As the 2024 World Under-20 Athletics Championships entered another day of competition in Oregon on Thursday, three track and field athletes from Barbados delivered standout performances to secure their places in the semifinal rounds of their respective events. Leading the charge for the Caribbean nation was Shamari Greenidge-Lewis, a decorated gold medalist from the CARIFTA Games. Competing in the men’s 400-meter sprint preliminary heats, Greenidge-Lewis crossed the finish line with a time of 46.34 seconds, securing a second-place finish in his heat that punched his automatic ticket to the next round.
Fellow Barbadian sprinter Kadia Rock also maintained her impressive form throughout the 2024 season in the women’s 400-meter event. Drawing a spot in the sixth preliminary heat, Rock recorded a time of 53.32 seconds to finish fourth in her heat. While she did not claim an automatic qualification spot with her top-three finish, her result was fast enough to rank among the fastest non-automatic qualifiers, earning her a place in the upcoming semifinals.
Rounding out the trio of advancing Barbadian athletes was Rashad Gibson, who competed in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. Slotted into the eighth preliminary heat, Gibson put together a consistent run, clocking 51.74 seconds to finish third in his heat, a result that secured his qualification for the semifinals.
The solid showing from Thursday’s competitors comes on the heels of a solid effort from another young Barbadian athlete on the opening day of competition. In Wednesday’s evening session, Jayden Walcott competed in the final of the men’s shot put, ultimately finishing sixth overall with a best throw of 19.27 meters in his first major global championship appearance.