Mark London completed an impressive distance double on the final day of action at the 42nd annual Carifta Games at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas yesterday.
London ran away with the Under 20 800m in 1:52.34 (season's best) to defend the title he won last year. The Bishops High School sixth former took the 1500m crown on Saturday.
London's victory brought T&T's gold medal haul to five. Andwuelle Wright and Hezekeil Romeo pushed the golden tally up to seven with wins in the Under 17 long jump and Under 20 shot put events respectively. Wright retained the gold with a distance of 7.29m to improve on his previous best of 7.01 set at the Central American and Caribbean Junior title last year.
Another T&T athlete Che Richards was third in a windy jump of 7.01 (+4.2). Romeo (Rebirth) secured the Under 20 shot put with a last round effort of 18.66. The 2011 World Youth finalist traveled over from a training camp with Olympic javelin champion Keshorn Walcott in Cuba to take the gold in a pb ahead of the discus silver medallist Chadrick Dacosta (18.42) and Eldred Henry (BVI) 18.01. Kenejah Williams (Tobago Falcons) was sixth in 16.15.
Late yesterday, Akeem Marshall (Toco Sec/Toco TAFAC) snapped up this country's eighth gold winning the Under 20 5000m in 16:49.96.
Jeminise Parris, Reubin Walters, Jereem Richards also landed bronze medals. Parris had to settle for third in the Under 17 100m hurdles in 14.64 seconds. The 300m hurdles champion was going for the double but was denied by the Jamaican duo of Rushelle Burton (13.96) and Janeek Brown (14.30). Kermisha Serapio (Toco Sec/Toco TAFAC) was fifth (15.55). Walters (Memphis) secured his second bronze crossing the line third in the Under 20 110m hurdles.
The one lap hurdles bronze medallist from Sunday equalled his pb of 13.66. Christian Hoodboyce (UTT) trailed the field in seventh in 14.67. Jereem Richards (Abilene) produced a strong finish to take the third spot in the Under 20 200m finals. He crossed the line in a wind aided time of 20.69. Teray Smith (Bahamas) took the gold in 20.58 ahead of Jevaugh Minzie (Jamaica) 20.64. Jonathan Farinha (Abilene) was fifth (21.03).
In the Girls Under 20 200m Kayelle Clarke sped to a pb of 23.76 but could only finish sixth in a fast race as Bahamian Shanae Miller blazed to a championship record of 22.77 with Jamaica's Shericka Jackson (22.84) also getting under the previous record of 22.85 set by Anthonique Strachan in 2012.
Dominique Williams missed out on medalling in the Under 20 800m. The Neon Trackers produced a strong finish to clock a pb of 2:10.36 but failed to catch Titania Markland of Jamaica (2:09.74) for the bronze. Simooya Campbell (Jamaica) took the gold in 2:06.22 ahead of Sonia Gaskin (Barbados) 2:06.84.
Cherisse Murray (Toco Sec/Toco TAFAC) was fifth in the G U20 javelin with a distance of 34.14. Miguel Hackett (Pentecostal Light and Life/Zenith) took seventh spot in the Under 17 800m (2:06.66).
In action on Sunday, Parris won the Under 17 300m hurdles. The St. Francois Girls/Memphis athlete topped the field in personal best of 43.24. Serapio was seventh in 44.84 (pb). Shiann Charles (D'Abadie Progressive) picked a bronze in the Under 17 shot put finals. Charles (D'Abadie Progressive) got the implement out to 39.19 (pb) to match her bronze medal effort from last year. Shot put winner Chelsea James missed out on a second medal finishing fourth with 38.63m.
Ian West failed to get among the medals in the Under 17 shot put finishing in eighth (11.85). Walters collected bronze in the Under 20 400m hurdles finals in a pb of 52.31 improving on the 52.85 set at the Falcons Games. Shaunna Downey (Burnley) also got among the medals taking bronze in the Under 20 discus in 41.95. Latoya Gilding (Striders) was seventh (36.30m). Omari Benoit was joint fourth in the Under 17 high jump with a personal best leap of 1.95m tying with Bahamian Livingson Bromwell. His Bishop High/Tobago Falcons team-mate was sixth in 1.90m (pb).
The meet ended with the 4x400m relay with T&T's Under 20 team expected to be in contention for the gold.
