Semifinal Berth, Personal Best Highlight VI's World Youth Action

BVI’s L’T’Sha Fahie, left, and the USVI duo of Rodney Griffin & Nia Jack at the warm up track for the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. PHOTO: Mireille Smith

JULY 18 British and U.S. Virgin Islands athletes wrapped up IAAF World Youth Championships competition in Cali, Colombia on Friday morning with a semifinals berth and a personal best effort.

L’T’Sha Fahie of the BVI, advanced to the Girls 100m semifinals on Thursday where she finished sixth in 11.93 seconds after a fourth place finish in the prelims in 11.95. It marked the second successive championship that BVI athletes have made the semifinal in the competition where they won the silver medal in the Medley Relay in 2013. She was fifth in her 200m prelims on Friday morning in 25.26 seconds.

“It really was a great experience because now that there's big countries and big name athletes here and little me from the BVI made it here,” Fahie said. “Going in to my heat I was nervous but I just thought about what my coach said. I had a good start but not the best finish. I did make it to the semifinals and I tried my best. The only thing I can do know is go back and work on my finish for next year. None of this would be possible without God my mom and my coach Willis Todman.”

Fahie said the 200m wasn’t her best race as she entered the competiton with a personal best of 24.80, but was once again, happy to represent the BVI in another event. “I’m also proud of myself,” she said. “For me to come from a small country and qualified in the 100 and 200m, it was two opportunities to represent my country.”

USVI’s Nia Jack had a fourth place finish in her 100m prelims on Thursday in 12.22 seconds. “I didn’t run a good time,” the St. Croix runner said. “I came out strong, but I didn’t have a good finish.”

Jack who ran in the same stadium last month at the Pan Am Youth Championships where she won 100m gold with a time of 11.86 seconds, said her finish wasn’t the best. “I know now what I have to work on when I get back home,” she pointed out. “The experience was great. I had the opportunity to compete with others from around the world. I wish I had performed better but winning is not as important as qualifying for this kind of event and having the chance to represent my country.”