Tears of joy for javelin open silver medallist

Edwin Allen High’s Monifa Edwards cried tears of joy after capturing the silver medal in the javelin open event at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) at the National Stadium yesterday.

Edwards, who ranked eighth entering the final, heaved the javelin to 38.90 metres to claim the silver medal.

The event was won by St Jago High’s Jamora Alves, who threw 40.30m. It was the second gold medal of the championships for Grenada-born Alves, who won the discus event on Wednesday. Natalie Albert of St Catherine High pocketed the bronze medal with a throw of 37.14m.

The 19-year-old Edwards, who is in her final year at Champs, said she was low on confidence entering the event, but with the help of her coach, Romaine Thompson, she was able to pull through and got the silver medal.

“I feel elated because I have been struggling the whole season,” said Edwards.

“I had doubts coming into the final that I would be in the top eight, but I did it. The joy is overwhelming,” she said.

“He (Thompson) believed in me from day one, and he worked with me and pushed me to do well and to reach this far in the competition,” Edwards said.

Thompson said he was very proud of Edwards’ achievements because she has worked very hard in her preparations despite a series of setbacks with injuries.

“I am very much proud of her because she is coming from very far,” said Thompson.

“Nobody believed in her, but I stuck with her right through because I knew that she could do it, and she delivered today,” he said.

Thompson added that Edwards was unsure about the event at the start of the season, and so he had to work hard to get her to focus on the event in training.

“She was quite a bit indisciplined at first, but I moulded her and got her disciplined enough to perform, and she did it,” he said.

“She was very disappointed that she didn’t make the shot put final, and she told me that she was going to come here and win a medal, and she did,” Thompson added.