Jamaica claim one sprint relay gold at Carifta Games
Jamaica secured just one of the four sprint relay gold medals on Sunday, the second day of the 53rd Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.
The girls’ Under-20 team of Renecia Edwards, Tiana Marshall and 100m medallists Natrece East and Shanoya Douglas delivered Jamaica’s lone 4x100m relay victory, clocking 43.76 seconds. They finished ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (44.17 seconds) and Barbados (45.40 seconds).
Jamaica also grabbed silver medals in the girls’ Under-17 and boys’ Under-20 relays. However, the boys’ Under-17 team failed to finish their race after dropping the baton during the second exchange.
Despite mixed relay results, Jamaica continued to dominate the overall standings, leading the medal table with 43 medals—15 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze—heading into Monday’s final day of the competition.
Trinidad and Tobago are second with 25 medals (seven gold, nine silver and nine bronze), followed by The Bahamas with 21 medals (six gold, nine silver and six bronze). Guyana, with five medals (three gold, one silver and one bronze), and host Grenada, with 10 medals (two gold, two silver and six bronze), complete the top five.
Earlier, Jamaicans swept all four gold medals in the 400m hurdles, while Javaughn Tomlin won his second gold medal, adding the Under-17 boys’ 3000m to the 1500m gold he won on Saturday.
Tomlin took over the race early and won going away, clocking 9:12.49 minutes; Bermuda’s Sanchez Smith took the silver medal with 9:22.24 minutes, and Barbados’ Zindzele Renwick-Williams took the bronze with 9:26.95 minutes.
Sushana Johnson was third in the girls’ Open 3000m in 10:26.90 minutes, behind Trinidad and Tobago’s Aniqah Bailey in 10:14.10 minutes and Barbados’ 10:15.61 minutes.
Jaquan Souden, who was fourth last year, took the silver medal in the boys’ decathlon, tallying 6760 points, as Trinidad and Tobago’s Tyrique Vincent won the gold medal with 6824 points, and his teammate Kaleb Campbell was third with 6598 points.
Michael Neil was third in the boys’ Under-20 high jump, clearing 2.00m, the same height as the winner, David Hall of Turks and Caicos, and second-place Joshua Williams of The Bahamas.
Dashanelle Clarke was third in the girls’ Under-17 long jump with 5.54m, as Jazae Johnson of The Bahamas retained her title with 6.02m, with her teammate taking silver with 5.70m.
— Paul A Reid
