Jamaica’s 84-member squad to the CARIFTA Games April 19 to 21 in French Caribbean island of Martinique copped 42 gold, 34 silver and 12 bronze medals, making it 88, the largest medal collection in the 43-year history of the Games. Eighty-four was the previous best number achieved by the country at the Bermuda edition of the competition in 2004. It was Jamaica’s 30th straight hold on the title and 37th overall since the first staging in 1972.
At the end of the three-day competition, the Caribbean region’s premier track and field youth championship, Jamaica had swiped 63 medals more than runners-up Trinidad and Tobago, which emerged with 25 medals (6 gold, 7 silver and 12 bronze). In third place was Barbados with 16 (5, 5, 6), as well as winner of the Austin Sealy Award Akela Jones for being the most outstanding athlete of the meet, earning three individual gold medals.
The selection was made by the newly formed Caribbean Alliance for Sports Journalists Association (CASJA).
Competing in the Under-20 Girls category, Jones, a college student in the US, celebrated her 19th birthday on Monday, the final day of competition, by winning both the Under-20 high jump with a clearance of 1.84 meters and the 100m hurdles in 13.55secs. On Saturday, the Barbadian snatched victory in the long jump victory with 6.32 meters.
In the hurdles event, Jones’ win was an upset of sorts as Jamaica’s World Youth Champion Yanique Thompson finished fourth. Her compatriot Peta-Gay Williams came in second in 13.57 and Guadeloupe’s Chrystie Lange, third in 13.59.
Earlier in the competition, a looming clash of Under-20 male titans Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes and Jamaica’s Jevaughn Minzie came to naught as Hughes, who defeated Minzie in Kingston at the end of March, was withdrawn because of injury concerns. Minzie won the event in 10.18 and on Monday earned silver in the 200m in 20.56 behind countryman Michael O’Hara (20.50). Levi Cadogan of Barbados took bronze in 20.64.
In the female edition, drama unfolded as the athletes raced to the line. Some 50 meters from home, Jamaica’s Saqukine Cameron pulled up injured while in third spot behind Kayelle Clarke of Trinidad and Tobago and Kadecia Baird of Guyana. Just before the line, Baird lost her balance as she dipped desperately for the win and toppled to the track to register 23.13. Clarke won in 23.10, ahead of Jamaica’s Kadisha Dallas, 23.69.
Jamaica grabbed several pairs of gold and silver medals, and like they did in the 800m and hurdles events, the champions dominated the relays, winning three of the four 4x1s. The silver medal came in the Under-20 Boys race, when Raheem Chambers pulled with a 10-meter lead on the anchor and limped to the finish line a mere 0.02 seconds behind Bahamas. Among the sprint relays, Jamaica Under-20 Boys (Raheem Robinson, Michael O’Hara, Jordon Chin, Jevaughn Minzie) lowered the Games record to a fast 39.38s.
In the 4x4s, Jamaica Under-20 Boys quartet of Ivan Henry, Okeen Williams, Marco Doonaughtsingh and Nathon Allen succumbed to a storming run by the Trinidad and Tobago anchor Machel Cedenio (from Asa Gervara, Nathan Farinha, and Theon Lewis) who hit the tape in 3mins, 06.02sec in the final track event of the Games. Jamaica registered 3:07.71 for the island’s record-breaking 85th medal.
Only three countries have won the CARIFTA Games: Bermuda in 1975 and Bahamas in 1980, ’81, ’83 and ’84. Jamaica has won on every other occasion. (Results)