Jamaica claim hurdles, sprint relay records at Carifta Games

Jamaica's Shannon Kallawan broke a 13-year-old mark, while Shian Salmon and the boys' Under-18 4x100 metres relay team of Michael Stephens, Christopher Taylor, Jhevaughn Matherson, and Dejour Russell were in record-breaking form at the 45th Carifta Games in St George's, Grenada, yesterday.

Jamaica ended at the national Athletics Stadium on the penultimate day with 52 medals - 24 gold, 17 silver, and 11 bronze.

Kallawan took the girls' Under-20 400 metres hurdles in 56.21 seconds, erasing the 56.61 done by Jamaica's Camille Robinson in 2003. Lakeisha Warner of the British Virgin Island (BVI) finished second in 58.14, while Jamaica's Nicolee Foster took bronze in 58.34.

Jamaica swept the sprint relays, garnished with a record run of 40.40 seconds in the Under-18 boys' event.

Salmon won her second gold medal with a record run in the girls 400m hurdles.

Countrywoman

After winning the Under-18 high jump on Saturday, Salmon got the better of teammate Sanique Walker, winning in 59.50 seconds to break the one- year record of 59.55 seconds done by countrywoman Junelle Bromfield in St Kitts.

Walker, who finished second a year ago, again copped silver in 59.60 seconds. Gabrielle Gibson of Bahamas finished third in 1:01.16.

The quartet of Dazgay Freeman, Shaniel English, Michae Harriott, and Kimone Shaw won the girls' Under-18 4x100 metres in 45.87 seconds ahead of Bahamas, 46.37, and Trinidad and Tobago, 47.27.

The star-studded boys' team erased the 40.52-second record set by Jamaica last year.

The Under-20 girls' quartet of Kimone Hinds, Patrice Moody, Shanice Reid, and Rushelle Burton won in 44.36, while the boys - Rohan Cole, Nigel Ellis, Raheem Chambers, and Akeem Bloomfield - clocked 39.74 seconds. Bahamas were second in 40.27 seconds, with Barbados third in 40.97.

It was three out of four for Jamaica in the Intermediate hurdle events.

Timor Barrett, 51.79, stole the spotlight from teammate Jauvaney James, 52.07, in the Under-20 boys event. Barbados Rivaldo Leacock was third in 53.56.

Barbados, however, took gold and silver in the Under-18 boys' event through Rasheema Griffiths (52.22) and Nathan Ferguson (53.36). Jamaica's Dashinelle Dyer was third in 54.05 seconds.

Secured a quinella

In the girl's Open 3000 metres, Jamaica's Britnie dixon (10:57.05) and Monifa Green secured a quinella. Elizabeth Williams of Barbados won bronze.

Jamaica also picked up gold in the final individual track event of the day, the boys' Under-18 3000 metres as defending champion Keenan Lawrence outwitted Dominic Dyer out of The Cayman Islands to win in 9:05.71. Dyer was second in 9:06.33, with third going to Kallique St Jean of Antigua and Barbuda in 9:11.49.

In the field events, Zico Campbell took the boys' Under-18 shot put gold with 17.75 metres, erasing the old mark of 17.56m set in 2015 by Isaiah Taylor of Trinidad and Tobago. Campbell's teammate, Rasheda Downer, captured silver with 17.57m, as Barbados' Triston Gibbons took bronze with 16.64m.

In the morning session, Jamaica's Aiko Jones won the Under-18 girls' discus gold medal with a throw of 46.49m to go along with the bronze in the shot put on Saturday's opening day.

Jamaica won gold and bronze in the girls' Under-18 long jump as Vere Technical's Britany Anderson (6.02m) won and Annia Ashley finished third with 5.91m. Guyana's Chantoba Bright (5.94m) won silver.

In the girls' Open heptathlon, Junelle Fullerton won gold for Jamaica after amassing 4,597 points. Her teammate, Zinadine Russell (4,524), won silver.

In the Under-20 200m preliminaries, Jamaica's Ellis and Reid were disqualified from the boys' and girls' events for false-starting.