‘This makes me feel accomplished’

Jamaica College thrower Joseph Salmon delivered a historic performance to shatter the national junior record in the boys' Class One discus at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Thursday.

The 18-year-old Salmon produced a sensational throw of 67.55 metres on his fifth attempt, setting both a new championships record and a national Under-20 mark.

In the process, he eclipsed the previous record of 66.88m set by Travis Smikle in 2011.

Salmon's performance was nothing short of dominant, as he had already broken the record on his second attempt with a throw of 67.35m. His winning mark is also the world Under-20 leading distance this year and ranks among the top performances of all time in the category.

Kamari Kennedy of Calabar High School finished a distant second with 60.84m, while Rajeem Streete of Munro College took third with 59.13m.

Despite the magnitude of his achievement, Salmon said he was not surprised by the result.

"I am not surprised by my performance because in January I threw 66.3, so it was always there. I just needed to grab it and reach it, and here at Champs I actually did that and threw even further," he said.

Salmon also noted that he had overcome a number of technical challenges earlier in the season, crediting his coach for keeping him focused.

"Going into the Corporate Area Championships I had some technical issues, but I didn't give up because I knew what I had in store. I spoke with my coach and he told me not to give up because he knew what I could do, and I just followed his instructions," Salmon explained.

"This makes me feel really accomplished, and I believe good things are going to happen for me going forward."

Salmon stated that this year will mark his final appearance at Champs, as he prepares for the next chapter of his career overseas.

"This is my last year at Champs. I could come back next year, but I won't, as I will be attending University of Nebraska in the United States," he added.