Quartermiler Jarrin Solomon won T&T's second gold medal at the 24th Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Athletics Championships yesterday at Morelia, in Mexico,
Solomon crossed the line in 45.54 seconds to win the men's 400-metres event and joined Cleopatra Borel, who won T&T's first gold in the women's shot-put event on Friday.
Following Solomon were Omar Johnson of Jamaica in 45.67 to place second and third was Dominican Gustavo Cuesta in 46.20.Borel successfully defended her women's shot-put crown. The multiple Pan American and Commonwealth medallist struck gold with a distance of 17.56 to take back to back gold in the event after her triumph two years ago in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
The title is the third for Borel after her success in Cali, Colombia, in 2008. Borel's distance was short of 2011 winning throw of 19.00 and her season's best of 17.75 but over the World Championships B standard of 17.30.Mexico's Cecilia Dzul (16.33) and Laura Pulido (15.69) were second and third, respectively.Wayne Davis II, this year's NCAA Division I champion, won silver in the final of the men's 110m hurdles with a time of 13.75.In a straight tussle between Shane Brathwaite and Davis for the hurdles' title, the Barbadian prevailed in 13.70. Davis had earlier advanced with the fastest qualifying time of 13.50 to match World Championships B standard and Yordan O'Farril of Cuba was third in 13.82.Quincy Wilson and Kyron Blaise won bronze medals. Wilson retained his third place in the men's discus with a best throw of 55.85, falling short of his 2011 third place throw of 56.85. The national record holder was hoping to improve his season's best of 59.05 and get over the World Championships B Mark of 64.00. Jamaican Chad Wright took the gold (60.79) ahead of Mexico's Mario Cato (58.58).
Blaise took third place in the men's long jump, with a leap of 7.73, 12 cm short of the winner Albert Romero of Mexico (7.85) and seven cm off the silver.Richard Jones missed on a medal in the men's 10,000m finals taking fourth place in 35:08.93 and was just ahead of compatriot Curtis Cox (35:24.13).Semoy Hackett surrendered her women's 100m crown unceremoniously as she was disqualified with a false start violation in the finals. Sherry-Ann Brooks of Jamaica raced to the gold in 11.21. In the prelims earlier in the day, Hackett was third in her heat two and seventh overall (11.45) and got into the finals as one of the fastest losers. Reyare Thomas was eliminated after running the tenth best time of 11.71.In the men's 100m heats, World Championships-bound Jamol James and Ayodelle Taffe failed to advance to the finals. James was fifth in his heat two and 14th overall in 10.43, while Taffe was 25th overall in 10.59 after finishing fifth in heat four.
