#CariftaGames2023: Johnson twins get gold, silver in Under- 20 shot put
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica added three more medals, a gold and two silver, on Sunday morning’s third session of the 50th staging of the CARIFTA Games at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Johnson twins took first and second places in the girls’ Under- 20 shot put fina,l while Demario Prince was second in the Under- 20 boys’ long jump.
Additionally, a number of athletes advanced to the finals of the 400m hurdles and the semi-finals of the 200m events set to be contested on Sunday afternoon.
The Jamaica team has picked up 33 medals- 16 gold, 10-silver and seven bronze- and are well in the lead.
Britannia Johnson, who was second last year, won the Under -20 shot put with 14.54m, her sister Britannie won the silver medal with 13.74m, while St Lucia’s Joy Edward took the bronze with 13.53m.
Prince was second in the Boys’ Under- 20 long jump with 7.44m (0.0m/s), the same mark as bronze medal winner Mateo Smith of the Bahamas 7.44 (1.7m/s).
Andrew Stone of the Cayman Islands won with 7.54m (0.6m/s).
Jamaica’s Royan Walters was 12th with a best mark of a wind-aided 6.37m (3.8m/s).
The only 400m hurdles preliminary event was in the Under- 20 girls where Tonyan Beckford- 1:01.04 seconds and Alliyah Baker- 1:02.29 seconds , both advanced behind Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands who led the qualifying with 58.39 seconds.
The Jamaican pair of Javourne Dunkley- 21.26 seconds (1.0m/s) and Malique Smith Band- 21.39 seconds (0.5m/s), led the qualifying for the semi-finals of the Boys’ Under- 20 200m, while Natrece East 24.16 seconds (0.0m/s) and Shanoya Douglas- 24.54 seconds (0.2m/s) also advanced in the girls’ Under -17 event.
None of the two entrants in the boys’ Under -20 800m advanced. Ainsley Brown did not complete his first round after a good start, while Kemarrio Bygrave who was taken off the track in a wheelchair after the 1500m on Saturday jogged to a 2:15.03 finish.
– Paul A Reid