… Archer, Browne and 4×400 Girls’ U-20 team excel on final day

GUYANA ended their campaign at the 47th edition of the CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas with nine medals, surpassing their previous best medal haul but their performance was not as impressive as in 2017, since this year, Chantoba Bright was the only athlete to secure a gold medal.

Bright, in a ‘déjà vu’ outing in the Bahamas, replicated her 2017 performance, when she won gold in the Girls’ U-20 long jump and returned in the triple jump to win bronze.
Murphy Nash (Boys’ U-17 1500 metres), Deshana Skeete (Girls’ U-17 400 metres), Kezra Murray (Girls’ U-20 1500 metres) and Shaquka Tyrell (Girls’ U-17 1500 metres) helped Guyana to a good start on day one of the games, but day two told an entirely different story, where only Bright gained a place on the podium.
On the final day, Joanna Archer ran well to claim bronze in the Girls’ U-20 800 metres final, clocking two minutes 11.62 secs.

Princess Browne, who was unsuccessful in the Girls’ U-17 long jump, returned to claim third in the triple jump, leaping a distance of 11.97 metres.
Meanwhile, the quartet of Archer, Bright, Murray and Kenisha Phillips had a bit of luck on their side, after being promoted to second place in the Girls’ U-20 4×400 metres relay, thanks to some miscalculated baton passing by Jamaica, who would have won, and The Bahamas who were also disqualified.

Jamaica, at the handing-over on the final leg, dropped the baton, allowing Guyana to cruise home and to place third. The Bahamas and St Vincent and Grenadines finished first and second respectively. It was later announced that the Bahamas were also disqualified but up to press time, Chronicle Sport was unable to ascertain why the home team had their silver medal stripped and Guyana promoted.

Daniel Williams, despite running his personal best was good for a fifth place finish in the Boys’ U-20 200 metres final – a race dominated by Jamaica’s world-rated athlete, Christopher Taylor (20.38 secs). Williams ran 21.21 secs, the same time he clocked in the heats the previous day.

Kenisha Phillips’ 24.14 secs in the Girls’ U-20 200 metres final saw her finish fifth. Carl Williams’ leap of 13.73 metres in the Boys’ U-20 triple jump saw him finish at the bottom of the nine-man competition.
Last year, Guyana won four gold, one silver and three bronze medals at the Games in Curacao.

GUYANA MEDAL BREAKDOWN
Chantoba Bright – gold (long jump), bronze (triple jump)
Murphy Nash – bronze (Boys’ U-17 1500 metres)
Kezra Murray – bronze (Girls’ U-20 1500 metres)
Shaquka Tyrell – bronze (Girls’ U-17 1500 metres)
Deshana Skeete – bronze (Girls’ U-17 400 metres)
Joanna Archer – bronze (Girls’ U-20 800 metres)
Princess Browne – bronze (Girls’ U-17 triple jump)
Girls’ 4×400 metres relay – silver