Jamaica made history at this year’s World Under 20 Championships in so many ways. Most importantly, the 15-medal haul is the nation’s biggest total ever. Amidst all the glory in the host city of Cali, Columbia, the repeat 4x100m relay win by Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill and Tia Clayton in world record time is a unique achievement.

In 1990, 100m hurdles gold medallist Gillian Russell, 200m finalist Revolie Campbell, Merlene Frazer and 100m runner-up Nikole Mitchell won the gold medals in 43.82 seconds. 2 years later, Russell, Frazer, newcomer Michelle Christie and Mitchell repeated for Jamaica in 43.96.

When Tulia Robinson, Beverley Langley, Kerry-Ann Richards and Astia Walker won the 4×100 at the 1994 renewal of the global under-20 showcase, Jamaica became the first country to win the event three times in a row.

The next win by Jamaica in the 4×100 took its time arriving. In 2002 when Jamaica hosted the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston, Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart, Anniesha McLaughlin and Simone Facey delighted a packed National Stadium audience with a championship best of 43.40 seconds. The world under-20 record was just 0.02 away.

This crew was part of a new generation of great Jamaican sprinters. Just 2 years later Simpson scorched the second leg when Jamaica won the Olympic 4×100. In 2008, she and Stewart tied for the Olympic 100m silver medal in 2008, with Stewart getting third in the 200m final, and another 100m silver in 2009 at the World Championships.

McLaughlin and Facey placed 5th and 6th in the 200m there in Berlin, Germany, and Facey and Stewart helped Jamaica to win the relay. In 2016, McLaughlin’s speed carried Jamaica to the silver medals in the Olympic 4×400 relay.

19 years later, Cole, Tina, Hill and Tia took the world under 20 record under 43 seconds for the first time with a historic run of 42.94 in the high altitude of Nairobi, Kenya. In 2022, two decades after that famous night in Kingston, the same quartet went even faster in the sprint-friendly altitude of Cali to clock 42.59 seconds.

The USA had gone back-to-back in 1996 and 1998 and later essayed a winning streak covering the 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 Championships. However, no country has ever had the exact same team win consecutive golds. In addition, no country has won back-to-back World Junior 4x100m titles with world records each time … except Jamaica.

Only Hill will be eligible to run at the 2024 World Under 20 Championships in Lima, Peru. The other record breakers all turn 20 that year and the same goes for 2022 World and Carifta Under-20 200m queen Brianna Lyston. However, with Hill and prospects like Alana Reid, who was the Cali 200m bronze medallist, dreams of another World Under 20 4x100m three-peat by Jamaica aren’t too farfetched.