GUYANA’s 21-member contingent at this year’s CARIFTA Games finished the three-day event with a total of nine medals– four gold, two silver and three bronze– when the curtain came down on the 48^th edition of the Caribbean’s most prestigious track and field event.

Day One
Shaquka Tyrell won the team’s first medal at the 2019 games in the Cayman Islands when she won the Girls U-17, 1500 metres, crossing the line in a time of 4:52.52 to finish behind Jamaicans, Samantha Pryce (4:47.34) and JodyAnn Mitchell (4:49.49).

Claudrice McKoy then ran a personal best in the 1500 metres to win Guyana’s first gold medal of the games, clocking a time of four minutes, 39.46 seconds (4:39.46) which saw her winning the Girls U-20 event ahead of the Jamaican pair of Kelly-Ann Beckford (4:40.49) and Aneisha Lawrence (4:41.19).

Before the curtain came down on the first day’s action, Chantoba Bright won Gold in the Girls U-20 Long Jump, leaping a distance of 6.05 metres to win ahead of Lotavia Browne of Jamaica (5.83 metres) and Martinique’s Fiona Aholu-Futse (5.78 metres). It is Bright’s third consecutive gold medal in the event, having won in 2017 and 2018.

Guyana’s Matthew Gordon looked destined for a spot on the podium in the Boys U-17, 1500 metres, but he was tripped during the dying stages of the race but recovered to finish fifth, running 4:12.77.

Deshana Skeete failed to make it on to the podium in the Girls U-20, 400 metres, finishing 8th.

Daniel Williams, the world U-18, 400 metres silver medallist, didn’t look his usual self when he competed in the Boys U-20, 400 metres final, where he finished 7th with a time of 48.65 seconds; a far cry from his personal best (46.72 seconds) in the distance.

Day Two
Meanwhile, Anisha Gibbons, in the first event of Day Two in George Town, won Guyana’s first Gold Medal in the Girls U-17 Javelin at the CARIFTA Games when she topped the field with her throw of 40.34 metres.

Gibbons’ distance was better than Vavica Addison of Barbados (39.70 metres) and Rachel Pascal of the Cayman Islands (35.50 metres).

Bright returned to finish second in the women’s U-20 Triple Jump, (12.63 metres), finishing behind Jamaican, Lotavia Browne, 13.09 metres, but ahead of Suriname’s Monifah Djoe 12.41 metres.

Joanna Archer, who finished fifth in the Women’s U-20, 1500 metres, made up for her disappointment when she ran a superb race in the Women’s 800 metres finals, but narrowly missed out a top-of-the-podium finish with her time of two minutes, 10.17 seconds, which saw her placing second behind Jasmine Knowles of the Bahamas who won with a time of 2:09.41. Abigail Schaafe of Jamaica was third (2:12.73).

Audriel Austin won Bronze in the Girls U-17, 800 metres, clocking 2:12.69, and crossing the line behind Jamaicans, Kishay Rowe (2:11.97) and JodyAnn Mitchell (2:11.92).

Daniel Williams (21.19 seconds) and Loneil Marks (21.50 seconds) came up short in the Men’s U-20, 200 metres, finishing fifth and sixth place, respectively, in the final.

Day Three
Matthew Gordon had a bit of redemption for this 1500 metres heartbreak when he stormed home to win Gold in the Boys U-17, 300 metres.

The Berbician ran a smart, tactical race to win with ease, crossing the line with a time of nine minutes, 12.43 seconds (9:12.43) to become the only male athlete to win a medal for Guyana at the games.

Nathan Armstrong of Bermuda was second (9:13.13) and The Bahamas’ Mitchell Curtis was third (9:16.86).

McKoy won her second medal of the games when she ran ten minutes, 37.43 seconds (10:37.43) to claim Bronze in the Women’s 3000 metres Open, finishing behind winner, Isabell Dutranoit of Bermuda (10:21.63) and second place Kelly-Ann Beckford of Jamaica (10:28 13). McKoy won Gold in this event in 2017.

Last year, at the 47^th edition of the CARIFTA Games, Guyana ended with nine medals; the most ever for the country at the games. However, this time around, the four gold medals is a first for the country at the games.

GUYANA MEDAL BREAKDOWN
Claudrice McKoy – Gold (Women’s U-20, 1500 metres), Bronze (3000 metres Open)
Chantoba Bright – Gold (Women’s U-20 Long Jump) Silver (U-20 Triple Jump)

Anisha Gibbons – Gold (Girls U-17 Javelin)

Matthew Gordon – Gold (Boys U-17, 3000 metres)
Joanna Archer – Silver (Women’s U-20, 800 metres)

Audriel Austin – Bronze (Girls U-17, 800 metres)
Shaquka Tyrell – Bronze (Girls U-17, 1500 metres)