Carifta medal hunt begins but ...

JAMAICA’S 2023 Carfita Games campaign started with some setbacks but there were still a number of medals mined after yesterday’s opening day in Nassau, Bahamas.

National junior record holder, Alana Reid, followed up her record-breaking performance at last week’s ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships with Carfita gold in the under-20 girls’ 100 metres, clocking 11.17 seconds, leading a Jamaica one-two with Alexis James getting silver in 11.53. Trinidad and Tobago’s Sanaa Frederick was third in 11.65.

Reid was satisfied with her performance, after a season where she broke the sub-11 second barrier at Champs.

“This is what I have been working towards. I just wanted to come out here and do my utmost best and I did just that, so I am pleased with the outcome,” Reid said after the race.

However, it was a difficult day for the under-20 boys as Jamaica suffered blows earlier in the day with national junior record holder, Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, pulling up with an injury in his first round heat, and last year’s Carfita Games champion DeAndre Daley, false-starting in his semifinal.

Cayman Islands Davonte Island become the new Cartifa Games champion with a time of 10.30.

Despite the difficulties among the under-20 boys’ sprinters, Tramaine Todd delivered gold in the under-17 100 metres, clocking 10.52.

Todd said given the difficulties that the under-20 boys had, and his teammate Khamani Gordon not reporting for the semifinal, he wanted to claim the gold for them.

“It feels good. Knowing that none of my teammates didn’t qualify to this round, I knew I had to come out here and claim the gold for my country and also my teammates,” Todd said. Natrece East missed out on the podium, finishing fourth in the under-17 girls’ final in 11.97. Jamaih Nabbie of the Bahamas won the title in 11.67 seconds.

Jamaica took three of the four 400m gold medals on offer, led by Rickiann Russell in the under-20 category.

Russell clocked 51.84 to win the girls’ title with Bahamas getting second and third through Javonya Valcourt (52.12) and Lacarthea Cooper (53.12).

However, it was Jasauna Dennis, who scored a major upset last night, besting his teammate, last year’s Carfita Games champion Delano Kennedy, to win the under-20 title in 46.43. Kennedy grabbed silver in 46.50, while Kingston College’s Amal Glasgow of St Vincent and the Grenadines was third in 47.18.

Nickoy Bramwell took the under-17 title in 47.86, with Jaylen Bennett of St Kitts and Nevis finishing second in 48.59. Bahamian Andrew Brown mined bronze in 48.68.

The under-17 girls’ final was adjusted to a timed-final because of trouble Guyanese athletes had getting to the Carifta Games.

Two Guyanese athletes had to run the 400 semifinal on their own to make the final by time.

The result was there were too many lanes and the final had to be split into two.

Interestingly, Guyana’s Tianna Springer ran a blinder of a final 200 metres from lane eight to pip Jamaica’s Jody-Ann Daley to gold in 54.32.

Daley, who led the race for 380 metres, was second in 54.81, while St Kitts’s De’Cheynelle Thomas was third in 55.46.

There were mixed results in the 1500s but Ainsley Campbell’s gold in the under-20 final, clocking 4:05.54 minutes, was undeniable.

Kishay Rowe and Jody Ann Mitchell took silver and bronze in the under-20 girls’ final.

Kededra Coombs was ninth in the under-17 final, while Joel Martin earned a bronze.

Earlier in the day, Jamaica had claimed their first medals of the Games as Asia McKay won the girls’ under-17 high jump with a clearance of 1.73 metres, achieving the height on her second attempt. Jah’Kylah Morton of the British Virgin Islands was second with 1.70m, while McKay’s teammate, Shanniqua Williams, secured the bronze with 1.65m.

Jamaica continued their success in the field as Jade-Ann Dawkins took the under-20 triple jump title with a leap of 13.05 metres and Kobe Lawrence defended his Carifta Games under-20 discus title, winning in 60.27. Lawrence led a Jamaica one-two with Shauquan Dunn, getting silver in 57.28.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com