KINGSTON, Jamaica — The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships witnessed an extraordinary display of athletic prowess on Saturday as Edwin Allen High’s Addison James redefined javelin throwing excellence. The young athlete delivered a monumental performance, achieving a record-shattering throw of 70.30 meters that now stands as the seventh-best distance globally in the Under-20 boys category.
James, who simultaneously extended his Dominican Under-20 national record, demonstrated remarkable consistency by breaking the championship meet record not once, but twice during the competition. His initial attempt of 69.59 meters in the first round already surpassed previous benchmarks, but it was his second-round throw that made history—the first-ever 70.00-meter-plus throw by a Jamaican schoolboy.
The silver medalist, who finished behind Calabar’s Tarique Daley (last year’s champion with 65.11m), further cemented his dominance with another impressive throw of 66.79 meters in the fourth round that would have also broken the previous record. Daley’s participation ended abruptly after a single throw of 41.81 meters before retiring from the final.
Kingston College’s Kimari Smith secured second position with a throw of 54.25 meters, while Jamaica College’s Camron Williams claimed third with a 50.66-meter effort. James’ historic performance not only rewrote the record books but also signaled the emergence of a world-class talent in track and field athletics.