21-year-old Cayman sprinter Jaiden Reid started the 2026 season on a tough note back in March at the NCAA Indoor Championships. In the 60m, he ran 6.61 in the prelims but did not qualify for the final. The same story followed in the 200m, where he clocked 20.83, finished 10th in the heats, and again missed out on the final. Disappointed but still pushing through, Reid bounced back in June at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he made history in the 200m. After the win, he revealed the main reason he could not make it to nationals in the 60m and 200m earlier in the season.

On June 12, LSU’s Jaiden Reid delivered a historic performance in the 200m. He ran a wind-legal 19.63 to break the NCAA record and move past Walter Dix’s long-standing mark of 19.69 set in 2007. The run also became his first sub-20-second 200m, a major milestone that showed how far he had come since the indoor season.

After the race, Reid opened up about the struggles that held him back earlier in the year. “I didn’t make it in the nationals indoor for the 60 and 200, and I was suffering a lot of chest pains cuz I’m asthmatic,” he shared with Flo Track. “But me and my coaches just came together and figured out a plan to make sure I was on top this season.”

Behind him, Nigeria’s Israel Okon placed second with a PB of 19.99, followed by the United States’ Trelee Banks in 20.02. Meanwhile, Reid faced another challenge in Eugene as the area is currently in pollen season, which can be difficult for athletes with asthma. When asked if it affected him during the meet, he admitted that it did.

Reid said, “I was, but with my team at LSU,  they understand what kind of person I am and what kind of difficulties I have. So, we just worked with a plan.” Even before the race in the outdoor Championship, Reid admitted he did not expect such a big performance. “I was really expecting a 19.9, maybe a 20.01 like I did at regionals, but thank God,” Reid said. “It’s surreal; I still can’t believe it really. I’m still in shock.”

Interestingly, his record-breaking run came just hours after he finished second in the men’s 100m behind Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi, clocking a wind-aided 9.82. Before becoming the fastest man in NCAA 200m history, Jaiden Reid had already built an impressive résumé at both the high school and collegiate levels.

Jaiden Reid’s rise from Penn Relays star to NCAA record breaker

Representing Jamaica College, Jaiden Reid was part of the team that won the boys’ 4×100m relay at the prestigious Penn Relays in 2023. A year later, he earned silver in the 100m at the 2024 CARIFTA Games, finishing behind fellow Jamaican Davonte Howell with a time of 10.34 seconds.

His college career finally took off right after he enrolled at LSU. Reid clocked 20.51 in the 200m at the 2024 SEC Championships, which shattered Jamal Walton’s 200m national record of 20.57 set in 2017.

Things improved again in 2025. Reid broke his own 60m PR multiple times, with a 6.59 time at the Tyson Invitational, a 6.58 at the SEC Indoor Championships, and a 6.56 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The LSU sprinter kept on climbing. He also broke his own personal best in the 100m with a 10.08 at the 2025 SEC Championships, and earned a personal best 20.13 in the 200m semifinals, finishing with a bronze medal in the final with a 20.15.

His performances earned him a spot for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. But only weeks before, Reid said he would withdraw to recover from hip and hamstring problems. “To clear the air, I’ve been doing rehab on my hip and my hamstring, and with further assessments with my medical team and my head coach, I just thought it was safer that I didn’t extend my season so much longer,” Reid said at the time.

Instead of risking a bigger blow, Reid opted to rehabilitate and fall train instead of playing. In retrospect, it was a significant choice.