Murray, Horsford cop javelin gold for TT

JELANI BECKLES

TALENA Murray and Tyriq Horsford both won gold for Trinidad and Tobago in their respective javelin events when action in the 2018 Flow CARIFTA Track and Field Championships continued at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in Bahamas.

On the final day of action yesterday, Murray won gold in the girls Under-20 javelin finals with a throw of 45.54 metres, while Kymoi Noray made it two medals for TT in the event when she earned bronze in 41.80m. Snatching silver was Daneliz Thomas of Cayman Islands with a 42.13m effort.

On Sunday night, Horsford won TT’s second gold medal in javelin at the Games. Horsford, who has now won four consecutive gold medals in the CARIFTA Games during his career, earned gold with a 68.15m effort. Barbadian Zion Hill copped silver with a 63.12m throw, while Sean Hughie Rolle of Bahamas took bronze in 62.44m. TT have gained four javelin medals at the 2018 CARIFTA Games - three gold and one bronze. Veayon Joseph won gold in the boys Under-17 javelin event with a 55.92m effort on Saturday.

Yesterday, Savion Joseph got a silver medal for TT in the boys Under-17 long jump with a 6.89m leap. It was a competitive event as Jamaican Jordon Turner won gold with a 6.92m effort and his countryman Luke Brown grabbed bronze in 6.87m.

Shaniqua Bascombe took another silver medal for TT at the Games. Running in the girls Under-17 200m finals Bascombe ran the last 80m strong to earn silver in 23.75 seconds behind Jamaican Briana Williams who won in 23.11. Jaida Knowles of Bahamas took bronze in 23.85. In the girls Under-20 200m finals Akilah Lewis was seventh in 24.60, while Timothy Frederick was fourth in the boys Under-20 200m finals in 21.20.

Konnel Jacobs continued TT’s success in the field events with a silver medal in the boys Under-20 shot put with a top effort of 17.27m. Zico Campbell won gold for Jamaica with a 17.90m throw, while Triston Gibbons of Barbados took bronze with a 17.01m effort. Clarence Hannibal of TT also competed in the event finishing seventh among the nine competitors.

In the 4x400m relays, TT copped two bronze medals.

After a slow start in the girls Under-17 4x400m, the TT team of Bascombe, Rae-Anne Serville, Malika Coutain and Natasha Fox grabbed bronze in 3:49.64 behind winners Jamaica and second placed Bahamas. The TT quartet of Malachi Haywood, Shakeem McKay, Jordan Pope and Saeed Pompey initially took bronze in the boys Under-17 relay behind Jamaica and Bahamas but was disqualified. In the final relay event, Justen O’Brien, Che Lara, Jabari Fox and Onal Mitchell got yet another bronze. Jamaica won gold yet again, while Barbados took silver in the boys Under-20 relay. It was a tough time for TT in the hurdles finals.

In the girls Under-17 100m hurdles final, Patrice Richards was disqualified for a false start. In the girls Under-20 100m hurdles final, Tamia Badal of TT was sixth and last in 14.77, while Tyrese Rawlins was eighth in the nine-man boys Under-20 110m hurdles final in 14.46.

Joanna Rogers came agonisingly close to getting a medal in the girls Under-20 800m final as she was fourth in 2:14.08. Rogers was in contention for a medal as she led after the first lap. However, she could not hang on for a podium finish.

In the boys Under-20 5000m final, Kriston Charles ended ninth in 17:06.16 among the 18 finalists. On Sunday night, the TT quartet of Ako Hislop, Onil Mitchell, Timothy Frederick and Tyrell Edwards grabbed silver in the boys Under-20 4x100m final in 40.29 seconds. Jamaica won gold in 39.56, while Barbados snatched bronze in 40.43.