Clarke grabs 200 crown
Six-gold T&T 2nd at Carifta
By Kwame Laurence Fort-de-France
Story Created: Apr 21, 2014 at 9:16 PM ECT (T&T Express)Kayelle Clarke emerged as the star of the show for Trinidad and Tobago on the third and final day of the 2014 Carifta Games, at the Stade Pierre Aliker, here in Fort de France, Martinique, yesterday.
Clarke outduelled Guyana’s Kadecia Baird on the home straight, the T&T sprinter getting to the line in a wind-assisted 23.10 seconds to capture the girls’ under-20 200 metres title.
Clarke and Baird were locked in a close battle coming home. But near the end, the Guyanese stumbled, and Clarke grabbed the gold. Baird had to settle for silver in 23.13, while bronze went to Jamaican Kedisha Dallas (23.69).
Another T&T sprinter, Zakiya Denoon clocked 24.48 to finish seventh.
T&T struck gold in the final event on the track, Asa Guevara, Nathan Farinha, Theon Lewis and one-lap champ Machel Cedenio running away with the boys’ under-20 4x400m title in an impressive three minutes, 06.02 seconds.
The other medals went to Jamaica (3:07.71) and Bahamas (3:11.32).
An electric last-day atmosphere, fuelled by the sounds of Bahamian Junkanoo and a lively hometown music band, inspired some superb performances, including a stunning, but wind-aided, 13.10 seconds golden run from Jaheel Hyde in the boys’ under-18 110m hurdles. The Jamaican completed the hurdles double, following his one-lap success on Sunday.
T&T finished second at Carifta 2014 with six gold medals, seven silver, and 12 bronze—a total of 25. Jamaica (42 gold, 34 silver, 12 bronze) and Barbados (five gold, five silver, six bronze) were first and third, respectively.
And Barbadian Akela Jones, winner of three individual gold medals, received the Austin Sealy Award for being the most outstanding athlete at the meet.
Andwuelle Wright earned silver for T&T in the boys’ under-18 long jump with a 7.38m leap. Jamaica’s Obrien Wasome topped the field with a wind-assisted 7.66m jump, while third spot went to Suriname’s Miguel Van Assen (7.12m).
T&T’s Nicholas Landeau picked up another middle distance medal, yesterday. The England-based runner clocked 1:51.86 to capture bronze in the boys’ under-20 800m.
With 250 metres to go in the two-lap race, Landeau was fourth. But he made his move, and 200 metres from home was in bronze position. The 1500m silver medallist put in a big effort in a bid for the top spot, but Jamaicans Kevon Robinson and Rajay Hamilton were stronger at the end, taking gold and silver, respectively, in 1:51.02 and 1:51.05.
Ruebin Walters earned his second bronze medal at Carifta 2014, the T&T athlete finishing third in the boys’ under-20 110m hurdles in 13.57 seconds to add to his 400m hurdles medal on Sunday.
Guadeloupe’s Wilhem Belocian won in 13.23 seconds to erase Jehue Gordon’s 13.41 Games record from the books. Jamaican Tyler Mason was also faster than the old standard, clocking 13.25 to claim silver.
T&T’s Jeminise Parris bagged bronze in the girls’ under-18 100m hurdles, getting to the line in 13.79 seconds to finish behind a pair of Jamaicans—Janeek Brown (13.48) and Sidney Marshall (13.62).
Ayoka Cummings, Tsai-Anne Joseph, Shirnel Ettienne and Denoon combined for silver in the girls’ under-20 4x400m. The T&T quartet clocked 3:46.11 to finish between Jamaica (3:38.20) and Bahamas (3:47.64).
Corey Stewart, Jacob St Clair, Terry Frederick and Kashief King teamed up for bronze in the boys’ under-18 4x400m in 3:13.77. Jamaica (3:12.63) and Bahamas (3:13.16) earned gold and silver, respectively.
T&T’s Akeem Marshall surrendered his boys’ under-20 5,000m title to O’Brien Frith, the Jamaican winning in 15:48.51. Marshall had to settle for fourth spot in 16:21.44.
In the girls’ under-20 800m, T&T’s Elia Nero was fourth in 2:15.49. And there was another fourth-place finish for the country in the girls’ under-20 javelin, Chuntal Mohan falling just short of the podium with a 38.75m throw.
Early yesterday, T&T’s Kenejah Williams threw the iron ball 16.55m to seize silver in the boys’ under-20 shot put. Jamaican Demar Gayle (16.72m) and Barbadian Romario Antoine (16.42m) earned gold and bronze, respectively.
In the girls’ under-18 javelin, Asha James finished fourth with a 37.91m throw, while her T&T teammate, Akidah Briggs landed the spear 37.19m for fifth spot.
Dominica’s Shanee Angol was the class of the field, securing gold with a big 49.66m effort.
Kevin Roberts was very satisfied with his golden performance in the octathlon.
The T&T athlete accumulated 5,696 points for a huge margin of victory in the two-day, eight discipline event. The runner-up, Grenada’s Javel St Paul earned 5,258 points. Martinique’s Florian Simax (5,222) was third, while T&T’s other octathlete, Victor Issac (5,125) finished fourth.
“I’m very happy about the victory,” said Roberts, following the completion of the octathlon, on Sunday. “My main goal coming into the Carifta Games was to win. Considering what happened in Carifta last year, pulling up and not finishing, the off-season I put in was really hard, and I expected this gold medal. My main goal was to get over 5,600 points, and that’s exactly as I did.
“From the first event to the last, I was in the lead, so it was a good win.”
Roberts topped four of the eight disciplines—100m (10.97 seconds), 110m hurdles (15.02), long jump (7.09m) and high jump (1.98m).
“The goals for the remainder of the season,” Roberts told the Express, “are to start the decathlon, and to head out to CAC (Central America and Caribbean) Juniors and World Juniors.”
The other T&T gold on Sunday was earned by Shakeil Waithe, the Tobago athlete winning the boys’ under-20 javelin with a 67.53m throw.
There was a bronze for T&T late on Sunday, Omari Benoit going over the bar at 2.00m to finish third in the boys’ under-18 high jump. Gold and silver went to Jamaican Lusahane Wilson and Bermuda’s Jahnai Perinchief, both athletes clearing 2.03m.
T&T also earned three 4x100m medals on Sunday.
Aaliyah Telesford, Denoon, Joseph and Clarke combined for girls’ under-20 silver in 45.32 seconds, finishing behind Jamaica (44.16) and ahead of Bahamas (45.47).
Micah Ballantyne, John Mark Constantine, Jamaal Bridges and Jonathan Farinha earned T&T bronze in the boys’ under-20 event in 40.71 seconds. Farinha, however, sustained a calf injury and was withdrawn from yesterday’s 200m final. Jamaica (39.38) and Bahamas (40.35) finished first and second, respectively, in the under-20 sprint relay.
There was bronze as well for T&T’s boys’ under-18 quartet, Chad Richards, Akanni Hislop, Stewart and Adell Colthrust teaming up for a 42.41 seconds run. Bahamas clocked 40.76 to claim gold, just ahead of Jamaica (40.78).
In the girls’ heptathlon, Ayanna Glasgow finished eighth with 3,752 points. But her T&T teammate, Meriah Freeman sustained an injury during the long jump, and did not complete the seven-discipline event. Freeman would be keen to make amends when the 2015 Carifta Games are staged in St Kitts/Nevis.
