Natalliah Whyte doesn’t remember much about her gold medal performance at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. She does remember the feeling of winning and it has been driving her on to win another medal at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan next year.

On the night of October 5, 2019, Whyte ran the leadoff leg for Jamaica’s Women 4x100m team that was a runaway winner of the sprint relay final. Whyte was instrumental to the victory as she gave the team a strong start that put Jamaica in command early.

Whyte handed off to 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, who put Jamaica further into the lead before Jonielle Smith extended the lead even farther before handing off to Shericka Jackson, who powered home well clear of the field.

Jamaica’s winning time of 41.44 was the third fastest by a Jamaican team and the seventh fastest in history. Silver medallists Great Britain clocked 41.85 while the United States won bronze in 42.10.

Nine months later, Whyte has yet to come to grips with the reality that she is a World Championships gold medallist. “The gold medal is still unbelievable,” she said. “That is why I am so eager for the Olympics because maybe if I can win another medal at that level it will feel more realistic.”

She was so focussed, she said, that she hardly remembers anything about the race.

“The last thing I remember before the race was waving when they were introducing the line-up and maybe that is why it’s so unbelievable but I just really wanted to show my ability and do my best,” she said. “I do watch the race now and then and I think it was a really good leadoff and I’m happy that I did so well.”