Pushed by a higher level of competition at the 40th LIME CARIFTA Games, several Barbadian athletes have reached the standards set for major international competition later this year.
Six athletes are pencilled in for the World Youth Championships in Lille, France, from July 6 to July 10 and at least ten are in line for selection for the Pan American Junior Championships from July 22 to July 24 in Miramar, Florida.
Leading the World Youth challenge are gold medallists Jerrad Mason and Akela Jones.
Mason’s new Under-17 boys’ 800 metres record of 1 minute 51.79 seconds is an “A” standard for both meets, while Jones has a “B” mark of 1.75m in the high jump. The 6.14m which she did at Inter-School Sports, also qualifies her in the long jump and for Pan Am Juniors as well.
Shakera Hall’s 13.81 seconds in the Under-17 girls’ 100m hurdles also has her in with a “B” standard.
As it is an Under-18 meet, several athletes who competed in the Under-20 division are also eligible.
One of the most encouraging performances to come out of the CARIFTA Games was the 2:11.69 by Sonia Gaskin to take silver in the Under-20 girls’ 800 metres. Gaskin, who has been recovering from injury, was within the “A” standard of 2:12 after stripping two full seconds off her personal best time.
Joining her from the Under-20 division are sprinter Deon Hope and jumper Charles Greaves. Hope has times of 10.64 seconds and 21.24 seconds respectively in the 100 and 200 metres, and Greaves leaped 7.32 metres at Inter-School Sports.
Anthonio Mascoll will lead the charge at the Pan American Junior Championships. He had qualified previously, but lowered his time to a personal best 1:50.21 seconds to take gold in the Under-20 boys’ 800M at the CARIFTA Games.
Three hurdlers have met the qualifying standard. They are silver medallists Tyrell Forde (13.89) and Sade-Mariah Greenidge (14.00) as well as bronze medallist Kenrisha Brathwaite (14.15).
