Although the gold medal continues to elude Barbadian athletes, one silver and four bronze were won in the evening session of the 2012 LIME CARIFTA Games here at the National Sports Centre yesterday.
As the weather improved, so did the Barbadian performances, and when Jamaican Petergaye Reid failed to clear 1.80 metres in the Under-20 girls’ high jump, Akela Jones was guaranteed a medal, but the colour was still to be determined.
She cleared 1.80 metres for the first time since last year’s Games and then ended her participation in the event as both Jeannelle Scheper of St Lucia and Jamaican Kimberley Williamson struggled at 1.82 metres.
Williamson did clear 1.82 to win the gold, but the three knockdowns by Scheper proved costly and she was third, Jones winning the silver.
For the second successive year, Tramaine Maloney was third in the Under-20 boys’ 400 metres hurdles in a time of 53.83, edging Kion Joseph (53.85), who had been beating him all season.
Jamaica were first and second through Omar McLeod and Shavon Barnes in 52.35 and 52.75.
Barbados won three of the four 800-metre races last year, but could only muster two bronze medals through Sonia Gaskin and Raheem Skinner, both of whom were locked out of the medals in the 1 500 metres.
Both led for about 600 metres, but Jamaica’s Simoya Campbell won her second gold in 2:08.48 and Teshon Adderley of The Bahamas was second in 2:12.45 as Gaskin, who wasn’t pleased with the 2:14.54 after running 2:10.83 at home, fell off the pace.
Raheem Skinner stayed close to the front, but over the last 100 metres he slipped to second and then third when he was bounced by another competitor and had to slow down.
Jamaica’s Ricardo McKenzie (2:02.73) and Orville Dixon (2:02.98), took the top places.
For a while it seemed as though Jerrad Mason would defy the odds and win the first gold medal in his first year in the senior division. Mason went to the front as he prefers but lacked the finish and was later disqualified, while John Haynes was fourth in 1:58.84.
Many were expecting Shaquille Dill of Bermuda to take the gold after finishing second to Anthonio Mascoll last year, but he was once again in second place in 1:55.91 after being forced to go on the outside. Trinidadian Mark London won in 1:55.65.
The final bronze medal came via the Under-20 girls’ 4×100 metres relay team of Sade-Mariah Greenidge, Shakera Hall, Ariel Jackson and Akela Jones in 46.39; Anthonique Strachan powering The Bahamas to gold in 45.02 seconds.
Both the Under-20 and Under-17 boys were fifth in 41.90 and 43.31, respectively.
The day didn’t get off to a good start.
Allana Ince came out of the blocks quickly in the Under-17 girls’ 300-metre hurdles, but she fell just after clearing the first barrier and the race went along without her, finishing last in 51.07.
Danielle Scantlebury (45.25) kept pace with the leaders over the first 200 metres, but faded to fourth on the straightaway as Mesha Newbold of The Bahamas won in 43.98.
Ramarco Thompson (55.16) and Michael Nicholls (58.63) were fifth and sixth, respectively as Jamaica’s Okeen Williams won gold in 53.15 for the Under-17 boys.
In the senior girls’ race Janieve Russell of Jamaica set a brutal pace that left the others trailing in her wake. She won in 58.80, Kernesha Spann of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 60.23 and Terrian Williams of Jamaica third in 60.49. Shakera Hall was fifth in 62.22 and Shani Adams was disqualified.
Pius Emilien made his run too late and was fourth in the 3 000 metres in 9:56.11, more than 30 seconds behind winner Webston Pennant (9:23.13) of Jamaica.
Charles Greaves was fourth in the Under-20 boys’ long jump with the 7.04 he did on the first attempt as Martinique’s Jean-Noel Cretinoir took the gold with 7.36 m.
Triple jumper Justin Donawa had the honour of giving Bermuda their first gold medal with a winning 14.63 metres in the Under-17 boys’ event, sending the home fans into a frenzy and Jamaica’s Paul Ann Gayle set a new record of 43.99 metres in the Under-17 girls’ discus.
