Rashan Brown (BAH) in the U17 girls 400m prelims - 2009 CARIFTA GAmes (© Jed Charles)
A record number of athletes registered for the 38th CARIFTA Games, over 500 participants, including athletes from French Guiana and Haiti, an encouraging sign for territories that have had a less than consistent record of participation at these Games.
On the opening day, following a colourful opening ceremony featuring music, dance and speeches from dignitaries including the island’s Minister of Youth & Sports, Lenard Montoute, president of the local Federation, Wayne Burton, and president of the North and Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (NACAC), Neville Teddy McCook, the Games burst into life under the lights at the officially renamed George Odlum Stadium.
Perhaps due to the unusual Good Friday start, the opening day was not as heavily patronized as might have been expected, but the large Bahamian contingent delivered its normal festive Junkanoo spirit, and St. Lucians responded in kind. Perhaps three thousand patrons were treated to two and a half hours of action that included two medals for the home team, a CARIFTA record and a tantalizing preview of what is to be expected for the rest of the weekend, especially from a number of the athletes competing with one eye on qualifying for July’s 6th IAAF World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy.
First Games record falls
With two CARIFTA under-17 records and eight gold medals to her name coming into these Games, Jamaica’s Natoya Goule has a date with destiny at this meet. She might have been hoping to do battle with Guyana’s Alika Morgan in the under-20 1500m run, but when the gun went, it was only Goule who went out like a bullet, Morgan still feeling the effects from a recent ankle injury. Had she run within herself, with the 800m still to come, especially considering Jamaica’s team touched down in St Lucia at 3:30am, none would have begrudged her. Instead, Goule pulled further and further from the field, stopping the clock in 4:27.48, breaking compatriot Janice Turner’s record of 4:31.33 from 1991.
In the under-17 division, Guyana’s team selection bore fruit, as the South American territory earned two medals, through Jevina Straker and Janella Jonas. In a fairly slow race, Straker (4:42.89) crossed the line first, though South American Youth Games bronze medallist Jonas (4:45.05) was not far off the pace. Separating the two was Jamaica’s Petrene Plummer (4:43.65) who Straker overcame with a late surge coming into the home straight.
Defending champ Waquar Da Costa won the under-17 boys’ race for Jamaica, his 4:05.02 just over two seconds out of WYC qualification. Second and third in that event were Ricardo Martin (4:06.56) of Guyana and Trey Simons (4:06.56) from Bermuda.
Two for the home team
In the first completed event of the Games, a surprise winner emerged in the men’s open Pole Vault. Never before had St Lucia entered an athlete in this event, but with only four competitors registered, the home team was virtually certain of a medal. Verual McIntosh of Bahamas concluded his participation at 3.20m, whilst St Lucians Rick Valcin and Shem Edwards continued. Egging each other on, the pair stopped on 3.50m and 3.60m respectively. Defending champion and Games record holder K’Don Samuels started his competition at 4.20m, but he failed in all three trials, leaving 16-year-old Edwards, vaulting for just nine months and a mere 5cm shy of WYC qualification, as the gold medallist.
Saturday full of promise, eyes on Kirani James
Last year, less than a second separated them after nearly four laps of the track. This year, Trinidad & Tobago’s Gavyn Nero and Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell could be all but inseparable on Saturday afternoon, when they meet in the 1500m men’s final, after cruising through Friday’s preliminaries. Add Conroy Crossman (Jamaica), Kendis Bullard (Trinidad & Tobago), last year’s under-17 silver medallist, Matthew Wright of Barbados and Henry Stevens-Carty of Bermuda, and surely this race should live up to its promise as one of the Games’ most exciting and certainly one of its most hotly contested.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old World Youth medal hopeful Kirani James marked his under-20 men’s debut by jogging to the second-fastest time in qualifying for Saturday’s 400m final. Defending champion Rondell Bartholomew of Grenada ran 46.89 seconds to win his heat ahead of Barbados’ 2008 bronze medallist Fabian Norgrove. But with all due respect to Bartholomew, Norgrove and the rest, it is Bartholomew’s countryman, James, on whom most eyes will be resting on Saturday, with his coach openly looking forward to the possibility that Kirani could go under 44.5 this season.
Minus the record-threatening speed of Sandrae Farquharson and Chris-Ann Gordon in the girls’ event, Jamaica has put their quarter-mile hopes on Shericka Jackson and Olivia James. Both won their heats, but in slightly less impressive fashion than Rashan Brown, who gave the Bahamas something to cheer about when she ran 55.33 seconds to win the final heat. Amongst the women, Trefesana Snith ran a breezy race and all four of the final eight qualified for WYC.
Shaquille Alleyne (Barbados, 49.24); Jermaine Fyffe (Jamaica, 49.37); Darvin Sandy (Trinidad & Tobago, 50.24) and Rosen Daniel (St Lucia, 50.34) all qualified for WYC, as they took the top four spots in Saturday’s boy’s under-17 final.
Terry Finisterre for the IAAF
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