Ostrava logo (© c)
Turks & CaicosJamaica's Dexter Lee, Natoya Goule, Kemoy Campbell, Ramone McKenzie and Shawna-Gaye Tracey, who are all 16 years of age, impressed at the 36th Carifta Games, which ended on Monday night (9).
These five impressive talents along with plenty of their compatriots are surely set to make further headlines later this year at the 5th IAAF World Youth Championships, Ostrava, Czech Republic (11-15 July 2007)**.
However, from a Jamaican prospective, the performances of Yohan Blake, who ran 10.11 to win the boys' Under-20 100m, for which he was given the Austin Sealey Award for the Championships Top Performer, and Keiron Stewart, who finished second in boys' Under-20 110m hurdles in a new national record 13.49 seconds, were the highlight of the Carifta Games, which offer junior and youth competition.
Lee, Goule, Campbell, all 16-year-old athletes, won two individual events.
In wet and rainy conditions, Lee completed the Under-17 sprint double, both in record times. He won the 200m on Monday in 21.09 - erasing the previous mark of 21.11 held by Usain Bolt. Lee won the 100m in 10.34 on Saturday.
Lee's teammate Jermaine Brown, who could also be a force to reckoned with in Ostrava, finished second in the 200m in 21.25.
Campbell, who is yet to be tested over the middle distances, captured the boys' Under-17 3000m in a record 8:46.49, beating the mark of 8: 53.42 set by Trinidad & Tobago's Gavin Nero in 2006.
He won the boys' Under-17 1500m on Saturday's opening day with an impressive 4:00.04, again beating Nero's 4: 00.78.
Also in the distances, Goule, who battled in heavy rain, won the Under-17 800m event in 2:11.68, adding to her 1500m (4:36.26) she won on Saturday's opening day. Goule was also part of Jamaica's Under-17 4x400m, which destroyed their rivals to win in 3:43.79 seconds.
Tracey's joy came in the girls' Under-20 400m hurdles. However, coming off a 57.90 at the Jamaican High School Championships, Tracey was looking to better that performance, but without strong competition she won the event in 58.77 seconds.
"I am a bit disappointed with the time, but I am happy for the gold," Tracey said after the one lap obstacle.
Tracey was also instrumental in Jamaica's Under-20 girls' 4 x 400m relay victory, as running the third leg, she outclassed her rivals to hand over to anchor girl Kayann Robinson, who took her team cross the line in 3:36.26.
McKenzie, who turns 17 later this year, won the Under-20 200m in 20.58 seconds. A genuine quarter-miler, McKenzie carried Jamaica to an impressive 4x400m win over Trinidad & Tobago in meet record 3:0710.
Antonique Campbell (23.78) and Deneisha Morris (23.87), both with ages that make them eligible for World Youth competition, finished first and second in the 200m final respectively. Campbell, on Saturday's opening day, finished third in the Under-17 100m in 11.85.
Also aiming for a spot on Jamaica's team to Ostrava are Kimarley Henry, who won the boys' Under-17 100m hurdles in 13.28 and Donahue Williams who finished second in the boys Under-17 800m in 1:59.60.
In the girls' Under-20 100m Hurdles, Shermaine Williams, who finished ahead of Natasha Ruddock, last World Youth Championships' silver medallist, is also expected to do well in Ostrava. She won the event in 13.51 ahead of Ruddock 13.95. Williams' time was a new meet record, bettering the previous mark of 13.57.
She was surprised with the time. "I am happy that I ran it. (I'm) a little bit surprised at the time, I was not expecting to run 13.51, I was more looking for 13.6, so I am happy with the time," Williams said of her personal best.
Meisha-Gaye DaCosta, who cleared 1.74m to win the girls' Under-20 High Jump, is another of Jamaica's medal hopeful for the World Youths, so too is Danielle Jeffery, who injury ruled out of the Under-20 girls' 200m, which she entered as favourite.
Meanwhile, Jamaica finished the three-day CARIFTA Games with a record 76 medal haul, their 36-gold, 28-silver and 12-bronze placed Jamaica ahead of Trinidad & Tobago (7-G, 14-S, 16-B); Barbados (7-G, 4-S, 10-B), Bahamas (7-G, 4-S, 8-B) and Martinique (3-G, 4-S, 5-B).
Jamaica impressed in the relays, winning all but the girls' Under-20 sprint relay. In the sprint, the boys' Under-20 won in 39.47, while the Under-17 took victory in 41.11. The girls' Under-17 team won in 45.56, while the Under-20 girls (45.02) were second behind The Bahamas (44.94).
In the 4x400m relays, the boys' Under-20 took their event in 3:07.10, while the girls won in 3:36.26. The Under-17 boys won their event in 3: 16.31, while the girls came out on top in 3:43.79.
Raymond Brown and Taneisha Davis were other double winners for Jamaica. Brown produced a 18.27 metres effort to add the Shot Put to his Discus Throw title, which came with a release of 49.95m.
Davis won the Under-20 girls' 1500m in 4:41.16 and the 3000m in 10:12.64.
In the Under-20 girls' 800m, Jamaica, with Keno Haven and Vanessa Boyd, collected one-two in the senior girls 800m. Heaven won the event in 2: 11.66 ahead of Boyd (2:12.16).
Bobby-Gaye Wilkins won the girls' Under-20 400m in 53.01 while her team-mate Taneisha Blair took the Javelin event with a throw of 43.64m.
Anthony Foster for the IAAF
**NOTE
5th IAAF World Youth Championships - Age Categories: Only athletes aged 15, 16 or 17 on 31 December in the year of the competition (e.g. for the 2007 Championships, born in 1990, 1991 or 1992) may compete.
Full qualification standards can be found by clicking here
