Newsgathering Editor
rachael.king@guardian.co.tt
T&T’s Janae De Gannes captured the Austin Sealy award for the most outstanding athlete at the Carifta Games which ended on Monday at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.
“I’m just overwhelmed with so much emotions. I didn’t expect to get it,” said a surprised De Gannes at the airport on return from Grenada, yesterday. “I always wanted to get the award when they came and said ‘Janae you got the award’, I was like oh my gosh. I was in so much shock!”
Her record-breaking performance of 6.50 metres, on her first attempt, saw her win the gold medal in the girls’ Under-20 long jump event. The mark surpassed the previous record of 6.48m set by Yanis David in 2016, also in Grenada and moved her to second on this year’s outdoor world U-20 list.
On getting the winning mark early on, De Gannes said: “Of course, I like to have my competitors feeling uncomfortable so yeah, that was the plan.”
Looking ahead to the U-20 World Championships, the 17-year-old plans to also reach the podium in Lima, Peru in August, saying: “Yes, I plan to medal and hopefully get the gold medal as well.”
She lived up to her billing as the gold medal favourite finishing ahead of silver medallist Jamaica’s Rohanna Surdlow (6.30m) and Bahamian Lanaisha Lubin, who bagged bronze with 5.90m. T&T’s other entrant, Naomi Pierce was sixth with a best of 5.77m on her sixth and final attempt.
De Gannes also won a silver medal in the girls’ U-20 4x400m relay along with Kaori Robley, Sanaa Frederick and Kaziah Peters. She ran the anchor leg to help T&T finish second with a time of three minutes and 47.51 seconds to place behind Jamaica (3:34.69) and ahead of Bahamas (3:49.82).
“I’m really proud of the team. We came out over the three days and really pushed ourselves so I’m proud of everyone even though some of them did not medal they went out there and showed true heart and I’m really proud of them so congratulations to everyone who were on the team,” said De Gannes, who now joins former sprinter Darrel Brown, who won the honour in 1999 and 2000, middle-distance runner Garvin Nero (2005), and hurdler Jehue Gordon (2010). Gordon served as manager of this year’s team.
The three-day meet closed with a bit of controversy after the final event, the boys’ U-20 4x400m relay event, had to be re-run with three teams (T&T, Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda).
However, running against the clock T&T emerged with a silver medal to increase T&T’s tally to 27 - four gold, 11 silver, and 12 bronze.
In the final, the T&T team of Keone John, Jaden Clement, Dashaun Lezama and Kyrell Thomas, lined up in lane three, against respectively from lane one Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas, host country Grenada, Jamaica, Guyana, and Barbados.
When the race was started, all teams set off but T&T, Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda stopped unexpectedly, anticipating a recall that never came.
Meanwhile, the other teams carried on unaware of the happenings despite lane officials still on the track after the first lap. The Jamaican team went on to win the event with 3:10.58, followed by Guyana (3:14.05), Grenada (3:14.23), Barbados (3:14.39), and St Vincent and the Grenadines (3:16.93).
T&T, Antigua & Barbuda and Bahamas protested due to the malfunctioning of the starter’s gun and after a 30-minute wait, the three teams were allowed to re-run, racing against time. T&T ultimately crossed first followed by the Bahamians in second but they were later disqualified and Grenada was third with 3:14.24. Neither team was able to eclipse Jamaica’s gold-medal winning time of 3:10.58 from the original race. T&T was eventually awarded silver having run a time of 3:11.10. Guyana was third in a time of 3:14.05.
Earlier, Kadeem Chinapoo and Tafari Waldron also emerged as gold medallists for T&T to close out the 51st edition of the premier youth track and field meet in the region.
Chinapoo added to T&T’s golden haul when he topped the 200m boys’ U-17 final in 21.78 seconds beating Jamaica’s Oshane Jervis (22.16) and British Virgin Islands’ Tiondre Frett (22.18) in a close third.
Waldron repeated as champion in the U-20 boys 5,000m in astonishing fashion with a time of 15:01.60 with Bermuda’s Jake Brislane a distant second in 15:42.42 and T&T’s Omare Thompson adding another medal for his team in securing third in 16:03.43.
