The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) will host its third and final CARIFTA Games Trials today at the National Track and Field Centre.
Teen athletes with aspirations of representing Guyana at this year’s Games in Jamaica will have another opportunity to punch their tickets to compete with the Region’s best.
Athletes are scheduled to get into the blocks from 10:00hrs.
The trials, will be used to select Guyana’s team to the 49th edition of the event.
Jamaica is set to host this year’s Games from April 16 to 18 after receiving their government’s backing following the cancellation of the last two editions due to COVID-19.
The 2020 event was scheduled to be held in Bermuda but was then postponed to 2021 before being cancelled as a result of ongoing coronavirus-related concerns in that territory and worldwide.
Standout local junior athletes will be eager to reach or surpass the qualifying standards set by the AAG in order to compete among the Region’s best in the ‘Land of Wood and Water’ during the Easter weekend.
Following the first and second trials, eight standouts, Wesley Tyndall, Anisha Gibbons, Keliza Smith, Attoya Harvey, Adriel Austin, Shamar Horatio, along with Javon Roberts (800m) and triple jumper Trevon Hamer qualified
for the Games.
Smith, 18, punched her ticket in the 100m, Tyndall (long jumper) and Gibbons (javelin) qualified in the field events while Austin and Harvey went under the qualifying standard in the 800m and 1500m.
Horatio, 19, qualified for the blue riband Boys 17-19 100m and 200m events.
Today’s activities should be highly competitive as there are several rivalries among the teen track and field stars.
According to President of the AAG, Aubrey Hutson, he expects in excess of 100 athletes competing for spots on the team. He stated that the current number of qualifiers could almost double as the association is catering for 15 representatives.
Below are the standards set by the AAG for the athletes to punch their tickets to Jamaica.
CARIFTA QUALIFYING STANDARDS
