Jamaica's Daniel Dowie shows off a silver medal won at the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships. - Anthony Foster

BRESSANONE, Italy

Jamaica ended the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships here at the Sports Arena in Bressanone 24th in the medals table.

On yesterday's final day, the anticipated raising of the black, green and gold flag did not materialise as three finals contested failed to bring in a single medal.

In the end, Jamaica ended with one silver and a bronze medal, Kenya topped the table with six gold, seven silver and one bronze ahead of United States who earned six gold, five silver and five bronze medals.

worst-ever showing

Grenada, thanks to Kirani James' 200m/400m double, ended in eighth position. This is Jamaica's worst ever showing at a World Youth event, having won nine medals (2G, 5S, 2B) last time in Ostrava, Czech Republic (2007) and two years prior to that in Morocco, brought back one silver and two bronze medals.

It was also the second time Jamaica have ended competition at this level without a relay medal. Jamaica had high expectations yesterday going into the relays, but both medley relay teams, especially the girls were disappointing.

"Yes I am very disappointed, because I ran as hard I could, but life goes on. We didn't get a medal, but that will not bring us down," said lead-off runner Deandre Whitehorne.

disappointed

Danielle Dowie, the only girl to win a medal at the Championships and who returned to run the 300-metre leg on the relay, was also disappointed with the result but believes the team gave their best effort.

"We are disappointed, but we did our best." she said.

The quartet of Whitehorne, Celia Walters, Dowie and Ristananna Tracey crossed the line in 2:09.79 for fifth.

Whitehorne gave the team a good start, but Walters' 200m leg was below par, which gave Dowie and anchor-leg runner Tracey, who also did not have the best run, too much to do.

United States, as expected, won the event in a World Youth leading time of 2:04.32 ahead of Hungary (2:09.22) and Romania (2:09.25).

misjudged anchor leg

On the boys' side, again, Jamaica seemed favoured to win a medal, but a misjudged anchor leg run from Javere Bell, who fell before he crossed the line, proved to be their undoing. United States again topped the field in a World Youth best of 1:50.33 ahead of Brazil (1:52.66) and Japan (1:52.82).

However, Jamaica's lone bright spark on the day, was Rochelle Farquharson, who came within two centimetres of a bronze medal. Farquharson leapt 6.03 metres, a personal best effort, for fourth.

In the 200m final, Walters was again below her best, finishing 24.09 for eighth. Jodie Williams of Great Britain completed the sprint double with a World Youth leading 23.08 seconds, the same time as second-placed Allison Peter of the US Virgin Islands.