Horsford earns bronze at Pan Am Juniors

NATIONAL champion Tyriq Horsford picked up TT’s lone medal, a bronze, in the men’s javelin on Saturday, the penultimate day of the XIX Pan American Under-20 Track and Field Championships, in Costa Rica.

The 19-year-old threw 72.42 metres on his second and best attempt, to finish third behind Tzuriel Pedigo of the United States (76.95m) and Brazil’s Luis Mauricio Dias (74.51m).

The competition concluded yesterday with TT ending with one medal, a far cry from their 2017 showing in which the team picked up one gold and three bronze medals.

Thewomen’s 4x400m relay team brought TT’s participation to a close yesterday. The team, comprising Taejha Badal, Caliyah Wallace, Tatianna Martinez and Tamia Badal, clocked three minutes, 39.66 seconds to finish in fifth spot. US took the spotlight with their quartet of Alexis Holmes, Kimberly Harris, Ziyah Holman and Kayla Davis combining to win gold in a world record of 3:24.04.

Canada and Jamaica took second and third, respectively.

On Saturday evening, the women’s 4x100m missed out on a medal, finishing fourth behind USA, Canada and Jamaica. Badal (Taejha), Shaniqua Bascombe, Akilah Lewis and Alya Stanislaus closed in 45.29 seconds. USA won gold in 43.51 seconds.

Meanwhile, Kasey Daniel placed 11th in the men’s triple jump final yesterday, with an effort of 14.90m. Ecuador’s Geiner Moreno took gold with a 16.40m leap, followed by Andy Hecheverria (16.33m) of Cuba and Terrol Wilson (15.99m) of Jamaica.

Two athletes competed in the women’s javelin throw – Antionia Sealey and Kymoi Noray, who placed sixth and seventh, with efforts of 43.62m and 40.82m, respectively.

Sealey also contested the women’s heptathlon but withdrew with one event, the 800m race, remaining.

Stanislaus and Bascombe also contested the women’s 200m heats. Stanislaus placed fourth in heat two, but was unable to qualify for the finals with her effort of 24.03 seconds, while Bascombe placed second in her heat and made it to the finals, where she finished in eighth in a time of 25.06 seconds.

Among the men, Jabari Fox placed second in heat one in 21.14 seconds, before finishing sixth in the finals, clocking 21.33 seconds.