ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Powerhouses Jamaica broke yet another record as they dominated the sprint relays to bring a thrilling end to day two of the 45th CARIFTA Games at the National Athletics Stadium here Sunday.
They swept both Under-20 and Under-18 events, stamping their mark on the Caribbean’s premier youth track and field meet in an authoritative manner.
At the end of penultimate day, Jamaica led the medal standings with 54 medals – 25 gold, 18 silver and 11 bronze.
The Bahamas with three gold, six silver and nine bronze are second in the table just ahead of Barbados with three gold, five silver and four bronze.
In the boys’ Under-20 4 x 100m final, the quartet of Rohan Cole, 100m champion Nigel Ellis, Raheem Chambers and 400m champion Akeem Bloomfield, stopped the clock in 39.74 seconds.
Akeem Bloomfield … anchored the Under-20 boys 4 x 100m relay.
Bahamas finished second in 40.27 and Barbados third in 40.97.
The Under-20 girls’ team of Kimone Hines, Patrice Moody, Shanice Reid and Rushelle Burton did not disappoint, combining for 44.30 seconds to beat the Bahamas (45.62) and Trinidad and Tobago (46.68).
There was much of the same in the Under-18 category. Michael Stephen led off to 400m champion Christopher Taylor, who was impressive on the second leg before 100m champion Jhevaughn Matherson blazed the curve to provide Dejour Russell with the easy job of taking Jamaica home in 40.40 – a new championship record.
The mark beat the previous record of 40.52, which Russell helped Jamaica to last year.
In the corresponding girls event, 100m champion Kimone Shaw was set up for an easy stroll home in 45.87. Michae Harriott, Shaniel English and Dasazay Freeman were the other members of the team, which beat the Bahamas (46.37) and Trinidad and Tobago (47.27).
“That was the aim coming out here to win all the relays, and we did just that, so we are very happy at the moment,” said Chambers, who was on the third leg of the Under-20 boys’ team.
Bloomfield, who anchored the Under-20 boys’ 4 x 100m team, said: “We followed the plans for all the races and we came out and won as easy as possible.”
Hines, who started the Under-20 girls’ 4 x 100m, said the entire group was “very happy knowing that we are all representing Jamaica.”
Jamaica also dominated the Under-18 3 000m finals with Keenan Lawrence winning the boys event in nine minutes,05.71 seconds to beat Cayman Islands’ Dominic Dyer (9:06.33).
In the girls’ final, Jamaica finished one-two with Britnie Dixon (10:16.90) and Monifa Green (10:17.00) taking top honours.
Britany Anderson of Jamaica won the Under-18 girls’ long jump title with a leap of 6.02 metres while Shanice Love took the Under-20 discus throw with 52.09m.
