News16 Apr 2006


Strong start for Jamaicans - CARIFTA Day 1

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2006 CARIFTA Games - Guadeloupe (© Organisers)

Two of Guadeloupe’s (and France’s) fastest women were honoured by the Ligue Regionale D'athlétisme De La Guadeloupe during the opening ceremony for the XXXV CARIFTA Track & Field Championships at the René-Serge Nabajoth Stadium in Les Abymes on Saturday, 15 April. Basse Terre-born World and Olympic Champion Marie-Jose Perec was awarded a sculpture in her honour. Former European Champion Christine Arron, born in Les Abymes, was also recognized. Luminaries in attendance included Trinidadians Hasely Crawford and Ato Boldon.

Of course, the day belonged to the youngsters who aspire to the heights attained over the years by the likes of Perec and Arron, and so it was fitting that the 400m and 100m titles were decided after the ceremony. Jamaica, with a record 79 medals in 2004 and a table-topping 59 in 2005, started the opening day with 27 medals. That number included wins in all but one of the sprint finals decided on Saturday, as well as two new records in a single day in the same event.

Record-setting Jamaicans miss 400 sweep

Jamaica’s Kalise Spencer ran 51.82 seconds in the under-20 women’s quarter-mile preliminaries, breaking a 20-year-old CARIFTA record. Just 18, Spencer was not even born when compatriot Sandie Richards ran 52.18 in 1986. Spencer, though, held the record for mere hours. The world’s fastest junior one-lapper, Sonita Sutherland effectively defended her 2005 title by winning the final in 51.30 to Spencer’s 51.99, with French Guyana’s Marie Angelique Lacordelle (54.22) third.

In the under-17 division, Jamaica’s Latoya McDermott improved her position from 2005, when she was second. Winning in 54.03, McDermott dominated a relatively inexperienced field in which she was never really challenged. She beat St. Lucia’s Merica Moncherry by over a second in the heats. In the final, Moncherry was second again, this time in a national junior record time of 55.14 seconds. Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands ran 55.70 for third place.

Not needing to summon his best effort, Akino Ming ran 48.56 to win the under-17 boys final. Having already run 47.95 seconds this year, the 15-year-old has well and truly announced his recovery from injuries that prevented him from competing at CARIFTA the past two years. Second to Ming in Guadeloupe was Trinidad & Tobago’s Jevon Matthew, crossing the line in 48.80 for Saturday’s tightest 400m finish. Coming in at 48.90 was St. Kitts-Nevis’ Kadeem Smith.

Spoiling the party for the Jamaican quarter-milers, Trinidad & Tobago’s Renny Quow won in a comfortable 46.55 in the under-20 division. Quow has improved steadily the past two seasons, and his defeat here of Jamaican rival Allodin Fothergill will have given him renewed confidence. Fothergill was second in 47.04, and Guadeloupe’s Xavier Sorimoutou came across the line in 47.54 for the bronze medal.

Favourites maintain clean records

With the world’s two fastest junior times this year, Schillonie Calvert was an overwhelming favourite coming in. The Jamaican justified the tag, winning the under-20 100 in 11.51, ahead of Bahamas’ Sheniqua Ferguson (11.63) and Trinidad & Tobago’s Semoy Hackett (11.68). Also with the world’s fastest times to his credit, Remaldo Rose ran 10.48 to beat fellow 2005 finalist Keston Bledman (10.57) of Trinidad & Tobago. Barbados’ Ramon Gittens (10.60) was third.

Antigua-Barbuda’s Anika Jno Baptiste will have been disappointed to place only fourth in defence of her under-17 100m title. Danielle Jeffrey stepped up for Jamaica, running 11.67 in moving from sixth in 2005 to first this year. Fellow countrywoman Carie Russel gave Jeffrey a good run, coming in at 11.70, and Nivea Smith improved her position from last year. The young lady from the Bahamas ran 11.90 for third, the same time that took bronze in Tobago last year.

None of the boys in the under-17 final would have been familiar to the starter from 2005. Dexter Lee took the opportunity to stamp his authority with a reasonably quick 10.72 in the final, just holding off Trinidad & Tobago’s Joel Dillon by two hundredths of a second. Drawn in the last qualifying heat, Lee had eased through to the final. Dillon and Karlton Rolle, whose 10.77 would place him third for Bahamas, had been among the three fastest qualifiers.

