MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (CMC) – Trinidadian Keshorn Walcott smashed a 24-year-old record in the javelin while Jamaica made a clean sweep of the sprint relays on the second day of the 40th CARIFTA Games here late Sunday. The defending champion in the Under-20 Boys, the 18-year-old won with a throw of 72.04 metres, shattering the previous record of 65.52 metres set in 1987 by Jean Rene Ceykan of Martinique.
Grenada’s Emron Gibbs was a distant second with a throw of 63.57 metres while Nicoliai Bovell of Barbados was third with 58.42m.
Walcott’s effort far surpassed his winning throw in the Cayman Islands last year when he measured 63.41 and also broke his national record of 69.01 set earlier this year. His mark was the sixth best by a junior in the world this year.
Jamaica, however, brought the Catherine Hall Sports Complex to life as they dominated all four 4×100 metres relays in style, breaking the Girls’ Under-20 record to emphasise their authority.
The team of Christania Williams, Deandra Whitehorne, Celia Walters and Shericka Jackson streaked home in a time of 44.08 seconds, breaking the Bahamas’ three-year-old record of 44.36 seconds.
Their Under-20 Boys’ team narrowly missed out on the eight-year-old record of 39.43 seconds, when Odail Todd, Kemar Bailey Cole, Kemarley Brown and 100 metres champion Jazeel Murphy made their rounds in 39.74.
Trinidad and Tobago were second in 39.91 while the Bahamas came home third in 40.29
Rohan Walker, meanwhile, led home the Under-17 Boys’ team of Raheem Robinson, Jevaughn Minzie and Tyler Mason in 40.92 seconds while Yanique Thompson, Chanice Bonner, Shauna Helps and Jonielle Smith took the corresponding Girls’ event in 45.75 seconds.
The outstanding Akela Jones of Barbados won her second gold medal of the meet when she captured the Under-17 long jump with a leap of 5.66 metres.
Jones, who easily won the high jump on Saturday’s opening day, finished ahead of Jamaican Claudette Allen (5.61) and Bahamian Dannielle Gibson (5.53m).
There were also gold medals for Barbados in the Boys’ Under-17 400 metres courtesy of Dario Scantlebury and in the Boys’ heptathlon thanks to Kemar Jones.
Scantlebury clocked 54.23 seconds to finish ahead of D’Mitry Charlton of the Bahamas (54.98) and fellow Barbadian Jahvere Worrell (55.42) while Jones amassed 4662 to win the seven-event contest.
The Games, the Caribbean’s premier track and field meet, concluded yesterday.