat Four in 11.98. Wolmer’s star Natrece East took Heat One in 12.05.

In the Under-17 girls, Ferncourt High’s Rihanna Scott was quickest into the final, clocking 12.05, with Azaria Harris of Convent of Mercy Alpha winning heat two in 12.07. Tasha Godfrey of Edwin Allen won Heat One in 12.47.

Calabar’s Joshua Ricketts was fastest into the Boys Under-17 final, winning Heat Two in 10.79, while JC’s Kai Kelly took Heat One in 10.82. Javane Clayton of Calabar was third quickest, winning heat three in 10.93.