New metric mile records

Jamaica’s near hegemony extended beyond the sprints – in fact, with three titles and eight out of the 12 medals on offer, it might be argued that this was their strongest event. In the under-17 category, Natoya Goule defended her 2005 championship with a CARIFTA-record time of 4:32.70 (0.19 second faster than Janill Williams’ 2000 time) and compatriot Teneisha Davis (4:35.98) was second. Running third for Antigua-Barbuda with a time of 4:52.39 was Linda Blackett.

Gavyn Nero took close to eight seconds off his 2005 silver medal time and nearly two seconds off the 18-year-old under-17 record. Trinidad & Tobago’s John Quintin ran 4:02.05 in 1988. His compatriot, Nero, ran a personal record 4:00.78 to set course for what many hope will be a triple title tilt. Nero held off a strong challenge from Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell (4:02.40) with another Jamaican, Conroy Crossman, clocking 4:08.94 to hold onto third place.

In the under-20 division Jamaica’s Jodian Richards defended her 2005 title, coming across the line in 4:37.30, with teammate Stacey Bell (4:38.93) second. Third for the US Virgin Islands in 4:54.13 was Aniecia Williams. The quality of the senior boys race was poor, with Bengallo Morrison’s 4:01.37 and Lenford Adams’ 4:02.41 first and second for Jamaica. At 4:10.03, Grenada’s Neilon Joseph was two seconds slower than in 2005, but he improved two spots.

Long Jump medals spread around

Martinique took two medals in the under-17 Long Jump, after getting none the previous year. Daniell Sacama Isidore won with a best leap of 5.69m, and Christelle Joseph, with 5.45m, was third. Splitting the two was Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands. Malone’s 5.62m was a big improvement over the 5.25m that earned her bronze in Tobago.

Despite turning in a lesser performance than last year, Anguilla’s Shara Proctor moved from silver to gold in the under-20 Long Jump. Her 6.17m leap was enough to hold off Bermuda’s Arantxa King, making her debut in the senior division. King’s 6.07m put her well ahead of Tameka Williams. A best effort of 5.98m left the competitor from St Kitts-Nevis in third.

There was further French success in the under-20 boys division. Stephane Jumet impressed with a best trial of 7.51m for Guadeloupe. Jamaica’s Tarik Edwards repeated his silver medal performance, finishing just a centimetre behind Jumet. Another Jamaican, Alain Bailey, posted a mark of 7.36m in finishing third.

Bahamians take High Jump titles

In the opening session, Raymond Higgs showed that he has improved dramatically, clearing 2.06m for a repeat gold medal, before missing all three trials at 2.11m, which would have been a CARIFTA record. But he needed every centimetre, as Barbados’ Daniel Burke cleared 2.03m for silver. Jamaica’s Christopher Waugh cleared at 1.90m for third.

The under-20 contest required a jump-off. Five men cleared at 2.00m, but Guadeloupe’s David Cassilingon was a clear third. Bahamians Kyle Grant and defending champion Jamal Wilson, meanwhile, went back at 2.05m, but only Wilson was able to clear the height. Grant, who has only been jumping for less than a year, had to settle for second.

Good battles in throws

Trinidad & Tobago’s Hileen James added almost two metres to her best throw from 2005, winning the under-17 Shot Put with an 11.93m effort. Sixth last year, Deandre Dottin pushed the ball 11.48m to take silver for Barbados. Guadeloupe’s Laurianne Laurendot moved into medal position with a big improvement to 11.21m on her last trial.

There were two separate battles taking place in the under-17 boys Shot Put. The Jamaican duo of Damion Johnson and Omar Bryan had a nice tussle for first and second. Johnson’s 15.29m was the best throw of the second round and best overall, whereas Bryan’s 14.95m in the same round saw him take second. Trinidad & Tobago’s Quincy Wilson, meanwhile, had a best throw of 13.65m to see off the 13.39m challenge from Barbados’ Kemar Holder- Edghill.

Jamaica’s Sharif Small threw 51.19m to win Discus Throw in the under-20 division. University-based Tyron Benjamin had a best throw of 49.95m to take silver for Commonwealth of Dominica. Andre Jones flung the platter 47.23m to take the bronze medal for Barbados.

Terry Finisterre for the IAAF

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