Decade-long wait was worth it - Mason
Published:Wednesday | September 17, 2025 | 12:22 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
ELEVEN YEARS, one month and 24 days.
That is how long Jamaican sprint hurdler Tyler Mason had to wait between finishing second at the World Junior Championships and his first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.
“It’s been a long couple of years,” Mason said. “Usain once said it took him four years to run nine seconds. It took me 11 years to make a team and medal, so I have to give thanks.”
He added, “A lot of ups and downs, but I prevailed.”
“It’s a major, major win for me, but it’s been a long time coming,” he continued.
“Definitely, it’s all worth it. But it’s just a sigh of relief. I came here and I actually produced what a lot of people said that I couldn’t do.”
Mason had risen to prominence as a junior athlete during his time at Jamaica College (JC) where he won the silver medal in the 110m hurdles at the then-named IAAF World Junior Championships.
However, it would take over a decade before the sprint hurdler would return to the global stage as a senior, making his international debut for Jamaica at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships.
Capitalising on his chance, Mason was a man on fire throughout the rounds of competition, and qualified for his first major final.
He would then set a new personal best of 13.12 seconds to claim the bronze medal in the final, his first senior medal.
Mason also completed a Jamaican two-three finish, as teammate Orlando Bennett finished second in 13.08.
Speaking after the race, Mason said he was determined to leave with a podium finish following his long wait to make a national team.
“I always told myself that, once I’m on the Jamaica team, I won’t come back without a win. I always stick to that, so that’s what I did tonight,” he said.
“It’s a great feeling to be on the podium. You just have to be bold and keep going. As a Jamaican team, we are doing well. We added some more medals to the table and I think Jamaica is on top right now.”
Now a world bronze medallist, Mason believes he can continue to grow in the sport and is hoping for further success.
“It’s not about confidence, as I said before, it’s just about execution for me right now, because I’ve done the work. I don’t see anything else that can stop me right now.
“Now it’s just really to rest and let loose, because there’s been a lot of tension. I just have to give God thanks at the end of the day,” he said.