Sport

Ja lead way at CARIFTA Games

By ANTHONY FOSTER, Freelance Reporter

JAMAICA'S JUNIOR ATHLETES dominated their Caribbean neighbours to top the 35th CARIFTA Games at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago yesterday.

With a tally of 59 medals ­ 29 gold, 19 silver and eleven bronze, Jamaica were well ahead of Trinidad and Tobago's 36 ­ 13 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze.

The Jamaican girls just edged the boys in medals won. The girls had 30 medals overall ­ 14 gold, 12 silver and four bronze while the boys collected 29 ­ 15 gold, seven silver and seven bronze. The Jamaican tally was 20 less than the 79 they won last year.

Barbados finished third overall with six gold, six silver, three bronze (15 total). They were followed by Bahamas with five gold, seven silver and 18 bronze (30) and Martinique with four gold, eight silver and three bronze (15).

Yohan Blake, Theon O'Connor, Andre Drummond and Natoya Goule completed double victories.

Blake won yesterday's 200m Under-17 title in 22.19, adding to his 100m title (11.01) on Saturday's opening day. He defeated Trinidad & Tobago's Kevin Morgan (22.30) and his Jamaican teammate Antoneil Thomas (22.46) into third place.

O'Connor's second gold, a record run, came in yesterday's 800m final. The Campion College schoolboy stopped the clock in 1:53.72 to erase Trinidadian Kern Harripersad's four-year old record of 1:55.20.

O'Connor's teammate Andre Thomas was second in 1:56.53 and Netherlands Antilles' Curtis Kock (1:56.72) came in third.

Outstanding performer

O'Connor who collected the Austin Sealy Award for being the most outstanding performer, was a happy man after his 800m win.

"I am overwhelmed with the fact that I came out and broke that record," O'Connor said. "Last year I tried to get it, but I fell short."

O'Connor, who achieved his personal best over the distance, added: "I hope I can continue running as well as I am running and do better next time."

Drummond won yesterday's 5000m in 16:08.27 ahead of St. Lucian Shawn Adams (16:28.36) and St. Vincent & The Grenadines' Junior Ashton (16:38.52). Drummond had already defended his 1500m title, taking that in 3:59.33 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Goule's second gold medal came in the Under-17 girls' 800m. Goule,who won Saturday's 1500m in 4:39.05, returned yesterday to secure the double in 2:14.16.

Anneisha McLaughlin was beaten in the 200m final for Under-20 girls by home girl Kelly-Ann Baptiste. McLaughlin came off the turn in front, but lost out on the line to Baptiste, who won in 23.26 seconds.

McLaughlin, who ended her CARIFTA Games career without a gold in the Under-20 category, was second in 23.28. Baptiste also won the 100m on Saturday in 11.39.

In other 200m events, Latoya King won the Under-17 title in 23.68 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago's Britany St. Louis (23.98) and Antigua & Barbuda's Anika Jno-Baptiste (24.07). The other Jamaican Jura Levy was fifth in 24.51.

The Under-20 boys' category saw Jamaica's Mickel Downer's 21.49 seconds time giving him second behind Antiguan Daneil Bailey, who won in 21.36 for the sprint double. Dwight Mullings was fifth in 21.67.

Sprint hurdles

Jamaica picked up second and third in the girls' and boys' Under-20 800m respectively. Bobby-Gaye Wilkins (2:12.98) was second while Jodian Richards (2:14.68) finished fifth in the event won by Snany Eugene of U.S. Virgin Islands in 2:12.75.

Jamaica swept the sprint hurdles. Markino Buckley won the boys' Under-20 110m event in 14.34 to beat Barbados' Ryan Brathwaite (14.64) and Stevy Telliam of Martinique (14.74).

In the big girls' event, Jamaica finished one-two with Lotoya Graves taking gold in 13.82 seconds ahead of Kimberley Laing (14.35).

In the Under-17's, Keiron Stewart (13.41) won the boys' section ahead of Barbados' Stefan Goodridge (13.47) while Natasha Ruddock (13.72) won her third consecutive sprint hurdles titles ahead of her teammate Shermaine Williams (13.93).

In boys' shot put Under-20 event, defending champion Camoi Hood was third with a throw of 17.16 metres, beaten by Gregory Gamyr of Martinique with a record 18.11m throw. Steve Hammond threw 16.86 for fourth.

Alain Bailey leapt 14.60 for gold in boys' Under-20 triple jump. His teammate Nicholas Gordon was fourth with 14.36m.

The seniors closed the show in style. The girls' 4x400m team of Anastasia Le-Roy, Sherene Pinnock, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins and 'supergirl' Sonita Sutherland clocked 3:36.91 and were too hot for Trinidad & Tobago who finished second in 3:44.08.

The boys were equally impressive. The quartet of Michael Gardener, Leford Green, Romel Lewis and Tywayne Buchanan stopped the clock in 3:09.94 for an easy victory over Trinidad & Tobago (3:10.32).