Eight medals for Guyana at CARIFTA Games
Compton Caesar on the verge of winning the historic 100m at the CARIFTA Games.
Compton Caesar on the verge of winning the historic 100m at the CARIFTA Games.

Caesar, Bright, Hooper and McKoy strike gold

WHAT could go down as one of the best showing by the ‘Land of Many Waters’ at the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games is Guyana finishing the three-day event in Curacao with a total of eight medals – four gold, one silver and three bronze.
The highlight came through Linden’s Compton Caesar, who clocked 10.46 seconds, to clip Barbados’ Jaquone Hoyte (10.47) and Jamaica’s Jelani Walker (10.61 seconds) to hand Guyana an impressive start to the competition.
It was the first time in the history of the CARIFTA Games, which started in 1972, that a Guyanese has won the male 100m; an event that’s usually dominated by the Jamaicans.
Overseas-based Natricia Hooper also copped gold, winning the Girls’ U-18 triple jump with a leap of 13.08 metres. It was redemption for Hooper who was disqualified in the 400m for a false start; a race she was heavily favoured to win.
Claudrice McKoy took a bronze medal in the Girls’ Under-18 1500m (4:50.88), but, the diminutive athlete returned to win the U-18 3000m with a time of ten minutes 39.03 seconds (10:39.03).
Anfernee Headecker had a spirited run against a strong field in the Boys’ U-20 1500m, but the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) track club athlete managed to finish second with a time of three minutes 58.22 seconds (3:58.22)
Chantoba Bright, competing in the long jump, leaped a distance of 5.91 metres to win the event she finished in second last year.
Bright, however, had to settle for bronze in the Girls’ U-18 triple jump, covering a distance of 12.35m. She finished behind Jamaicans Lamara Distin (12.40m) and Latavia Brown (12.74m).
On the final day, Samuel Lynch (1:56.52) and Headecker (1:59.68) finished fifth and seventh respectively in the Boys’ U-20 800m in a race won by Barbados’ Jonathan Jones (1:51.51), with Jamaican Agerian Jackson second (1:52.07) and Lidji Mbaye (1:52.59) third.
Matthew McKenzie’s time of 18 minutes 52.28 seconds (18:52.28) was just good enough for sixth place in the Boys’ U-20 5000m, which was won by Dominic Dyer (15:55.02) of the Cayman Islands. Kalique St Jean from Antigua was third, clocking 16:02.77.
Chantoba Bright, Onassha Rogers, Claudrice McKoy and Kenisha Phillips competed in the Girls’ U-18 4x400m but their time of three minutes 52.24 seconds (3:52.24) was only good enough for sixth place.
The race was won by Jamaica (3:38.73), the Bahamas (3:41.24) were second and Trinidad and Tobago (3:43.05) third.
Compton Caesar, Anfernee Headecker, Matthew McKenzie and Samuel Lynch ran in the Boys’ 4x400m U-20 but, were eventually disqualified for lane violation.
Trinidad and Tobago took gold in the event, with their time of 3:09.32, edging the Christopher Taylor-anchored Jamaica team (3:10.34). The Bahamas finished third (3:18.03)

GUYANA MEDAL BREAKDOWN
Compton Caesar – gold (100m), bronze (200M)
Chantoba Bright – gold (long jump), bronze (triple jump)
Claudrice McKoy – gold (300m), bronze (1500m)
Natricia Hooper – gold (triple jump)
Anfernee Headecker – silver (1500m)

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