ST GEORGE’S, Grenada – Jamaica swept the sprint hurdles finals along with the distance relays but controversy left its mark on the 51st CARIFTA Games when it overshadowed the last event on the final day of the showpiece at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium here Easter Monday.
The successful Jamaica Under-20 boys distance relay team celebrates gold.A second gun at the start of the boys Under-20 4×400 metres relay saw Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda pull up less than 100 metres into the first leg, while the remainder of the field – Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada continued.
Jamaica dominated the event to win in a time of three minutes, 10.58 seconds, ahead of Guyana in 3:14.05 and Grenada (3:14.53).
A protest predictably ensued, leading officials to stage a timed final for the three affected teams about an hour later, in order to find them redemption.
Even then, more drama followed as Trinidad and Tobago produced a superb effort to clock 3:11.10 and edge out Guyana for silver while the Bahamas were timed at 3:11.18 to snatch bronze instead of Grenada.
In yet another twist, however, the Bahamas were then disqualified, leaving Guyana to sneak in for bronze, after earlier being booted from the podium
The shambolic end to the relays in no way tainted the statement made by powerhouses Jamaica, however. Amidst the confusion, their boys Under-20 side dominated the event, Marcinho Rose producing a storming second leg to give his team the advantage after Malachi Austin had put Guyana out front on the first lap.
Earlier, Jamaica stopped the clock at 3:41.84 to win the girls Under-17 equivalent, and the boys followed up with a time of 3:18.43 to win the corresponding age group comfortably.
Shanoya Douglas, who had earlier sparkled in clinching 200 metres gold, then propelled Jamaica over the line in the girls Under-20s to win in 3:34.69.
“It was a very wonderful event. I love this. I did this for my teammates, my country and this whole CARIFTA experience has been a very good experience and I’m grateful,” Douglas said.
The 17-year-old was timed at 23.03 as she edged out Trinidadian Sole Frederick (223.07) in a tight finish in the Under-20 200 metres final.
Douglas’s teammate, Sabrina Dockery held on for bronze in 23.13 but defending champion Sanna Frederick missed out on the podium when she finished fourth.
The boys equivalent was won by 16-year-old Gary Card who overcame injury concerns to sizzle to an impressive personal best 20.60 seconds, becoming the 13th fastest Jamaican junior ever.
He out-gunned Barbadian Aragorn Straker who finished second in 20.76 while Davone Howell of Cayman Islands was third in 20.90.
“I knew I would always have a chance, it’s just to see what the physio says. If I can run it means I have all the chance in the world,” Card said.
In the Under-17s, Natrece East clinched gold for the girls in 23.74 seconds while Trinidadian Kadeem Chinapoo ensured there would be no sweep for the Jamaicans by capturing the boys equivalent in 21.78.
Oshane Jervis of Jamaica was pulling up at the line in discomfort but still finished with silver in 22.16.
“It was brilliant. It means a lot, it’s what I was training for,” Chinapoo said.
Jamaica’s dominance in the sprint hurdles was headlined by Shaquane Gordon and Habiba Harris, both of whom set new marks in the Under-20s.
Gordon sped to 13.15 seconds in the boys event to reset the 10-year-old old mark of 13.23, his teammate Daniel Beckford finishing second in 13.25 and Curacao’s Lizheng Zhuang clinching bronze in 13.94.
“This week I just came out here to do my best,” Gordon said.
Harris, meanwhile, clocked 12.96 to topple the old mark of 13.06 established last year in Nassau, leading home teammate Briana Campbell (13.11).
Malayia Duncan took gold in the Under-17 girls in 13.63 seconds while Michael Dwyer dominated the boys equivalent in 13.81.
Trinidadian Janae De Gannes, meanwhile, stole off with the prestigious Austin Sealy Award for the Most Outstanding Athlete when she measured 6.50 metres to win gold and establish a new record in the girls Under-20 long jump.
The effort erased the old mark of 6.48 metres – ironically set in Grenada eight years ago – and positioned her third in the world in the Under-20 category.
Jamaican Javontae Smith also shone with his second gold of the meet when he won the Under-17 discus with a throw of 52.71 metres, to go with his earlier success in the shot put.
“It’s a really great feeling. It wasn’t as I expected and didn’t go as I expected but it’s still a good feeling to win both titles,” Smith said.
Jamaica finished with 83 medals comprising 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze while the Bahamas ended with 34 – nine gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze.
Trinidad and Tobago picked up four gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze to finish the championship with 27 medals overall.
Hosts Grenada were the only other team in double digits with 14 medals, logging one gold, six silver and seven bronze.
