… Anderson, Cope deliver records

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao (CMC) – Jamaican Britany Anderson set a new record in the Girls’ Under-18 sprint hurdles while Trinidadian Khalifa St Fort completed the sprint double by winning the 200 metres, to climax the 46th CARIFTA Games here Monday evening.
Anderson’s victory underlined Jamaica’s dominance in the sprint hurdles as they swept all four events at the Ergilio Hato Stadium, to once again reiterate their class on the final day of the track and field showpiece.

The record was one of two in the final session for Jamaica as Daniel Cope also set a new mark in the Boys’ Under-18 discus throw.
Powerhouse Jamaica won two of the four 200-metre finals and clinched three of the 800m gold on offer, while also picking two gold medals in the 4×400-metre relays.
Anderson set the tone for the evening session when she stopped the clock at 13.16 seconds, erasing her countrywoman Janeek Brown’s two-year-old mark of 13.29.
She led a Jamaica one-two as Daszay Freeman followed her home in 13.39 while Bahamian Gabrielle Gibson did enough to grab bronze in a time of 14.07.
Dejour Russell easily captured the corresponding Boys’ 110m event, speeding to a time of 13.19 seconds to beat Rasheem Brown of Cayman Islands into second in 13.70, and fellow Jamaican Jeremy Farr into third in 13.71.
Barbadians Tre Hollingsworth (13.89) and Nathan Fergusson (13.93) missed out on the podium when they finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Meanwhile, Amoi Brown narrowly missed out on countrywoman Samantha Elliott’s seven-year-old record of 13.42 seconds, when she crossed the line first in the Girls’ Under-20 event in 13.44.

Brown followed her home in 13.49 to create another Jamaica one-two, with Laetitia Bapte delivering bronze for Martinique in 13.79.
In the Boys’ Under-20, Orlando Bennett won a close battle with Bahamian Tavonte Mott, clocking 13.60 for the victory to his challenger’s 13.64.
Jamaican Alex Robinson was third in 13.72.

Rising Caribbean star St Fort once again emphasised her credentials when she followed up Saturday’s victory in the 100m with another convincing triumph in the 200m.
She clocked 23.99 seconds to easily dismiss Grenadian Halle Hazzard who took silver in 24.15, while Jamaican Kasheika Cameron grabbed bronze in 24.28.
Jamal Walton of Cayman Islands ensured the Jamaicans did not taste gold in the Under-20 category as he won the corresponding Boys’ half-lap in a time of 21.29, ahead of Trinidadian Jerrod Elock who stopped the clock at 21.54.

Guyanese Compton Caesar, who two days ago captured 100m gold, returned to take bronze in 21.57. Jamaica, however, had the upper hand in the Under-18s, winning both the Girls’ and Boys’ events. Michae Harriott crossed the line in 23.73 to barely get the better of Bahamian Devine Parker (23.87) while in the Boys’ event, Michael Stephens raced to 21.30, to pull off a narrow win over Joel Johnson of the Bahamas (21.55).
In the 800m, Barbadian Jonathan Jones proved the spoiler, as his win in the Boys’ Under-20 event prevented Jamaica from completing another clean sweep.
He was timed at one minute 51.51 seconds, finishing ahead of Jamaican Agerian Jackson who took silver in 1:52.07.

However, the Jamaica flag was all over the remaining three 800m events with Cemore Donald (2:11.28) and Shaquena Foote (2:13.44) producing a one-two in the Girls’ Under-18, Kimar Farquharson (1:54.65) and Tyrese Reid (1:54.79) pulling off a similar feat in the corresponding Boys’ race, and Chrissani May winning the Girls’ Under-20 in 2:12.43.
Cope, meanwhile, stole his share of the headlines when he tossed the discus 61.25 metres to break the record of 60.44 set by fellow Jamaican Phillippe Barnett last year.
Saj-Jay Stevens and Kevin Nedrick extended Jamaica’s success in the field events, winning the Girls’ Under-20 javelin in 45.10 metres and the Boys’ Under-20 shot putt in 19.29m respectively.
Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago made their presence felt in the distance relays, winning the Boys’ Under-18 event in 3:14.65 and the Boys’ Under-20 in 3:09.32 respectively.