Moore, Taylor Lead Qualifiers for 200m Final at National Championships

Defending champion Ashanti Moore and last year's men's runner-up Christopher Taylor are set to lead the field in the 200m final at the JAAA national championships in Kingston, Jamaica. Both athletes delivered impressive performances in Saturday's semi-finals, securing their spots among the top qualifiers.

Moore, who also competed in the women's 100m final on Friday, won her 200m semi-final heat with a time of 22.88 seconds, despite a -1.2m/s wind. She was followed by Alana Reid (23.74 seconds) and Jodean Williams (23.05 seconds), who achieved a season's best. Niesha Burgher (23.82 seconds) and Lavanya Williams (23.06 seconds), who recorded a personal best, also advanced.

On the men's side, Taylor posted a season's best of 20.49 seconds in his semi-final, running against a -2.9m/s wind. He finished ahead of former 400m hurdles champion Roshawn Clark, who clocked 20.63 seconds. Jevaughn Powell, who had led after the first round, also advanced with 20.73 seconds, alongside Adrian Kerr (20.76 seconds) and Kadrian Goldson (21.00 seconds).

The championships also saw other notable results. Demario Prince led qualifiers for the men's 110m hurdles final with a time of 13.38 seconds. In the field events, Lloydricia Cameron secured her first national women's shot put title, and former World Athletics Champion Tajay Gayle won the men's long jump title for the first time since 2021. Ackelia Smith achieved a double, adding the women's triple jump title to her earlier long jump victory.