by Sherrylyn A. Toppin in Basseterre, St Kitts

Barbados have three medals – one silver and two bronze – from the first two sessions as the 37th CARIFTA Games got under way at the Silver Jubilee Athletics Stadium here yesterday.

Matthew Wright (4:10.44 minutes) and Ibrahim Hinds (4:16.30) finished second and third, respectively in the Under-17 Boys' 1 500 metres, their best times over the distance. Wright was fourth last year.

Jamaican Waquar DaCosta took gold in 4:09.78.

There was a lot of jostling in the first 600 metres, but the fastest soon separated from the pack.

Coming around the back stretch as they approached the bell, DaCosta was leading with Hinds in silver medal contention, but Wright passed him on the straightway and that was the way they finished.

Christian Rock finished down in the the pack in the Under-20 Boys' event.

Pretty fast

"I was a bit nervous at the beginning of the race. The first lap was pretty fast; but after that, I settled in and came into my own. I tried to kick, but the fellow from Jamaica had a bit too much," Wright said.

Hinds said that while the race was fast the pace was comfortable and he just stayed with the pace after he settled in.

Michelle Rogers won Barbados' first medal, a bronze, in the Under-17 Girls' shot put.

She opened with a throw of 9.84 metres, way below her best, and was in fourth position with 10.77 metres after the first three rounds.

On the very last throw, she produced a personal best of 11.18 metres, denying Rochella Challenger (10.24), who was carrying St Kitts' hopes of their first medal.

The gold medal went to Martinique's Yasmine Merkiled, who threw 11.74m in her very first attempt.

Laurianne Laurendot of Guadeloupe took silver with 11.36, also her first throw.

"It was great," she said. "I just went out there and did what I had to do and listened to what my coach had to tell me."

There was hope of gaining more medals with events still to be contested, since Sade Sealy (55.25) and Fabian Norgrove (48.25) were in the finals of the Under-20 400 metres with the fourth and second fastest times, respectively.

John Jones and Jonathan Harper were also in the Under-17 Boys' shot put, Kirk Austin was still competing in the Under-20 Boys' high jump, and Akela Jones and Shavonne Husbands were among the final eight from the original 13 in the Under-17 Girls' long jump.

Nicholas Deshong also made it to the final of the Under-17 Boys' 100 metres; but with the slowest time of 11.21 seconds, he has lots of work to do.

Sade Sealy produced a personal best 11.76 seconds to advance to the Under-20 Girls' 100 metres, but neither Renaldo Bailey (10.99) nor Shekeim Greaves who was disqualified, made it to the final.

After four events, Barbados were also leading the men's heptathlon. Shane Brathwaite has 1 747 points, winning the 110m hurdles (14.57) and the long jump with a personal best 7.13 metres.

Despite finishing down the field in the long jump with 6.32 metres, Ryan Brathwaite was second with 1 504, getting enough points from his second place in the hurdles in 15.02 seconds.

Shane won the 200 metres, while Ryan was third, but again, no official times were available.

Earlier in the day, Kemar Jones of Queen's College was sixth in the Under-17 Boys' high jump, clearing 1.90 metres.

If he had reproduced his best of 1.95 metres it would've put him in line for a medal, but it was Jamaica's Jonathan Reid who was the winner with 2.05 metres.

Mara Weekes, last year's Under-17 Girls' 400m bronze medallist, also failed to advance to the Under-20 final, finishing fifth in her heat and tenth overall in a slow 56.79 seconds, seeming to run out of steam on the straightway.

Kemar Norgrove suffered a similar fate, finishing 12th overall in 49.21 seconds.

Barbados did not have a competitor in the Under-20 Boys' discus which was won by Trinidad and Tobago's Emmanuael Stewart with 51.46 metres.

RESULTS FROM DAY 1:

Selected results of events completed on the first day of the 37th CARIFTA Games at the Silver Jubilee Stadium, Basseterre, St Kitts. Abbreviations: JA – Jamaica, GRN – Grenada, MAR – Martinique, BAR – Barbados, TCI – Turks and Caicos Islands, CAY – Cayman Islands, GUA – Guadeloupe, TT – Triniadad & Tobago.

Girls' Open Pentathlon 100M Hurdles (1)

1. Salcia Slack (JA) 14.35 seconds, 2. Colleen Felix (GRN) 14.48, 3. Audilia Da Veiga (MAR) 14.50

Under-17 Boys' High Jump

1. Jonathan Reid (JA) 2.05 metres, 2. Wendrico Seymour (TCI) 1.95m, 3. Travis Webb (CAY) 1.95m, 6. Kemar Jones (BAR) 1.90m

Boys' Open Heptathlon 110M Hurdles (1)

1. Shane Brathwaite (BAR) 14.57 seconds, 2. Ryan R. Brathwaite (BAR) 15.02, 3. Shane Dodd (JA) 15.63

Girls' Open Pentathlon Shot Put (2)

1. Colleen Felix (GRN) 11.23 metres, 2. Salcia Slack (JA) 11.13m, 3. Maily Nicar (GUA) 10.22m

Boys' Open Heptathlon Long Jump (2)

1. Shane Brathwaite (BAR) 7.13 metres, 2. Wendell Modeste (GRN) 6.65m, 3. Thomas Davis (BAH) 6.57m, 6. Ryan R. Brathwaite (BAR) 6.32m.

Under-20 Boys' Discus

1. Emmanuael Stewart (TT) 51.46 metres, 2. Noel Facey (JA) 48.84m, 3. Jhovanie Legendart (MAR) 46.62m

Under-17 Girls' Shot Put

1. Yasmine Merkiled (MAR) 11.74 metres, 2. Laurianne Laurendot (GUA), 3. Michelle Rogers (BAR) 11.18m

Girls' Open Pentathlon High Jump (3)

1. Colleen Felix (GRN) 1.64 metres, 2. Jackie Quamina (TT) 1.61m, 3. Salcia Slack (JA) 1.61m