KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica topped the medals tables at the Carifta Games for the 38th straight staging and 45th time overall after they amassed 83 medals.

The 51st staging of the event came to an anti-climactic end on Monday at the Kirani James Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.

After sweeping the 4x400m relays and sprint hurdles on Monday’s final day, the Jamaicans won 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze medals to lead the Bahamas, who had 36 medals -10 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze, Trinidad and Tobago had 27 – four gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze; Guyana had 10 medals including four gold, 3 silver and three bronze; Guadeloupe and US Virgin Islands both had two gold medals while five countries had one gold medal each- Grenada, Cayman Islands, Antigua/Barbuda, Belize and St Lucia.

After a mix-up, a second boys’ U-20 4x400m race was ordered to be run after several teams had stopped running early in the original race as there appeared to have been a recall gun, signalling a false start, but a number of teams, including Jamaica, continued and were allowed to complete the race.

After the second race, Jamaica kept the gold with 3:10.58 seconds, Trinidad –  who won the second race in 3:11.10 seconds was awarded silver medals. The Bahamian quartet who were second behind Trinidad, were later disqualified and Guyana was promoted to the bronze medal position.

The 200m finals lived up to expectations with a number of outstanding contests with Jamaicans winning three of the four races.

Gary Card of Jamaica competes in the 200m at the Carifta Games in St George’s, Grenada on Sunday. (Photo: @sanzy_lifestyle)

Gary Card ran a brilliant race to win the Boys’ U-20 gold medal with a big personal best of 20.60 seconds (1.8m/s), third best in the world in the U-20 age group, beating Barbados’ Aragon Straker- 20.76 seconds with the 100m champion Devonte Howell of the Cayman Islands taking third with 20.90 seconds.

Shanoya Douglas showed off her superior top-end speed as she came from third place in the final 60 metres to snatch the gold medal with a wind-aided 23.03 seconds (3.0m/s). Sole Frederick of Trinidad and Tobago was second with 23.07 seconds and 100m gold medallist Sabrina Dockery third with 23.13 seconds.

Defending champion Sanna Frederick was fourth while 400m champion Tiana Springer of Guyana did not show up for the race.

Natrece East atoned for her bronze medal last year when she won the Girls’ U-17 200m, chasing and catching the fast-starting Athaleyha Hinckson of Guyana, the 100m champion.

East was timed in 23.74 seconds (0.9m/s), Hinckson took silver with 23.85 seconds and Tyra Fenton of Antigua/Barbuda took the bronze with 23.97 seconds.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Kadeem Chinapoo upgraded his silver medal in the 100m to gold in the Boys’ U-17 200m running 21.78 seconds (0.9m/s), as Jamaica’s Oshane Jervis limped across the finish line with 22.16 seconds with Tiondre Frett of the British Virgin Island was third with 22.18 seconds.

-Paul A Reid