Carifta silver for Trinidad and Tobago athletes on day 2

Kaleb Campbell and three 4x100-metre relay teams were the only confirmed medallists for Trinidad and Tobago in what was a tough day two for the local athletes at the 2023 Carifta Games at the Thomas Robinson Track and Field Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday.

Gianna Paul seemed poised for a medal up to press time in the girls heptathlon event, but results were not confirmed.

The TT athletes competed in multiple finals, but medals eluded them throughout the day.

After earning six medals on the first day of competition on Saturday, TT got four medals on day two. TT now have ten medals – one gold, five silver and four bronze.

Campbell snatched a silver medal in the boys Under-17 high jump event after clearing the bar at 1.87 metres.

In the girls Under-17 4x100m relay final, TT copped silver in 46.18 seconds. Symphony Patrick ran a commanding first leg and 100m bronze medallist Alexxe Henry ran a strong anchor leg. Jamaica won gold in 45.36 and Bahamas took bronze in 46.43.

The TT Under-20 4x100m girls followed in the footsteps of the Under-17 girls getting silver in 45.35. The Frederick sisters – Sanaa and Sole – ran brilliantly in the third and final leg to ensure TT got a medal. Jamaica took gold in 44.01 and Bahamas were third in 45.55.

TT earned a third relay medal when the boys Under-20 4x100m team copped bronze in 40.83. Jamaica won gold in 39.68 and Bahamas snatched silver in 39.78.

In the boys Under-17 4x100m final, TT ended fourth in 42.51. Bahamas won gold in 41.46, Jamaica were second in 41.63 and Grenada took bronze in 41.95.

TT had two athletes in the girls 400m hurdles Under-20 final. Natasha Fox, who has been living in Jamaica since 2021, was fourth in 1:00.29 and Keneisha Shelbourne ended fifth in 1:04.12. Michelle Smith of the Virgin Islands won gold in 57.69 seconds.

TT got another fifth-place finish when Kaori Robley competed in the girls Under-17 400m hurdles final. In a race with just five athletes, Robley was fifth in 1:09.18. Jamaican Jody-Ann Daley won gold in 1:01.05.

In the girls 3,000m U-17 open final, TT came close to another medal as Aniqah Bailey was fourth in 10:51.79 in a race won by Jamaican Kaydeen Johnson in 10:41.11.

In the girls Under-20 javelin final, TT’s Kenika Cassar ended seventh with a top effort of 41.20 metres. Winning the event was Guyanese Anisha Gibbons with a distance of 47.96m.

TT missed out a medal in the girls U-20 shot put final as Jinell Campbell finished fifth with a 12.83m attempt. Jamaican Britannia Johnson won gold with a 14.54m effort

Andrew Steele did not get on the podium for TT in the boys U-20 long jump final. His effort of 7.16m, on his third jump, was only enough for fifth. Andrew Stone of Cayman Islands won gold with a 7.54m leap.

TT got another fifth-place finish, this time in the boys Under-17 triple jump final as Daniel Briggs leaped 12.03m.

In the girls U-17 long jump final, the TT pair of Chloe James (5.19m) and Hailey Lynch (4.95m) finished ninth and 13th respectively.

TT also had two athletes in the boys Under-17 shot put final. Jaydon Nedd was sixth in 12.52m and Kaiel Cooper finished seventh in 11.17m.

Among the other highlights for TT on Saturday was the boys 800m Under-20 pair of Stefan Camejo and Nathan Cumberbatch, as both athletes stormed into the final of the event. In the semi-final one, Camejo crushed the field with a time of one minute, 53.64 seconds (1:53.64). Grenadian Joshim Sylvester was a distant second in 1:58.10 and Alexander Caines of St Kitts and Nevis grabbed the final automatic qualification spot after clocking 1:58.50.

Cumberbatch finished second in semi-final two in 1:56.38, but looked comfortable as he slowed down in the final stages of the race. Sancho Smith of Bermuda won the semi-final in 1:56.20 and Bajan Favian Gollop snatched the last automatic spot in the final when he ended third in 1:56.40. The final of the event is scheduled for Monday.

The third and final day of the Carifta Games will begin at 9 am on Monday.