Jamaica win two medals in opening session of Carifta Games
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Defending champions Jamaica won two medals, a gold and a silver, on Saturday’s opening session of the 52nd Carifta Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Sakora Palmer won the Under 17 girls’ high jump after clearing 1.71m, beating Barbados’ Shania Mottley, who also cleared 1.71m, with St Lucia’s Destinee Cenac taking the bronze medal with 1.68m.
Jamie-Lee Tulloch was second in the Under 17 girls’ shot put with 13.02m, behind gold medallist Gabriella Linton of the Cayman Islands, who threw 14.07m, while the other Jamaican, Davieka Lewis, was eighth with 11.22m.
Meanwhile, Jamaica will be well represented in the finals of the 100m and 400m set for later in the day, advancing two athletes in almost all eight finals, including defending champions Adora Campbell in the Under 17 girls’ 100m and Sabrina Dockery in the Under 20 girls’ 100m.
Shanoya Douglas led the Under 20 girls’ qualification with 11.45 seconds (-0.9m/s), with Dockery next with 11.47 seconds (0.9m/s).
Michael Graham with a wind aided 10.89 seconds (2.3m/s) and Jaydon Collins — 10.93 seconds (0.7m/s) are through in the Under 20 boys 100m.
Campbell led the Under 17 girls’ qualifying with 11.58 seconds (1.2m/s) while Shayon Smith also made progress with a wind-aided 12.26 seconds (4.1m/s).
Tajh- Marques White, who ran 47.20 seconds in his Under 20 boys’ 400m semi-finals, is through to the medal round along with Marchino Rose who ran 48.27 seconds.
Abrina Wright — 53.93 seconds and Shevaughn Thomas — 54.18 seconds, made it safely through to the Under 20 girls’ 400m finals; while Shameika McLean — 54.65 seconds and Tracey-Ann Evans — 56.96 second are into the Under 17 girls’ finals with only Diwayne Sharpe, who ran 49.07 seconds, making it safely past the first round in the Under 17 boys’ 400m.
Rushaine Richards was 10th best with 49.45 seconds after the semis.
Bahamas leads the medals tabled with four won so far, two gold and two silver while the Cayman Islands have also won a gold medal. Meanwhile, Barbados have taken a silver while Antigua, Curacao, St Kitts/Nevis and St Lucia have all won a bronze each.
— Paul Reid
