PHOTO BY ANTHONY FOSTER
Members of Jamaica's Under-20 girls' and boys' teams celebrate on the track at the Dwight Yorke Stadium after recording respective victories in the mile relay events at the CARIFTA Games in Tobago, yesterday.
Anthony Foster, Freelance ReporterBACOLET, Tobago:
THEON O'CONNOR'S record run in the 800m final capped a fine double and team performance for Jamaica, which again topped the XXXIV Carifta Games with 59 medals at the Dwight Yorke Stadium yesterday.
The medal haul included 29 gold, 19 silver and 11 bronze medals.
Hosts Trinidad & Tobago's secured second with 36 medals 13 gold, 14 silver and nine bronze. Barbados were third overall with 15 six gold, six silver, three bronze, followed by Bahamas 30 - five gold, seven silver and 18 bronze and Martinique 15 - four gold, eight silver and three bronze.
Campion College's O'Connor led a Jamaica one-two in the 800m final, stopping the clock in a personal best 2:53.72 to erase Trinidadian Kern Harripersad four-year-old record of 1:55.20. Andre Thomas was second in 1:56.53.
For his achievements, he earned the Austin Sealy Award for being crowned the meet's most outstanding athlete.
OVERWHELMED
"I am overwhelmed with the fact that I came out and broke that record," O'Connor said after the 800m final. "Last year I tried to get it but I fell short of it and this year I came out with the hope of getting it."
He added: "I hope I can continue running as well as I am running and do better next time."
Three other Jamaicans completed double wins yesterday, Yohan Blake, Andre Drummond and Natoya Goule.
Blake won yesterday's Under-17 200m in 22.19, adding to the 100m (11.01) he won on Saturday's opening day. He defeated Trinidad & Tobago's Kevin Morgan (22.30) and his Jamaican teammate Antoneil Thomas (22.46) took third.
Drummond took the 5000m in 16:08.27, ahead of St. Lucian Shawn Adams (16:28.36) and St. Vincent & The Grenadines' Junior Ashton (16:38.52). Drummond had already defended his 1500m title, winning in 3:59.33 on Saturday
Goule, who won Saturday's 1500m in 4:39.05, returned yesterday to cop the double by winning the Under-17 800m in 2:14.16.
MCLAUGHLIN BEATEN
In yesterday's big showdown, Anneisha McLaughlin was beaten in a heated Under-20 200m final by hometown hero Kelly-Ann Baptiste, who had earlier won the 100m final. McLaughlin came off the corner in front but lost at the finish line to Baptiste, who won in 23.26 seconds.
McLaughlin, who ended her Carifta Games career without a n individual gold in the Under-20 category, was second in 23.28 seconds.
In other 200m events, Latoya King won the Under-17 title in 23.68 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago's Britany St. Louis (23.98) and Antigua & Barbuda's Anika Jno-Baptitse (24.07). The other Jamaican Jura Levy was fifth in 24.51.
In the Under-20 boys' category saw Jamaica's Mickel Downer's 21.49 seconds clocking gave him second behind Antiguan Daneil Bailey, who won in 21.36 to claim the sprint double. Dwight Mullings was relegated to fifth in 21.67.
Jamaica won the senior mile relays, but placed second in the Under-17 categories.
The girls' team of Anastasia Le-Roy, Sherene Pinnock, Boddy-Gaye Wilkins and Sonita Sutherland clocked 3:36.91, winning by a city block over Trinidad & Tobago, who finished second in 3:44.08.
EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE
The boys were equally impressive, the quartet of Michael Gardener, Leford Green, Romel Lewis and Tywayne Buchanan stopping the clock in 3:09.94 for an easy victory over Trinidad & Tobago (3:10.32).
In the Under-17 events, the girls' team 3:46.42) was second behind Trinidad and Tobago (3:44.05) while the boys' team (3:15.39) and winners Trinidad & Tobago (3:15.09), both went below the previous Games record of 3:18.88 set by Jamaica in 2002.
Jamaica swept the sprint hurdles, just as they did in the longer distances on the second day. Markino Buckley won the boys' Under-20 110m event in 14.34 seconds to beat Barbados' Ryan Brathwaite (14.64) and Stevy Telliam of Martinique (14.74).
In the big girls' event, Jamaica finished one-two with Lotaya Graves taking gold in 13.82 seconds ahead of Kimberley Laing (14.35).
In the Under-17's, Keiron Stewart (13.41) won the boys' section ahead of Barbados' Stefan Goodridge (13.47), while Natasha Ruddock (13.72) won her third consecutive sprint hurdles titles ahead of her teammate, Shermaine Williams (13.93).
TRIPLE JUMP
Boys' Champs' Top Performer Alain Bailey leapt 14.60 for gold in boys' Under-20 triple jump, but his teammate, Nicholas Gordon, was fourth with 14.36m.
Jamaica picked up second and third in the girls' and boys' Under-20 800m respectively. Boddy-Gaye Wilkins (2:12.98) was second while Jodian Richards (2:14.68) finished fifth in the event won by Snany Eugene of US Virgin Islands in 2:12.75.
In the boys' category, defending champion Davian Paker was bumped out on the second leg of the final when Trinidadian Jamaal James stepped on his foot. Jamaica's other competitor, Kayon Smith (1:55.08), was third behind winner Ramon Miller of Bahamas (1:54.53).
In boys' shot put Under-20 event, defending champion Camoi Hood was third with a throw of 17.16m, beaten by Gregory Gamyr of Martinique with a record 18.11m throw. Steve Hammond threw 16.86 for fourth.
Darrell Simpson was second in the boys' Under-17 long jump (5.59m) for silver behind Gerrade Brown of Bahamas (6.64m), while Shantel Thompson (1.71) took third in the girls' Under-20 high jump.
