Bramwell breaks 22-y-o Bolt Carifta record

CARIFTA BOYS’ Under-17 400-metre champion, Nickecoy Bramwell, yesterday broke Usain Bolt’s record at the Carifta Games inside the Kirani James Stadium the Grenadine capital of St George’s. Bramwell broke the 22-year-old record on his way to defending his regional title.

He mined gold in dominant fashion, crossing the line in 47.27 seconds, erasing Bolt’s record of 47.33, set in 2002.

Grenada’s Kemron Mathlyn powered home for the silver medal in 47.96, finishing ahead of Bahamian Eagan Neely, who took bronze in 48.16.

Following his record-breaking run, Bramwell said he had been eyeing the record since last year and is happy he was able to achieve the goal.

The record was especially important for Bramwell, who had been suffering from an injury. Concerns were raised regarding his fitness after he looked far from his best at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships just over a week ago.

However, Bramwell said yesterday’s record came from him focusing more on the goal than his injury.

“Well, it’s a wonderful feeling knowing that I finally broke the record. I’ve been eyeing it since last summer, so it’s a great feeling that I could come here and achieve it. I just took my mind off [the injury] and put my mind on the record. That’s all. As easy as that.”

The race’s silver medallist, Mathlyn, had an inspired finish, which he says came from wanting to do well in front of his home crowd.

He was particularly pleased with the medal as he did not come into the final with one of the fastest times. Mathlyn said he misjudged the race and left it too late to try and catch Bramwell down the home stretch.

“I feel amazing knowing that I didn’t come in with the top three fastest times, but I was still able to come back and get the second place,” he said.

“I decided to go after him because at the starting I stayed back too much because I was feeling a little discomfort, but then I decided I wasn’t going to settle for anything behind second.”

Earlier, Bramwell’s teammate, Zavien Bernard, collected the first gold medal of the meet, while Antigua and Barbuda’s Maliek Francis broke the first record.

Bernard won the Under-17 girls’ high jump, and Francis established a new record distance in the Under-17 boys’ javelin.

Jamelia Young also mined gold for the Jamaicans, winning the Under-17 girls’ shot put.

Bernard cleared 1.71 metres on her first attempt and defied a strong challenge from Alexandria Komolafe of the Bahamas to clinch the gold medal.

The 15-year-old Jamaican passed on the first two heights of 1.45 and 1.50 metres, failed at her first attempt of 1.55 before she got into her stride and proved her class over the rest of the field. She also had three failed attempts at 1.74.

Komolafe pushed her all the way, clearing all the heights on her first attempt, except 1.71, which cost her the gold medal. She also had three failed attempts at 1.74 in a bid to oust Bernard.

Tenique Vincent of Trinidad and Tobago was third with a clearance of 1.68.

Francis prevailed after two modest opening throws of 54.06 and 58.70 before he hurled the spear 68.40 in the third round to surpass the five-year-old mark of KeyShawn Strachan of The Bahamas by almost 4.5 metres.

The 16-year-old also hurled 62.39 metres on his fifth attempt, but no one else came close to breaching the 60-metre mark.

Jaheem Clarke of St Kitts and Nevis hurled 56.09 for the silver medal, and hometown boy Delron John threw 54.70 for the bronze.

Young copped the gold with a mark of 14.25 metres in the fourth round, only four centimetres better than silver medal winner Peyton Winter of Trinidad and Tobago, whose mark came in the fifth round, with Terrell McCoy of The Bahamas claiming the bronze with 14.11 in the same round.

These three were the only competitors to clear 14 metres, with Young hitting that distance on her final throw, and Winter throwing 14.14 in the fourth round.

Day two of the Carifta Games continues today, with action getting under way at 9 a.m.