Big performances!

Jamaica ensured that the return of the Carifta Games ended with broken records, impressive performances, and no changes to their dominance of the regional event for junior athletes.

Yesterday’s final day ended with a total medal haul of 92, which included 45 gold, 29 silver and 18 bronze. The Bahamas were next with 17 medals, four gold, six silver and seven bronze, British Virgin Islands took third on the medal table with four gold, two silver and one bronze and they were followed by Trinidad and Tobago with two gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze and Guyana with two gold, three silver and two bronze.

There were records and impressive performances to cap off a final day of action.

A week after breaking the Class Three girls’ discus mark at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, Jamaica’s Dionjah Shaw continued her record-breaking form this season, setting a new mark of 45.32 metres to capture the under-17 girls’ discus title. Her mark erased the 10-year record set by Jamaica’s Paul-Ann Gayle (43.99m). Shaw said that she always had confidence in her ability to continue her record-breaking season.

“It’s an awesome feeling knowing that I came out here making my country proud and family proud. I knew I could do it because I believed in myself,” Shaw said.

Jamaica’s Kobe Lawrence captured his second gold medal of the championships with a new mark in the under-20 boys’ shot put, throwing 20.02m for victory. Lawrence won the under-20 discus title on Saturday night.

There were also wins in the field in the morning session with Serena Cole capturing the long jump title with 5.89m and Annishka McDonald taking the under-20 high jump with a height of 1.75m.

What the Jamaicans started in the field, they continued on the track by taking control of the majority of the sprint finals.

200m dominance

In the 200m, Jamaica won all but one of the events. They were led by Brianna Lyston who took home the under-20 girls’ title in 23.16 seconds. Bryan Levell captured the under-20 boys’ title in 21.18 seconds leading a Jamaican one-two finish with Sandrey Davison who got silver in 21.35.

Levell felt he could have bettered his winning effort of 21.18 but was pleased with how he finished down the stretch.

“The first part of the turn I didn’t think I did that well but I just kept it going and going,” Levell said.

While Rickoy Hunter captured the under-17 boys’ title in 22.13, the Jamaicans could not stop the British Virgin Islands’ Adaejah Hodge who won her third gold medal of the championships, winning the under-17 200m title in 23.42. Hodge had previously won the under-17 100m and long jump titles to capture the Austin Sealy award. The Austin Sealy Award is presented to the athlete adjudged the most outstanding at the meet. Jamaica’s Sabrina Dockery (24.25) and Theianna Lee Terrelonge (24.64) got silver and bronze in the under-17 200m final.

The Jamaican girls swept the 100m hurdles in both categories with Alexis James leading a Jamaican one-two in the under-20 final, winning the event in 13.32 seconds ahead of her teammate, Oneka Wilson who came second with 13.67. In the under-17 final, Jamaica again had two athletes on the podium as Bryana Davidson sped to victory in 13.50 while her teammate Jody-Ann Daley got bronze in 14.45. Shaquane Gordon took home the under-17 boys’ 110m hurdles title in 13.69 with teammate Jadan Campbell coming in second in 13.91. Demario Prince took silver in 13.88 in the under-20 category which was won by Curaçao’s Matthew Sophia (13.74)

As they did with the 4x100m relays, Jamaica swept the 4x400m relay finals to close the final night. While no records were broken, the under-17 and under-20 girls’ and boys’ teams all had gold medal winning runs to send the crowd home happy.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com