Tia Clayton

Tia Clayton (born 17 August 2004) is a Jamaican sprinter specializing in the short sprints.

Early Life

Tia comes from Grange Hill, Westmoreland. She attended Edwin Allen High School in Clarendon parish along with her twin sister Tina Clayton.

Career

She ran the anchor legs for the Jamaican 4 × 100 metres relay teams that broke the world under-20 records at both the 2021 World U20 Championships (42.94 s) and 2022 World U20 Championships (42.59 s).

Tia's twin sister Tina, ran the second leg of those world record relays.

Both sisters excelled at the 15-16 age category nationally.

2021

In the final of the class two 100m final at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships known locally as Champs, she false started preventing her from realizing a quinella victory with Tina. In the relay, she got redemption winning gold.

Tia failed to qualify for the individual 100 metres team for the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya most likely as a result of injury experienced earlier that season. Nevertheless, she was listed as one of the 4 × 100 metres relay participants that mined gold in a world U20 record of 42.94.

2022

Unlike the prior year, Tia completed the final mining a bronze medal in 11.47 in the class one 100m at the ISSA competition. Again, the team produced another gold from the 4 × 100 metres relay winning in 43.28, the eight consecutive for their school.

At the annual CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, she earned a silver medal in 11.30, when the siblings ended the race with a one two (2022 CARIFTA Games).

In August at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, she failed to advance to the finals in the 100m, but as expected, she ran a blistering anchor leg to cross the line in world record time 42.59 to include Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, and Kerrica Hill.

2023

After forgoing university, the year found Tia familiarizing herself with the pro training system at MVP and the move to Kingston.

2024

Tia finished second in the 100 m at the 2024 Jamaican Athletics Championships in a time of 10.90 seconds (-0.3 m/s wind), behind Shericka Jackson (10.84 s) and ahead of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.94 s), to qualify for the Jamaican team for the 2024 Summer Olympics. At the Olympics, she ran a new Personal Best (PB) of 10.86 s (+1.0 m/s wind) winning her semi-final (beating the PB of 11.02 s (+0.7 m/s wind) she had set the day before in the heats). However, she finished 7th in the finals in 11.04 (Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metres).

2025

For the 2025 JAAA National Championships, she pulled up during the final due to injury. Therefore, she missed out on the individual team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Because of her fast times during the season prior to the injury, she was selected as a member of the relay squad. At the games, she and the team secured a silver medal in a 41.79 season best (2025 World Athletics Championships - Women's 4 × 100 metres relay).

Earlier in the year, at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China, she earned another 4 x 100 metres medal in color bronze after racing in the heats to qualify the team to the final. Shericka Jackson ran a strong anchor leg to get the team to third in 42.33.

2026

On May 2, 2026, the team of Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson, and Tia Clayton broke the world record running a 39.99 in the heats of the mixed 4 × 100 metres relay. The next day in the final, they again smashed the world record lowering the previous achievement to 39.62 winning the gold in fine style (2026 World Athletics Relays). Jamaica is the first country to go below the 40 seconds mark in this event.

National Championships Results

External links

• at World Athletics
• at Olympics.com
• at Olympedia
• at InterSportStats