Nigel Wade wins Under-20 boys 200m semifinal at JAAA national championships

Nigel Wade secured the only guaranteed place in the Under-20 boys 200 metres final on day three of the JAAA/PUMA National Junior and Senior Championships, winning the opening semifinal in difficult conditions.

Wade, who finished third in the 100 metres on the previous night, started from lane eight in a field thinned by absentees. Justin Stewart and Tyreese Foreman, a CARIFTA Games silver medallist over 200 metres last year, were not in the lineup. Nicardo Johnson of Falcons Athletics took lane two, Jelani Monteith of Clarendon College lane three, and Jevaughn of Falcons Athletics lane four. Timothy Perrier of Kingston College started in lane six.

Only the winner of each semifinal was assured of a final berth, making the opening heat a high-stakes contest for the five athletes on the track. Wade entered as a leading contender despite limited 200-metre racing this season.

From the gun, Wade worked the outside lane while Monteith stayed steady on the inside and Jevaughn of Falcons Athletics ran a solid bend. Wade held control through the straight, glanced left at his rivals, and eased through the line to take the heat.

He was credited with 21.92 seconds, against a headwind of 3.1 metres per second. Monteith finished second in 22.12, with Perrier third in 22.32. Wade's personal best over 200 metres stands at 21.25, set at the 2024 All Comers meet.

Before the race, discussion turned to Ryiem Card, whose 20.59 seconds ranks him as the fastest Jamaican junior over 200 metres this year. It remained unclear whether Card could pursue both the 100 and 200 metres at the World Under-20 Championships after competing only in the 100 at the nationals.

With Wade through, attention shifted to the second Under-20 boys 200 metres semifinal.