… Jamaica dominate relays
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (CMC) – Grenadian sensation Kirani James, Trinidadian wonderboy Jehue Gordon and rising Jamaican star Odane Skeen all completed doubles to bring a rousing end to the 39th CARIFTA Games here late Monday night.
Track and field powerhouses Jamaica also dominated the distance relays, snatching three of the four events, and swept three of the four sprint hurdles races to again leave their indelible mark on the region’s premier junior athletics championships.
James won the 200 metres while Gordon set his second record of the meet in winning the 110 metres hurdles, to also grab his second gold at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
The outstanding 17-year-old James, who breezed to a new record in the 400 metres on Saturday night, repeated his brilliance by cruising to 20.76 seconds in the Under-20 boys’ event.
Producing good rhythm throughout the backstretch, the freshman at the University of Alabama emerged from the turn ahead of his field and gradually extended his lead to reach the finish virtually unchallenged.
“It was a bit tough this week but I’m so glad I pulled it off,” James told CMC Sports immediately afterwards.
“I know that I could have done it (double). I did it at World Youth and I won both of them so why not give it a try here.”
A fast-finishing Rachmil Van Lamoen of the Netherland Antilles clocked 20.90 to be second while Shakeim Greaves was third in 21.29 seconds.
Gordon, meanwhile, who brushed aside his field on Sunday night in winning the 400 metres hurdles in record time, sealed his double gold by clocking a new championship record time of 13.41 seconds.
It ensured he eclipsed the old mark of 12.42 set by Barbadian World champion Ryan Brathwaite three years ago.
The lanky 18-year-old emerged from a very slow start to power through the field and reach the finish with room to spare.
“I felt a little pain in my hamstring but I tried not to study it. I went out there and kept focused and did what I had to do,” Gordon said.
Barbadian Greggmar Swift, who led for the first 50 metres, finished second in 13.75   seconds while Stefan Fennell of Jamaica claimed bronze in 13.76 seconds.
The impressive Under-17 Jamaican sprinter Odane Skeen also completed the sprint double, putting the exclamation mark on a fine championships by posting a new record in the 200 metres.
He produced a dominant display of sprinting to dismiss his challengers with ease, clocking 20.84 seconds to eclipse fellow countryman Jahazeel Murphy’s 20.97 at last year’s Games in St Lucia.
“I’m very excited. My competitors gave me a show and I decided to go out there and give it all I got, and I came out with success and with a record,” Skeen said.
Bermudian Jeneko Place was second in 21.27 with Jamaican Odail Todd third in 21.55 seconds.
Megan Simmonds launched Jamaica’s domination of the sprint hurdles when she led a Jamaican one-two with Shenel Fancis, clocking 13.64 seconds to win the Under-17 girls’ event.
Her teammate Samantha Elliott sped to a new championship record time of 13.42 in winning the corresponding Under-20 race, ahead of teammate Tonique Sobah who clocked 13.55 seconds.
Elliott’s time shattered an 11-year-old record set by fellow Jamaican Melaine Walker, who is now the World and Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion.
“I was here from Thursday and I was just anxious to get through today,” Elliott said. “I am really happy. I just went out there and did my best.
“I went out there expecting everybody to do their best, to run fast and that’s what I did. I am really happy. I trained hard, I’m proud.”
In the Under-17 boys’ hurdles, Davian Dennis just got the better of fellow Jamaican Omar Graham to win in 13.28 seconds.
Jamaica extended their dominance to the Under-17 girls’ 200 metres when Shericka Jackson clocked 23.64 seconds to hold off her teammate Saqukine Cameron in capturing gold while Allison Peter of the US Virgin Islands took the Under-20 girls’ version.
There were plenty of exciting finishes in the 4x100m relays but Jamaica again were in charge. They won the girls’ Under-17 event in three minutes 44.02 seconds, captured the corresponding Under-20 clash in 3:37.15 before the boys’ team also won the senior category in 3:11.79.
In the boys’ Under-17 event, Trinidad & Tobago clung on to the lead to beat the Bahamas in 3:16.30.
The most sensational individual achievement of the night was in the boys’ 5 000 metres which saw Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell blaze away from the start to win in a new championship time of 14 minutes 34.34 seconds.
He beat the old record by two seconds with ease and was so far ahead that as he finished, he almost caught the second-placed Mathew Wright of Barbados who finished in 15:45.28.
Fredrick Dacres of Jamaica won the boys’ Under-17, setting a championship record of 52.99 metres to finish ahead of his compatriot Chadrick Decosta who threw 50.80m.
The girls’ Under-17 triple jump gold medallist was Aimee Adamis of Martinique who leapt 11.79m, denying Opal James of Jamaica who claimed silver with a jump of 11.71m.
In the girls’ Under-17 800 metres, Jamaican Marlene Eubanks won gold in 2:11.86 minutes, beating Domonique Williams of T&T into second with 2:13.42 and Sonia Gaskin of Barbados into third in 2:13.60.
Barbadian Jerrad Mason snatched the boys’ Under-17 800m title in 1:54.66 ahead of silver medallist Oshane Turner of Jamaica (1:55.79) and Ashley Riley of the Bahamas (1:56.64).
The women’s Under-20 800m winner was Jamaican Natoya Goule in 2:06.03, followed by the Trinidadian pair of Alena Brooks (2:08.97) and Jessica James (2:11.76).
Barbadian Anthonio Mascoll then impressively took the gold medal honours in the boys’ Under-20 800m, clocking 1:52.16 to claim victory over Shaquille Dill of Bermuda (1:53.51).