…T&T’s Horsford breaks javelin record

Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon opened that country’s 32nd defence of the CARIFTA Games with a gold medal in the Under-18 Girls High Jump as competition began in Grenada yesterday.
Her teammate Lamara Distin claimed the silver medal.Jamaica has won the CARIFTA Games every year since 1984 and are expected to successfully defend their title again this year, having sent in a 78-member squad.
Meanwhile, Aoki Jones, who won the Girls Class 3 shot put at the ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Championships last week, won a bronze medal to give Jamaica their third medal of the day.
Trinidad’s Tyriq Horsford did what was expected and won the javelin in a new record.
Salmon, who attends Hydel High in St Andrew, Jamaica, opened the competition at 1.55m and went on to produce a personal best 1.79. Her previous best was 1.78m. She then cleared 1.82m to seal the gold medal.
She had three attempts at the championship record of 1.86m set by Akela Jones of Barbados in 2010.
Distin cleared 1.77m for second, while Sakari Famous, whose best jump was also 1.77 finished third on the countback. Distin had clean rounds leading up to her clearance of 1.77, while famous had one foul at 1.74m.
Jones’ bronze in the Under18 Girls shot was earned with a best throw of 14.32 metres, well off the 15.03m she won with at Champs 2016.
Lacee Barnes of the Cayman Islands copped the gold, throwing 14.90m to finish clear of Trinidad’s Ianna Roach, who threw 14.49m.
In the Boys’ Under-18 javelin, Horsford broke his own CARIFTA record en route to a gold medal. The outstanding Trinidadian threw 73m breaking the mark of 70.73m he set at last year’s games.
The silver medal was won by Dominica’s Keyon Burton (64.87m), while Adrian Thomas won bronze with a throw of 60.97m to give the host country its first medal.(Sportsmax.com)