Bascombe, U-18 mixed relay team cop gold

JESAIAH Jones, Rae-Anne Serville, Taejha Badal and Saeed Pompey combined to gain TT's third and final gold medal in the Under-18 mixed 4x400-metre relay yesterday, boosting the team up to a sixth place finish in the medal standings at the close of the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Track and Field Championship in Mexico.

Shortly before the championship-closing relays, TT celebrated its second gold medal of the competition when Shaniqua Bascombe, who finished fourth in the women's U-18 100m final on Saturday night, responded in style to win the 200m final in 24 seconds flat, ahead of Jillian Catton of Canada (24.37) and Caitlyn Bobb of Bermuda (24.53). TT's Leah Bertrand finished fifth in 24.79 seconds.

Added to the gold, Jerod Elcock earned silver in the Under-23 200m final, while TT's men's U-18 4x100m relay team, also placed second.

In the golden relay race, Pompey, who claimed a new personal record in the men's Under-18 400m preliminaries of Friday, crossed the finish line in three minutes, 26.49 seconds, with a healthy distance ahead of Jamaica (3:28.14) and Canada (3:29.89). Serville, who ran the second leg, picked up her second medal at the meet, having captured a bronze in the U-18 400m final in 54.38 seconds on Saturday.

TT's first gold medal was captured on Friday by Andwuelle Wright who leapt to a national record-breaking 8.25m win in the men's Under-23 long jump, a result which would qualify him for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, TT's U-18 4x100 team copped the country's second silver medal, with Justin Guy, who opened the race, also earning his second medal of the championship in the process. Guy, Davin Augustine, Jaydon Moore and Shakeem McKay combined for a 41.82-second finish, ahead of Mexico (42.42) and behind Jamaica (41.17).

Guy took bronze in the U-18 110m hurdles final on Saturday in a wind-aided time of 13.79 seconds.

In the men's U-23 200m final, Jerod Elcock secured a new personal best, clocking 20.65 seconds but finished second, just behind Samson Colebrooke of the Bahamas.

With the late surge of medals, TT moved to a modest sixth in the medal standings. Unsurprisingly, the United States and Mexico dominated the competition for first and second place respectively, while Jamaica placed third with a healthy 18 gold medals, 13 silver and eight bronze. Canada and the Bahamas also placed ahead of TT.