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Sprint relay gold for Ja's women

Published:Thursday | August 2, 2018 | 12:00 AMAkino Ming/Staff Reporter
Contributed
Members of Jamaica's women's sprint relay team who won gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games yesterday. From left: Natasha Morrison, Jonielle Smith, Sherone Simpson and Jura Levy.

BARRANQUILLA, Colombia

Jamaica's women's sprint relay put together three smooth baton exchanges on their way to winning the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games title yesterday as the country increased its medal tally in athletics to 17.

The team of Jura Levy, Sherone Simpson, Jonielle Smith and Natasha Morrison stopped the clock at 43.41 seconds as Trinidad and Tobago finished second with 43.61 while the Dominica Republic secured the bronze medal with 43 68.

"We are very happy that we were able to pass the baton safely. The aim was to get a good start and the other three just maintain (the lead)," Simpson said after the race

Their male counterparts were beaten into third as Barbados took the victory in 38.41 seconds. The team of Nesta Carter, Romario Williams, Rasheed Dwyer and Javoy Tucker registered 38.79 seconds.

"We didn't get the win but it feels great to win a medal. It is my first time representing Jamaica so I am really happy to win a medal," Romario Williams said.

"We didn't get the best baton exchanges so we were playing catch-up from very early," Dwyer explained.

The women's 4x400 team at one point looked set to secure the country's ninth gold medal in athletics but was denied by Cuba on the anchor leg. Derriann Hill, Tiffany James, Alesha Kelly and Junelle Bromfield finished in 3:30.63. Cuba registered 3:29.48 as Colombia finished third with 3:32.61.

 

Men's Misfortune

 

The men's mile relay team suffered a misfortune as anchor runner, Rusheen McDonald, was left flat on the track after he was tripped by the athlete from the Dominican Republic. The team did not finish the race.

In the men's triple jump, former Campion College athlete Jordan Scott leaped to a lifetime best of 16.82 metres but it was not enough to secure a medal. Cuba's Cristian Napoles won the event with a leap of 17.34 metres.

Saniel Atkinson Grier could only manage 1.82m for fifth in the women's high jump. Commonwealth champion, Lavern Spencer of St Lucia, won the event with a leap of 1:90m.