– George, McCammon add bronze to medal haul
AT the South American Championships in Cochabamba, Bolivia, team Guyana extended their medal haul to five (four bronze and a silver).
Last evening, Leslain Baird improved his Personal Best (PB) in the Men’s Javelin throw while resetting his own national record as well. He was rewarded with the silver medal for his 78.65m throw while Colombian Arley Ibarguen copped gold with a monstrous 80.11m. Settling for bronze was Argentina’s Braian Toledo with 78.57m.
For 2018 so far, Baird has thrown at four official competitions and each time he has improved and broken Guyana’s National record twice.
In January, he competed twice at the National Track and Field Centre (NTFC), on the 14th he threw 70.74m. However, just seven days later on the 21st, Baird leapt up to 73.30m at the same venue.
On February 10, Baird eclipsed his PB and in so doing set a National record of 74.71m.
This was just a prelude of greater things to come in the following week when he travelled to Port of Spain, Trinidad, to compete at that country’s pre-Commonwealth Games meet.
He promptly qualified for the said Commonwealth Games and went one better in terms of his PB and Guyana’s National record, as he threw 74.76m.
Guyanese pugilists Keevin Allicock and Colin Lewis both settled for bronze medals after they could not progress beyond their semifinal bouts on Tuesday while Guyana’s 400m National record-holder Winston George copped a third bronze medal for Guyana in the men’s 400m yesterday.
Also winning bronze for Guyana yesterday was 26-year-old USA-based sprinter Jenea McCammon in the Women’s 100m event. She ran 13.39s for her medal finishing behind Venezuela’s Genesis Romero Fernandez who clocked 13.08s for her gold medal while Peru’s Diana Bazalar Alava claimed silver in 13.36s.
The powerfully built George clocked 45.67s in a thrilling encounter. However, Lucas Carvalho came out on top with 45.61s while Yimar Madera pipped George for silver in 45.67s.
Meanwhile, fighting in the 56kg category, Allicock went up against Argentina’s Carlos Alanis and looked to be in control of the fight with his ‘lightning’ fast jabs proving to be effective in the first round.
Having expended a lot of energy in the opening round, fatigue set in in the second round for Allicock. Despite finishing the fight, he was unable to advance to the final and had to settle for bronze.
Allicock’s counterpart, Colin Lewis, fought in the 64kg category and also took bronze after a valiant effort against Colombia’s John Agudelo.
The referee stopped the contest as he ruled that Lewis looked out of his depth in the second round.
Colombia are currently leading the medals tally with 186 while Brazil are a distant second with 149. The Championships which began on May 26 will conclude tomorrow.
