By Anthony Foster in Fort-de-France, Martinique
Jamaica swept the 100m finals, won three of four 1500m races, but only recorded one 400m victory on Saturday’s opening day of the 43rd Carifta Games here at the Stade Pierre Aliker, in Martinique.
However, in the Under-17 100m finals, we saw Waseem Williams of Jamaica winning in 10.36 secs, ahead of Mario Burke of Barbados 10.40 and Raheem Chambers of Jamaica 10.44. The race was however voided because two shots were fired and will be re-run at8:50am on Sunday morning.
Jamaica’s Jevaughn Minzie meanwhile, who had a wind-aided 10.14 earlier in the semi-finals, retuned to run 10.18 – the night’s only legal winning time – to take the gold medal. The wind was 1.7m/s.
“This victory means a lot to me being my first since coming to Carifta Games in 2011", Minzie said, "so it’s a good way to end my Carifta Games 100m career."
Minzie said he is not done yet and is looking forward to greater things in the 200m. “I am looking to get the record,” he said. The record is 19.93 and was set by Usain Bolt in Bermuda, 2004.
In the other finals on a cold and windy night, with the wind getting as high as 5.1m/s in some instances, Jonielle Smith benefited from it to win the Under-20 girls finals in 11.17secs, ahead of Aaliyah Telesford of Trinidad and Tobago, (11.42). Kedisha Dallas of Jamaica came in third with an 11.44 clocking.
An ecstatic Smith said, "this was one of my goals coming into Carifta, and to achieve it makes me really, really happy at this point.”
Kimone Shaw, only 14 years old, topped the Under-18 girls finals in 11.42, supported by a 3.3m/s wind. Janae Ambrose of Bahamas was second in 11.62 and Nelda Huggins BVI 11.64.
Guyanese, Cassey George prevented Jamaica from sweeping the 1500m races. She won the U18 girls 1500m final in 4:40.40 mins, ahead of Faheemah Scraders (Ber) 4:43.30 and Britnie Dixon (Jam) 4:53.84.
Jamaica took the other three finals with Jauvaney James topping the boys U18 section in 4:07.81 over Benjamin Najman's (Bah) 4:09.66.
Chadoye Dawson took the U20 finals in 3:56.93, while Sasha-Gaye Whyte and Monique McPherson handed Jamaica 1-2 in the girls 1500m finals, with 4:42.44 and 4:44.08 runs respectively.
In the 400m finals, only world youth champion Martin Manley handed Jamaica gold. Manley ran 47.47 to take the U18 400m finals ahead of Henry Delauze (Bah) 47.60
Barbadian Sada Williams won the girls U18 400m final in 53.39 secs over Tiffany James (Jam) 53.79.
Michel Cedenio of Trinidad & Tobago retained the U20 boys 400m title with 45.99. He beat Jamaica’s Nation Allen 46.97 while Guyanese Kadecia Baird won the U20 girls 400m girls finals in 53.48, over Jamaicans Dawnalee Lonely 53.90 and Yanique McNeil 54.49
Akela Jones' 6.32m leap topped the the U20 girls long jump finals over Jamaica's Claudette Allen 6.31m, while Vashon McCarthy of Jamaica 54.41m to beat teammate Warren Barrett's 53.67m, in the boys U18 discus throw final
Chelsea James, who finished 2nd in the discus (43.53m) in the morning session, returned to take the U18 shot put finals with 16.12m. Jamaica’s Janel Fullerton, who won the discus (46.47m), was second with 14.42m.