Sport

World Champs ... Silverado in Paris

( left - right) James Beckford, Michael Blackwood and Brigitte Foster - file

This is the final in a series on Jamaican athletes who have reached the finals of events at the IAAF World Championships. Today we look at the 2003 championships held in Paris, France.

A BAD START in the women's 100m hurdles cost Brigitte Foster a possible gold medal.

Lining up at the start without the United States Gail Devers, then world number one, who was eliminated in the semi-finals, Foster was favoured to crown herself in glory.

However, a reaction time of 0.158 second, was sixth fastest behind Canada's Perdita Felicien, who came out of the blocks in 0.147 second.

Foster made a determined effort to overhaul the Canadian, making a desperate lunge at the line but failed by four-hundredths of a second.

That was Jamaica's first medal at the 2003 championships. The two other 100m hurdles finalists, Commonwealth champion Lacena Golding-Clarke pipped Vonette Dixon for eighth spot in the field of nine. Both crossed the line in 12.87.

Lorraine Fenton was Jamaica's top medallist at the championships, mining silver in the women's 400m and bronze in the mile relay.

In the 400m final, it was always a uphill task for Fenton with Mexican Ana Guevara in top form.

Gallant race

Fenton ran a gallant race from start to finish but was no match for the Mexican dynamo Guevara who won in a world leading 48.89. Fenton was timed in 49.43 for the silver.

She returned on the final day and along with open leg runner Sandie Richards, Allison Beckford and Ronetta Smith on anchor, took Jamaica to their lone bronze of the championships. The quartet finished in 3:22.92, a season best behind the United States' world leading 3:22.63 and Russia's season best 3:22.91.

Jamaica's third silver came from James Beckford in the men's long jump, his second silver at the level. Beckford leapt to a season-best 8.28 metres to take second spot in the final behind gold medallist Dwight Phillips who got up to 8.32m.

Beckford's performance was considered a great effort after a lukewarm season. The 1996 Olympic silver medallist at one stage looked as if he would have gone one better as after three rounds, he was in the gold medal position.

Michael Blackwood reached the final of the men's 400m but was beaten into fourth place. Blackwood's time of 44.80 seconds, placed him behind American Jerome Young (44.50), Tyree Washington, also of United States (44.77) and Raquil Marc of France (44.79).

Blackwood returned on the final day to help Jamaica's mile relay team to bronze, which was afterwards updated to silver due to a positive drug test returned by the United States' Jerome Young.

Blackwood, on anchor, got help from Brandon Simpson, Danny McFarlane, and Davian Clarke as Jamaica finished in a season best 2:59.60 behind the United States (2:58.88) and France (2:58.96)

Jamaica had two representatives in the men's 400m hurdles final and featured among the medals. Danny McFarlane ran a personal best 48.30 for fourth while Kemel Thompson was fifth in 48.51. Dominican Felix Sanchez won the event in a world leading 47.25 ahead of Joey Wood of American (48.18, season best).

Aleen Bailey was also a finalist, finishing seventh the 100m for the women in a personal best 11.07 seconds. She was the only Jamaica in the final won by banned American sprinter Kelli White (10.85). Beverly McDonald was sixth in the women's 200m final in 22.95, again behind White (22.05, world leading).

Jamaica's first

In the men's high jump, Germaine Mason, the first Jamaican to reach a final in this event, leapt 2.29m for fifth. Sudia Arabia's Freitag Jacques jumped 2.35 metres for the gold.

Jamaica's 4x100m team of Ricardo Williams, Dwight Thomas, Michael Frater and Asafa Powell failed to medal in the event won by the United States (38.06). So too did the quartet of Vonnette Dixon, Elva Goulbourne, Beverly McDonald and Brigitte Foster-Hylton in the women's 4x100m.

Jamaica won four silver and one bronze at the championships.