JAMAICA will be in the hunt for more medals on Saturday’s second day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Toruń, Poland.

On Friday, Jamaica won two silver medals, including a historic podium finish for Jordan Scott in the men’s triple jump.

Scott improved on his fourth place at last year’s World Indoor in Nanjing, China, with a season’s best 17.33m. He is the first Jamaican man to earn a medal in the event at the World Indoor Championships.

On the track, Scott’s compatriot Kishane Thompson ran a 60m personal best of 6.45 seconds to add to his silver medal collection.

Scott produced a brilliant series as he etched his name in Jamaican track and field history in only his second competitive outing this year.

The 28-year-old Scott, who was also fifth at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, gradually improved on his first three jumps. He started with 17.29m, and inched to 17.30m and later 17.33m before fouling his fourth jump.

He registered 17.31m in the fifth round and then 16.88m in the final round.

Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez won with a world leading 17.47m, while Algeria’s Yasser Mohammed Triki was third with 17.30m.

A few minutes later, Thompson dipped under his previous best of 6.46 set at the National Stadium in late February, to take his third-straight silver in global championships. Thompson was second in the men’s 100m at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, and again at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Bryan Levell, the second Jamaican in the final noticeably slowed after about 30 metres and crossed the line in 7.69 for seventh.

Jordan Anthony of the United States created an upset when he won the gold medal in a world-leading 6.41 seconds, while his compatriot Trayvon Bromell was third in 6.45.

Ackeem Blake, another Jamaican, did not get past the semi-finals, finishing fourth in 6.55 in his heat.

Also on Friday, national record holder Lamara Distin finished 10th in the women’s high jump, while 800m runners Natoya Goule-Toppin and Navasky Anderson advanced to their respective semi-finals.

Distin, who has a season’s best 1.96m, managed to only clear the opening height of 1.85m before crashing out of the competition attempting 1.93m.

The three-time former NCAA champion at Texas A&M University and finalist at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023, was competing at her first World Indoor Championships.

Goule-Toppin made safe progress to the semi-finals of the women’s 800m after finishing second in the first round with 2:01.32 minutes, leading most of the race before she was passed by Norway’s Pernille Karlsen Antonsen who ran a national record 2:00.77.

Kelly-Ann Beckford failed to advance, however, after she placed fifth in her heat, running 2:04.09.

Anderson qualified for his semis on time after he was third in his first round race in 1:46.34.

Quarter-milers Reheem Hayles and Delano Kennedy will hope for better luck in the relays after they failed to get into the men’s 400m finals on Friday.

Hayles got to the semi-finals after running 46.66 for second behind American Chris Robinson, who won with 46.34. But Hayles finished third in 46.87 and failed to advance further.

Despite running a lifetime indoor best 47.02, Kennedy failed to advance as he was third in his opening race.

Kennedy had originally finished fourth but France’s Muhammad Abdallah Kounta, who had won, was later disqualified for a lane violation.

On Saturday, Jamaican athletes are to contest the women’s 60m dash and the men’s 60m hurdles.

Jonielle Smith and Brianna Lyston are down for the women’s 60m, while Demario Prince and Jerome Campbell are to compete in the men’s 60m hurdles.

Also, Raymond Richards, a bronze medalist last year, and Romaine Beckford are to contest the men’s high jump, while Shantae Foreman is the lone Jamaican in the women’s triple jump. The Jamaica men’s 4x400m are scheduled to feature in the preliminaries.

Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin (right) competes against Kenya’s Gladys Chepngetich (centre) and Norway’s Pernille Karlsen Antonsen in heat 2 of the women’s 800 metres during the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.

Winner Jordan Anthony (left) of United States greets second-placed finisher Kishane Thompson of Jamaica after the men’s 60 metres final during the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, on Friday. Photos: AFP