in Curacao
AARON WORRELL and Rasheeme Griffith captured Barbados’ only gold medals so far at the 46th Flow CARIFTA Games at the Ergilio Hato Stadium here Sunday night.
At that stage, Barbados had nine medals, two gold, four silver and three bronze.
The lion-hearted 19-year-old Worrell covered himself in glory in the grueling eight-event Octathlon, amassing 5461 while Griffith repeated as Under-18 Boys’ 400-metre hurdles champion, clocking 51.64 seconds.
Worrell started the day in the lead, but was overtaken by Wikenson Fenelon of Turks and Caicos.
However, Worrell produced personal best performances in the last two events – the javelin and 1500 metres.
He got an invaluable 458 points when he threw 34.61 metres in the javelin but more importantly finished second in the 1500 with a time of 4:59.58 to collect 562 points, ensuring he edged Fenelon (5460) by a solitary point for the gold.
Worrell had earlier clocked 15.03 seconds in the 110-metre hurdles for 846 points and leapt 1.96 metres in the high jump, earning 767 points.
Rasheeme Griffith (centre) won the gold medal in the Under-18 boys’ 400 metres hurdles.
Griffith overcame a slow start to claim his second gold medal in consecutive years.
Nathan Ferguson, who captured a silver medal last year, came fourth this time in 53.04 seconds, behind Jamaicans Rovane Williams (52.69) and Dashinelle Dyer (53.02).
Jonathan Miller also shrugged off nervousness in his maiden CARIFTA, to snatch a silver medal behind Jamaica’s Safin Wills (15.11 metres) in the Under-18 Boys’ triple jump with his best hop, skip and jump, measured at 14.85 metres.
Rivaldo Leacock signed off his last CARIFTA with a bronze in the Under-20 Boys’ 400-metre hurdles, clocking 52.44 seconds.
He had the silver in his sights when he cleared the final hurdle in second place but was passed by the fast-finishing Jamaican Timor Barett (52.32). Ronaldo Griffiths of Jamaica won gold in 52.01 seconds.
Tiana Bowen has two individual medals at these CARIFTA Games.
Fresh from a silver in the 400 metres, Tiana Bowen (1:02.80) added a bronze in the Under-20 Girls’ 400-metre hurdles, finishing behind Jamaicans Nicolee Foster (58.84) and Shiann Salmon (59.59).
Shonita Brome (1:01.30) also narrowly missed a medal in the Under-18 Girls’ 400-metre when she was pipped on the line by Bahamian Gabrielle Gibson (1:01.29).
Jamaica swept the first two places in this race as Sanique Walker established a new record of 58.95 seconds to take the gold and compatriot Taffara Rose (60.95) gained silver.
There were also no medals for Brome and Akayla Morris in the Under-18 Girls’ long jump, which was won by Guyanese Chantoba Bright with a leap of 5.91 metres.
Brome was fourth with her best effort of 5.57 coming on her opening jump while Morris finished fifth after leaping 5.52 in her final jump.
Newcomer Enrique Babb put the shot 16.08 metres for fifth place among the Under-18 boys in an event where Jamaican Daniel Cope set a new record of 18.17 metres.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Tyra Gittens won the Girls’ Heptathlon with 4854 points while Guyana’s Claudrice McKoy (10:39.03 minutes) overtook Jamaican Britnie Dixon (10:44.63) in the last 80 metres to win the Open Girls’ 3000.
Jamaicans Renardo Johnson (9:30.61) and Tarees Rhoden (9:30.69) got gold and silver in the Under-18 Boys’ 3000.
The Under-18 boys’ 4×100 metres quartet after qualifying for the final.
Trinidadian Tyriq Horsford predictably won the Under-18 Boys’ javelin for a third consecutive year, with a new record distance of 76.50 metres.
Perennial champions and runaway leaders Jamaica swept all four 4×100-metre among the Under-18 and Under-20 boys and girls.
Barbados only entered a quartet of Griffith, Matthew Clarke, Fergusson and Darian Clarke, on anchor in the Under-18 Boys’ race and finished fourth in 41.34 seconds as Jamaica won in a new record time of 39.97 seconds.
Host country Curacao had plenty to celebrate as one of their own Glenn Kunst broke the pole vault record a number of times to grab gold after clearing a height of 4.60 metres. (EZS)
