SOJ track athletes end campaign with three-medal haul
ORLANDO, United States — Special Olympics Jamaica (SOJ) athletes ended their campaign on the track at the USA Games with eight medals after winning one gold, a silver and a bronze on Friday.
Richard Smikle, who won gold in the 100m on Thursday, returned to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to complete the sprint double in Division M10 of the 200m race.
The long-limbed Jamaican, who likens himself to his legendary compatriot Usain Bolt, clocked 23.99 seconds to finish ahead of Kamron Elkins of Arkansas (24.40) and Williams Gaddis of North Carolina in 25.15.
Smikle anchored the Jamaica 4x100m mixed relay team which crossed the line second in 52.38 in Division M05. The rest of the Jamaican quartet included lead-off runner, the 400m silver medallist Sheneel Williams, second-leg runner Dantasia Fisher, and third-leg runner, the 400m silver medallist Allan Gordon. The winning team came from Indiana (51.34), followed by the third-placed Arkansas (54.69).
Fisher won SOJ’s third medal of the day when she took third place in Division F08 of the 200m event. Her time of 33.42 put her behind winner Lumene Montissol of Massachusetts (29.24) and second-placed Laranda Robinson of Ohio (32.78). Fisher had won gold in her division of the 100m competition on Thursday.
Also on Friday, Rochelle Douglas, who won silver in a 100m final on Thursday, was fifth in Division F07 of the 200m in 36.15. Sulynnette Vega-Ledesma of Alaska was first in 32.16, ahead of the Haitian pair of Renia Joseph (33.51) and Vanesa Pierre (35.24).
After Friday’s haul, Jamaica’s medal breakdown in athletics was three gold, four silver and one bronze.
“The competition was a good one and gave our athletes the chance to match up against others outside of Jamaica. All of them went beyond their best,” track Coach Lori Scott-Moore told the Jamaica Observer.
“This is a stepping stone for the world games next year,” she added in reference to the 2023 Special Olympics Summer Games in Germany.
Overall, Jamaica won 12 medals at the 2022 USA Games, the other four split evenly between bocce and swimming.
— Sanjay Myers