USA-based Sole Frederick had to settle for the silver medal in the U-20 girls’ 200m final in 23.07, losing out to Jamaica’s Shanoya Douglas who in a tight finish in 23.03 with Jamaica’s Sabrina
Dockery (23.13) just edging out the other Frederick sister defending champion Sanaa (23.24) for the bronze.
In the U-17 girls’ 100m hurdles final, T&T’s Jenna-Marie Thomas had to settle for the silver medal with a time of 13.74, to trail Jamaica’s Malaysia Duncan who won in 13.63 while Curacao’s Zsa-Zsa Frans took bronze in 14.21 with T&T’s other finalist Tenique Vincent, fifth in 14.72.
In the morning session, Thomas qualified for the final as the runner-up in heat two and third fastest overall with a time of 14.01, to trail Jamaican Angel Robinson (13.82) while Vincent also secured a spot in the final as the third-placed finisher in heat one in 14.75, the sixth-best time overall, and behind Duncan who won the heat in 14.26, and Frans, who clocked 14.33 for the fourth best time.
The local boys quartet of Makeelan Woods, Shezlon Gordon, Michal Paul, and Khordae Lewis had to settle for silver in the U-17 boys’ 4x100m relay in 3:21.24 behind champion Jamaica while host Grenada took the bronze while the U-20 girls’ relay team secured a silver medal as well.
T&T’s Keneisha Shelbourne secured a bronze medal in the U-20 girls’ high jump with a best height of 1.70m, after failing to clear the 1.73m marker.
Jamaica took gold and silver with Rasheda Samuels, the winner at 1.78m and Dejanne Bruce, the silver at 1.76m.
T&T’s Keeran Sriskandarajah got bronze in the U-20 boys’ 800m in 1:52.91 seconds, with his countryman Jahfa Woodley, fourth in 1:53.63 while Jamaica’s Kemario Bygrave won gold in 1:51.43, and Grenada’s Deangelo Brown second in 1:52.81.
The local U-17 girls’ 4x400m relay quartet of Kyah Hyson, Tenique Vincent, Shian Lewis, and Jenna-Marie Thomas were elevated from fourth to third spot with a time of 3:54.49 and Barbados was disqualified while Jamaica was an easy winner in 3:41.84, with Bahamas taking silver in 3:47.13.
In the 4x400m boys’ U-20 relay, the T&T quartet of Dashaun Lezama, Daeshaun Cole, Keone John, and Kyrell Thomas placed third in heat two in 3:15.31 to qualify third best behind Jamaica (3:13.52), and Guyana (3:15.14), and fifth-best overall ahead of the final.
Grenada qualified top in 3:12.09 and Bahamas, third in 3:12.51 after their one-two finish in semifinal heat one.
T&T’s Addalia Sylvester was fourth with a best of 35.73m in the girl’s discus throw, with compatriot Peyton Winter, fifth with 32.72.
In the U-17 Boys 110m hurdles, T&T’s Omari Brown (14.20 seconds) and Tyrique Vincent (33.75) were fifth and seventh, respectively.
T&T’s Shian Lewis was fourth in the U-17 girls’ 800m in 2:21.36 and in the boys’ equivalent, T&T’s Brion Scott was fifth in 2:00.28. In the U-20 girls, 800m T&T’s Kaleigh Forde was seventh best in 2:16.67.
T&T placed third on the medals standings with 28, compared to the previous edition of the Carifta Games in Nassau, Bahamas where T&T picked up 25 which included nine gold, 10 silver, and 12 bronze medals.
From the 27 countries that took part in the three-day event, 21 got medals. T&T finished behind Jamaica, who topped the table for the 38th straight time with 83 medals comprising 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze, and the Bahamas, who ended with 34 (nine gold, 13 silver, 12 bronze).
Guyana with eight (4 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) and Guadeloupe with five (2 gold, 1 silver, two bronze) filled the top five spots. Host country Grenada impressed with 14 medals, claiming one gold, six silver and seven bronze.
