By Raymond Graham, Freelance WriterPORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD
JAMAICA MADE a clean sweep of the sprint relays and intermediate Hurdles finals while picking up 17 more medals (12 GOLD, 3 SILVER, 2 BRONZE) on the penultimate day of the 32nd Carifta Games at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.
To go along this, there were two record runs in the relays along with a record by Nadina Marsh in the Girl's Open Penathlon.
The medal success increased Jamaica's overall tally to 43, following the 13 GOLD, 7 SILVER and 6 BRONZE won on Saturday's opening day.
Marsh, turned back defending champion Cherise Bacchus as she totalled 3,868 points for a new mark in the gruelling event as Bacchus had to settle for silver with 3,548. Tamilee Kerr, the other Jamaican, finished fourth with 3372 points.
NEW RECORD
The 4x100m quartet of Jodyann Powell, Kerron Stewart, Nickeisha Anderson and Sherone Simpson sped to a new mark of 44.42 seconds to erase the old mark of 44.63 set by Jamaica three years ago.
With three members of Jamaica silver medal 4x100 metres World Junior team in the line up, it was no surprise when Winston Hutton, Orion Nicely, Tesfa Latty and Usain Bolt stopped the clock at 39.43 seconds to decimate the old mark of 40.19 seconds.
The quartet of Tavia Burke, Shernette Stewart, Annabell Reid and Samantah Henry won the Girl's Under-17 sprint relay in 46.07 seconds. In the Boy's event Joseph Robertson, who was winning his third gold of the Meet, Andre Pratt, Jerraine Durraine and Ronaldo Rose won in 41.76 seconds.
Earlier, World Junior bronze medallist Camille Robinson recorded an excellent 56.61 seconds to win the Girl's Under-20 400m Hurdles, just missing compatriot Melaine Walker's record of 56.55 seconds done in Barbados two years ago. Her sister Carlene was second in 58.47 seconds.
It was also 1-2 for Jamaica in the Boy's Under 20 and Girl's Under 17 300 metres Hurdles. The senior Boy's event was very exciting from start to finish with Kimani Williams (51.22), running out of lane two, catching team-mate Isa Phillips (51.29), running out of lane eight, on the line.
Sherene Pinnock (42.24) took the Under 17 300 metres Hurdles gold ahead of team-mate Melony McKoy (42.61) seconds.
Robertson (53.69) won the Boy's Under 17 400 metres Hurdles ahead of Barbados' Terry Marshall (54.81), with bronze going to Jamaica's Andre Pratt, who fell at the seventh hurdle but ran on strongly to post 56.44 seconds.
Following bad luck at Champs where he had three no jumps, Damion Young rebounded strongly with gold in the Boy's Under 20 Long Jump with a leap of 7.40 metres. Cedric Bergoz of Martinique (7.27m) took silver with bronze going to Shawn Thomas (7.27m) of Trinidad and Tobago.
Wilbert Walker and Wasim Walker were Jamaica's other gold medallists. Wasim, the country's lone representative in the Pole Vault, won with 4.10 metres while Wilbert captured the Boy's Heptathlon with 4837 points.
Lorraine McKenzie captured bronze in the Girl's 3000 metres Open by finishing third in 10:15.47.
