‘She deserves it’ Coach lauds Marshall’s work ethic for winning World U20 medal

Veteran coach Michael Carr says the ceiling is high for newly crowned World Under-20 100m hurdles bronze medallist Tiana Marshall, and expects the talented teenager to achieve even greater success in the years to come.

Marshall, age 18, produced a strong performance at the World Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last week, clocking a personal-equalling best of 12.97 seconds to secure the bronze medal.

American Madeline Cooper won the event in a World Under-20-leading 12.91, while South Africa’s Tumi Ramokgopa took silver in 12.96.

Carr, who has guided Marshall throughout her career at the Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls, said he was particularly proud to see his athlete reach the podium on the global stage.

EMOTIONAL

“That is a feeling that is very emotional because to get on the podium on a world stage is an awesome feeling, and it also shows that hard work pays off,” Carr said.

“She is diligent, intelligent, and she also responds to advice. She responds to instructions, So, to get her to that level, I am feeling proud and happy, and I just wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”

Carr added that Marshall’s success was also personally rewarding, as it reinforced his belief that the work they have done together is producing results.

BLUEPRINT

“She deserves it because she really works hard and … personally, it is a sense of achievement for me to know that I was doing something right, and I will use her to help me going forward, based on what we did and how we did what we did. It is a blueprint for me to go forward with.”

Carr noted that Marshall, who entered the championships as the fourth-ranked Under-20 hurdler in the world, was very confident that she would have won a medal in the event.

“She was very confident going into the event because, at one stage, we thought that we could have won it but, for me, I don’t emphasise winning in a sense,” he said. “All I wanted from her was to get on that podium, in whatever position and with whatever medal.

FIRST LOSS

“She went through the entire 2025 unbeaten, so this is her first loss for 2026 and this is her first loss in two years,” Carr highlighted.

“She went into the championships as the fourth-ranked Under-20 hurdler in the world, and so the two persons who defeated her were the first- and second-ranked hurdlers in the world.”

Carr pointed out that Marshall’s performance was even more significant because she defeated the athlete who had entered the championships ranked third in the world.

“She defeated the third-ranked hurdler in the world to move onto the podium, and therefore she is now ranked number three in the world,” he shared. “I am happy that she is on the podium, and that is the key thing, because this is a global event and this is not the Carifta Games.”