Michelle Smith at the World Athletic U20 Championships taking place in Cali, Colombia from Aug. 1-6.
Michelle Smith, who was recently treated to a grand welcome on St. Croix after her stunning, gold-winning performances on the mainland in June, on Wednesday set a new Virgin Islands National Junior record of 57.83 in the Semi-Final of the 400m Hurdles at the World Athletic U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.
According to the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation, Smith placed 2nd in her race and automatically qualified for the final on Thursday August 4, at 5:10 pm Colombian time. Smith will be in lane 7, according to the federation.
The V.I. Dept. of Sports, Parks and Recreation provided Smith with a $5,000 sponsorship which supported her expenses for the U20 Championships.
In April, Michelle won a gold medal in the 400m Hurdles at the 49th Carifta Games. In that race, she ran a time of 58.61 which is not only a new Carifta Games record and a VI National Junior record, but also the world’s fastest time for 2022 for the Under 18 age group.
On May 12, Michelle became a Florida State champion after competing in and winning the 300m Hurdles during the Florida 2A State Championships. Michelle ran a new USVI record of 41.56, a time that also made her the fastest high school sophomore in the 300m Hurdles in the United States.
