By Raymond Graham, Gleaner WriterPORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad:
JAMAICA'S ATHLETES turned on the heat at the Hasely Crawford Stadium last night and in an awesome performance won 16 gold, 13 silver and 7 bronze to finish the 32nd CARIFTA Games with 78 medals.
The tally included 41 gold, 23 silver and 14 bronze medals, and in terms of quality and quantity it was Jamaica's best ever performance.
Host country Trinidad and Tobago finished second with 28 medals - 6 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze, and Grenada with 14 - 5 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze - finished in third place.
The Jamaicans were out of class yesterday while erasing six records with Austin Sealy awardee, Usain Bolt accounting for three.
The lanky Jamican, who broke the 400 metres Under 20 record on the opening day and was involved in the 4x100 metres Under 20 relay record run, was even more outstanding yesterday.
Although the fans were denied the big clash in the 200 metres between Bolt and local boy Darren Brown, who pulled out with a slight injury after his 100 metres victory, this did not stop "lightening" from striking. He simply blew away the field to win in a new record time of 20.43 seconds.
Antigua and Barbada were some distance behind in second in 21.10 seconds with Adrian durant of U.S.V.I taking the bronze medal in 21.14 seconds as Jamaica's Orion Nicely could only manage fifth with 21.40 seconds.
Bolt, winner of the most outstanding athlete award, won his fourth gold medal of the Meet when he anchored the Boys Under 20 4x400 metres relay team to victory.
In the morning session, young Kimberly Williams of Vere Technical wrote her name in the record book when she erased Latoya Heath's record of 11.58 metres in the Triple Jump for Under 17 Girl's with a new mark of 12.18 metres.
Team-mate Kimona Smith out of Morant Bay high School took the silver with 11.98 metres.
Team captains Peaches Roache and Kimani Kirton led from the front as they also won their events with new records. Roache also erased the old record of Shaunette Davidson in the Under 20 Girl's High Jump with a height of 1.86 metres.
St. Locia Lavern Spencer also cleared 1.86 metres for second while Davidson took the bronze with 1.84 metres.
Folllowing his silver in the Discuss on the opening day, Kirton won the Shot Put for Under 20 Boys with a throw of 17.33 metres as team-mate Morgan took the silver with 16.78 metres.
Jamaica's other record-breaking performances yesterday came from Romaine Gordon who won the Boy's Under 17 100 metres Hurdles in 13.12. Teammate Akeel Facey finished second in 13.44 seconds.
The quartet of Sherene Pinnock, Sonita Sutherland, Melony McKay and Annabella Reid, running against the clock, smashed the Girl's Under 17 4x400 metres record with 3:39.50 seconds. Bahamas (3:48.23) finished second while Trinidad (3:49.29) finished third.
Nadina Marsh and Jodianne Richards won again yesterday to complete a double at the Championships. Marsh, winner of the Pentathlon event for girls, won the Under 20 100 metres Hurdles in 13.89 with Keisha Brown second in 13.96 seconds.
Richards, winner of the 1500 metres, won the Girl's Under 17 800 metres in 2:14.57 with teammate Nicola Ledgister taking the bronze in 2:16.71.
Other individual winners for Jamaica yesterday were Natasha Ruddock, Sheriff Small, Mikel Downer and Mellard Brown.
Ruddock won the Girls Under 17 100 metres Hurdles in 14.42 seconds with teammate Tavia Burke taking the silver in 14.51 seconds.
Brown (1:50.19) won the Boys Under 20 800 metres, Downer (22.25 seconds took the Boys Under 17 200 metres, while Small won the Boys Under 17 Discus with a throw of 47.39 metres.
Jamaica were also victorious in all the 4x400 metres relay.
Girls Under 20 (Davita Prendegast, Carlene Robinson, Camille Robinson, Aneisha McLaughlin) 3:36.20, Boys Under 17 4x400M (Andre Pratt, Kemar Ellis, Mekel Downer, Josef Robertson) 3:19.17, Boys Under 20 4x400M (Mellard Brown, Kimani Williams, Isa Phillips, Usain Bolt) 3:09.70.
