By Joe Chapman

SPRINTER Compton Caesar is in contention for more gold medals when he spikes up for the sprint double today at the South American Under-23 Games in Tuenca, Ecuador.

After showing that he was next-level by first winning Guyana’s first CARIFTA Games 100m gold medal in April 2017, Caesar then doubled his money two months later with gold at the Junior South American Games at the Leonora Track and Field Centre here.

Caesar, along with female athletes Kenisha Phillips and Ruth Sanmogan as well as manager Moses Pantlitz, make up Guyana’s athletics contingent.

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson, in an invited comment yesterday said the decision to send the three athletes was an investment in the future.

The athletes are likely to be around for another South American Under-23 championships in two years’ time he posited, noting, “It’s an investment we are making for Compton. He was away a little while from the sport, but we hope to see them again in two years.”

He said that Deshana Skeete was also considered for the games but has another assignment in the immediate future and the AAG felt the strain of attending both may put pressure on the promising Skeete.

The team left Guyana and coach Pantlitz told Chronicle Sport that they are going all out to make Guyana proud.

Pantlitz noted that Caesar was focusing on regaining his 2017 form after some recent challenges.

However, this meet, Pantlitz says, will be the perfect gauge of his top sprinter ahead of the 2019 season, this being the last real championship of the year.

Phillips will be contesting the 100m and 200m sprints also while Sanmogan will be competing in the long jump and 100m.

At the Junior South American championships last year Sanmogan grabbed a bronze in the long jump leap while in the Women’s 100m, Guyana picked up a bronze medal through Kenisha Phillips.