Michael Dyke, head coach of Jamaica's team to the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Dyke and members of the team returned home yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn

Head coach Michael Dyke hailed his athletes for a job well done shortly after members of Jamaica's IAAF World Junior Championships team arrived home yesterday.

The young athletes finished the championships with five medals - two gold, two silver and one bronze to end seventh on the medal table behind United States 20 (9-4-7), Kenya 13 (4-4-5), Ethiopia seven (3-3-1), Cuba four (3-0-1), Germany six (2-4-0) and Russia eight (2-3-3). (Note: gold medal has higher ranking than the other medals.)

"I think the athletes did very well based on the circumstances," said Dyke after the team's arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday

"We would have loved to have won more medals, but I think that they did their best based on the challenges that we faced in Barcelona," said Dyke, who is also the coach of reigning local girls' champions Edwin Allen High.

bit tired

Dyke said the athletes had problems adjusting to the food while some were a bit tired after participating at the CAC Games just days prior to the start of the World Junior Championships.

"It took some time for them to settle down and really find food to eat," Dyke said.

Dyke also highlighted some of the bad luck the team had during the championships.

"We had persons like Julian (Forte) leading the 200m final 10 metres from the finish but was unable to finish the race. Simoya Campbell (800m) took sick and could not continue, but despite all these challenges they did well."

Fedrick Dacres and Janieve Russell were Jamaica's gold medal winners at the championships. Dacres captured gold in the discus while Russell took top spot in the 400m hurdles.

Odean Skeen bagged bronze in the 100m while Jamaica's men's sprint relay won a silver medal while the women's 4x400m relay also won silver.

"Janieve did great because it was a pleasure to see her winning that gold for us," Dyke said. "I also want to commend our 4x100m team which won the silver and Fedrick Dacres for his gold in the discus throw and Odean Skeen with his bronze medal in the 100m."

Jamaica's two gold medallists at the 14th IAAF World Junior Championships, discus thrower Fedrick Dacres and 400m hurdler Janieve Russell, pose for photographs at the Norman Manley International Airport shortly after the team arrived home yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn