Guyanese athletes continued their good showing on day two of the XLII CARIFTA Games at the Thomas Robinson Stadium Nassau, The Bahamas last evening.
The three local leading youth sprinters, Jason Yaw, Tirana Mitchell and Avon Samuels qualified for the 200-meter finals and will be looking to add some more medals to the collection as the curtain comes down today on the competition.
Yaw, 2013 CARIFTA Games U17 boys 400m bronze medalist, ran in heat one of three and finished second in 22.39 seconds; the fifth fastest time in the event.
He will face Mario Burke (22.02s) of Barbados, Jaheel Hyde (22.08s) of Jamaica, Martin Manely (22.12s) also of Jamaica, Kinard Rolle (22.28s) of the Bahamas, Kyron McMaster (22.70s) of British Virgin Islands, Jamal Walton (22.72s) of the Cayman’s Island and Keanu Pennerman (22.90s) of the Bahamas in the finals.
Mitchell and Samuels qualified for the finals as well in the U17 girls 200m. Mitchell, of Mercury Fast Laners (MFL) ran 25.24 seconds to advance while Samuels, of Running Brave Athletics Club, clocked 26.13 seconds.
Mitchell has the fifth fastest qualifying time in the event while Samuels has the slowest qualifying time.
The two will compete against British Virgin Islands’ Nelda Huggins who have the fastest time in the event, Jamaica’s Natalliah Whyte (the 100m gold medalist), Quashira McIntosh of the US Virgin Islands, Bahamas’ Jenae Ambrose and Brianne Bethel and Curacao’s Kim Rossen.
Huggins registered 24.77 seconds in heat one. Whyte, McIntosh, Ambrose, Bethel and Rossen clocked 25.13, 24.88, 25.15, 25.73 and 25.70 seconds in their heats.
Cassey George and Jevina Straker, the only two athletes to win gold thus far for Guyana at the Games will compete today in the Girls’ U17 and U20 800m events.
Guyana is also expected to compete in the Girls U20 4x400m relay.
