By Anthony Foster, Freelance ReporterBRIDGETOWN; Barbados:
JAMAICA'S ATHLETES, despite the classy display of track and field powerhouse USA, ended the 2003 Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)/Pan American Junior Athletic Championships in style at the Barbados National Stadium on Sunday night.
The athletes from the land of wood and water secured medals in all four relays to end the three-day Championships with one gold, nine silver and five bronze for an overall tally of 15 medals. That put them in sixth position.
The United States, as they did so many times in the 12-year history of the Championships, topped the medal table with 20 gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze for a total of 48 medals. They were followed by Cuba with seven gold, one silver and one bronze, Brazil five gold, two silver, three bronze, Argentina two gold, one silver and two bronze.
Despite winning only one individual medal, Usain Bolt was the man of the night in Bridgetown, Barbados. The World Junior and Youth champion over 200 metres, who recorded the first world record on Barbadian soil was called on to sign the certificate for the 2003 Championships at the closing ceremony.
After his record-breaking run, Bolt told reporters that he was more relaxed for his record-equalling run than at the World Junior Championships in Jamaica where he also struck gold. "I was very nervous in Jamaica (World Junior), because the crowd wanted me to win", he said.
RECORD EQUALLING RUN
In winning his pet event (200m) in a record equalling 20.13 seconds, Bolt blew away the field which included 100m champion Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who finished sixth. David Neville of USA (20.63) and Jorge Celia Sena of Brazil (20.70) were second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, Jamaica had to settle for runner-up spots behind the USA in three of the four relays. In the women's 4x100, the team of Jody Powell, Simone Facey, Anneisha McLaughlin and Sherone Simpson clocked 44.24 to finish behind the USA who did 44.00.
In the men's equivalent, drawn in lane one, Jamaica led off by Winston Hutton to injured Tesfa Latty, Adrian Cephas and Usain Bolt crossed the line in 39.40, again behind USA in a new Pan American Junior record of 39.29. Jamaica also went below the record.
Things were a little different in the mile relays. The female team of Camille Robinson, Sonita Sutherland, Maxine Foster and Carlene Robinson fought hard but had to settle for silver in 3:41.26 behind USA (3:34.08).
The men's team of Melard Brown, Kiel Brown, Rohan Phipps and Isa Phillips did 3:13.90 for third place behind USA in a new Pan Am record (3:02.88) and Canada (3:11.56).
Earlier, Nadina Marsh competing in the women's heptathlon secured a silver in seven bustling events, which started on Saturday's second day. Marsh with 5135 points finished behind Juana Castillo (5381).
There were no successes in the women's triple jump as Althea Duncan (12.25m) and Peta-gaye Beckford (11.99m) finished seventh and 10th respectively.
Cuban Yudelkis Ferandez Luis, who earlier won the long jump in a Pan Am record distance, again did the same in the triple jump with a leap of 13.89 erasing the old mark of 13.63 set by her own countrywoman Gay Mabel two years ago.
