More to come from Shanoya — Coach Smythe
After stopping the clock in 10.98 seconds at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) on Wednesday and taking her spot as the new Class 1 queen in the 100m, Garth Smythe, the man behind Shanoya Douglas’s performances, believes there is much more to come from the 18-year-old.
Douglas won the Class One 100m event in front of a packed grandstand, in the process becoming Jamaica’s fourth-fastest junior of all time. Of note, Douglas, who now represents Holland High, is the fastest woman in the world to date and, in fact, currently has the two fastest times, having clocked 11.06 on March 6.
But Douglas, as spectacular as she was, was still off the Champs record of 10.92 set by Alana Reid in 2023.
Only Alana Reid’s Champs and National Junior record 10.92 seconds, Tina Clayton’s 10.95 seconds and Briana Williams’ 10.97 seconds have gone faster.
Smythe, told the Jamaica Observer that it is still a work in progress for Douglas and shared that there are much bigger ambitions in front of them.
“I can honestly say to you, we were still out there working on things. We know that we are better than the field,” said Smythe.
“There is a bigger goal, a bigger target,” he noted.
Douglas, who at 16 years old won bronze in the 200m at the Under-20 World Championship in 2024 in Peru, currently has the sixth-fastest time in the world of 22.58 in the half-lap event. Adaejah Hodges has the world-leading time of 22.22.
Douglas will be looking for the double at this year’s Under-20 World Championship and will start as favourite. But before that she will be at the Carifta Games next week, where she will also be looking to stamp her dominance.
Smythe noted that the young star still has a lot more to give but believes the work being done in their training will manifest itself in the near future.
“So, we were working on things. We know where we are at. At some point you will see the real deal,” said Smythe.
Douglas will today feature in the semi-finals of the 200m at 12:49 pm, after winning her heat yesterday in a time of 24.21 seconds.
She won the Class 2 event in 23.30 last year.
