LIMA, Peru— Two of the four Jamaican athletes, Kemarrio Bygrave in the men’s 400m and Shanque Williams in the women’s 400m, advanced to the semi-finals at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday afternoon.

Bygrave placed third in his first-round heat, running 47.39 seconds, behind American Sidi Njie (46.83 seconds) and Morocco’s Walid El Boussir, who ran a personal best of 46.87 seconds.

He said he had done what he had set out to do.

“The plan was just to come out here and qualify as my coach said, and that’s exactly what I did. But I will need to do some more work before the next round. I just have to go back, review my mistakes, and come back,” Bygrave said.

Williams, who was part of the Mixed 4x400m team that competed in the final on Tuesday, placed third in her first-round race, running 54.22 seconds.

She told Observer Online, “I’m pleased, I’m pleased with the results. It’s been a long season; I’ve been doing this since last year August, got a two-week break, and then it was right back into another season, so I am grateful.”

Jabari Matheson, who won the Under 20 boys’ 400m at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) national championships, and Abrina Wright, who placed fourth in the women’s event, failed to progress beyond the qualifying round.

Matheson finished fifth in his race with a time of 49.34 seconds, while Wright was sixth in hers, clocking 54.63 seconds.

The format, featuring the first two rounds on one day and the final on the next, is being used at a major championship for the first time.

-Paul A Reid