Nathaniel Martin runs 20.82 personal best to win under-20 boys 200m at JAAA championships

Nathaniel Martin stormed to the under-20 boys 200 metres title on day four of the JAAA/PUMA National Junior and Senior Championships, clocking 20.82 seconds for a personal best and his first time under 21 seconds.

Martin entered from lane eight as the pre-race favourite after a standout season in which commentators said he had been targeting a time faster than 20.63. He had already posted a 10.37 personal best in the 100 metres at the meet, and his finishing burst on the home straight secured a championship double once officials confirmed the corrected results.

The race opened with Barton making a sharp start from lane seven, with Martin on his outside and Sanjay Seymour settling into third with ground to make up. Nigel Wade moved to the front around the curve while Seymour remained well off the pace. Martin closed hard down the stretch to take victory, though the times initially shown on the board required adjustment before the final standings were posted.

When the results were confirmed, Martin's 20.82 carried a +0.9 wind reading. Kyle Cotton was second in 21.00, also a personal best, edging Seymour into third at 21.01 in a race commentators described as surprisingly tight for the runner-up positions. Wade faded to fourth.

Earlier in the programme, De'Journea Morgan recorded 22.22 in the event. Naseer McMorris of Calabar College, a past Champs finalist in both the 200 metres and long jump, lined up in lane one but had struggled after a weak start in his 100 metres race, where observers felt he might otherwise have reached the final.