T&T will play host to the 2025 Carifta Games Track and Field Championship.
“Carifta 2025 is at home, next year in T&T. Don’t wait for the last minute to come on board to support these athletes,” said Gordon, following his second stint as manager of the national team.
“We are continuously building, we are seeing an uptick and just great energy with these youths here these days.
“My recommendation really is don’t wait until last minute. The team is continuously building on the foundation that we have and we can do something remarkable at home next year.”
He went on to thank sponsors including the National Gas Company (NGC) and Puma and advised: “What we need to understand is the future lies here in the youth of T&T and we cannot wait until they are successful. We need to make sure the facilities are in place so they can train.”
2024 Carifta Medallists
Gold
Che Wickham, Mikhail Byer, Hakeem Chinapoo, Dylan Woodroofe (Boys U-20 4x100m) 40:45 seconds
Janae De Gannes (Girls U-20 long jump) 6.50m
Kadeem Chinapoo (Boys U-17 200m) 21.78
Tafari Waldron (Boys U-20 5,000m) 15:01.60
Silver
Peyton Winter (Girls U-17 shot put) 14.21m
Keneisha Shelbourne (Girls U-20 triple jump) 12.49m
Kadeem Chinapoo (Boys U-17 100m) 10.59
Tyrique Vincent (Boys U-17 long jump) 7.00m
Cameron Nathaniel-Powell, Kadeem Chinapoo, Shane Camejo, and Kaeden Herbert (Boys U-17 4x100m relay) 41.53
Symphony Patrick, Sanaa Frederick, Sole Frederick, Alexxe Henry (Girls 4x100m relay) 44.43
Jenna-Marie Thomas (Girls U-17 100m hurdles) 13.74
Sole Frederick (Girls U-20 200m) 23.07
Makaelan Woods, Shezlon Gordon, Michal Paul, Khordae Lewis (Boys U-17 4x400m relay) 3:21:24
Kaori Robley, Sanaa Frederick, Kaziah Peters, Janae De Gannes (Girls U-20 4x400m relay) 3:47.51
Keone John, Jaden Clement, Dashaun Lezama, Kyrell Thomas (Boys U-20 4x400m relay) 3:11.10
Bronze
Tenique Vincent (Girls U-17 high jump) 1.68m
Kayleigh Forde (Girls U-20 1,500m) 4:41.71
Shian Lewis (Girls U-17 1,500m) 4:48.58
Jenniah McLaren, Ziah Tobias, Makayla Cupid, Tianna Richardson (Girls U-17 4x100m relay) 47.49
Dorian Charles (Boys U-20 400m hurdles) 52.70
Jenna-Marie Thomas (Girls U-17 400m hurdles) 1:01.03
Tyrique Vincent (Boys U-17 high jump) 1.90m
Isaiah Alder (Boys U-17 3,000m) 9:29.35
Keeran Sriskandarajah (Boys U-20 800m) 1:52.91
Keneisha Shelbourne (Girls U-20 high jump) 1.70m
Omari Thompson (Boys U-20 5,000m) 16:03.43
Kyah Hyson, Tenique Vincent, Shian Lewis, Jenna-Marie Thomas (Girls U-17 4x400m relay) 3:54.49
Final medal standings
Team Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Jamaica 44 23 16 83
2 Bahamas 9 13 11 33
3 T&T 4 11 12 27
4 Guyana 4 2 2 8
5 Guadeloupe 2 1 2 5
6 Virgin Islands (Usa) 2 0 1 3
7 Grenada 1 6 7 14
8 Cayman Islands 1 1 2 4
9 Antigua and Barbuda 1 0 3 4
10 Saint Lucia 1 0 1 2
11 Belize 1 0 1 2
12 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 3 0 3
13 Barbados 0 2 3 5
14 Aruba 0 2 0 2
15 Bermuda 0 1 1 2
16 Haiti 0 1 0 1
17 Curacao 0 0 2 2
18 Martinique 0 0 2 2
19 Dominica 0 0 1 1
20 British Virgin Islands 0 0 1 1
21 Turks and Caicos 0 0 1 1