400m win a massive boost for Edwin Allen’s Carr

Kelly-Ann Carr of Edwin Allen High School said her gold medal-winning performance in the Class One 400 metres at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships is a massive boost fur her career.

Carr, who won bronze last year, registered a personal best 52.20 seconds to capture the title on Thursday evening at the National Stadium. She lowered her previous best of 53.38 in the process. Nastassia Fletcher of Hydel High School was second in 52.48, while Abrina Wright of Holmwood Technical High School took third in 52.81.

Carr, 19, is competing at Champs for the final time and she said the victory could open doors for her future.

“This will do a lot for my career because I am planning to go to college and I think more people will now recognise me out there and say this young girl is talented and stuff like that. So it will help a lot in the long run,” said Carr.

“I am feeling good because this is my first gold medal in the 400m and this is my last year at Champs and so I wanted to take home the gold and get some points for my team and to make myself and my family proud.”

Carr added that she was very confident heading into the final because she backed herself to deliver when it mattered most.

“The race wasn’t that tough because I know that I am among the best. I went out there and told myself that I can do it and I got gold medal,” she stated.

“I believe in myself 100 per cent because, if I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t be here right now and so I just came out here and trust in God and, with the hard work that I put in training, I knew that I was going to be successful,” Carr noted.

With Edwin Allen favoured to reclaim the title after finishing second behind Hydel High last year, Carr pointed out that her win should inspire her teammates.

“I have to set the standard for my team and I will encourage them to push hard the way that I did, because we have to ensure that we win back this championship.”