media_artricles :: 2014

James, Cedenio to lead TT at Carifta

DEFENDING girls under 17 shot put champion and record holder Chelsea James will spearhead Trinidad and Tobago’s campaign on the opening day of the 43rd annual Carifta Games at the Pierre Aliker Municipal Stadium in Fort de France, Martinique today.

James will compete in the girls under 18 shot put finals at 11 am. The Signal Hill Secondary fifth form student warmed up for this year’s Games with a personal best throw of 15.38 at last weekend’s Falcon Games. The Tobago Falcons thrower will be going for her third straight gold after she took the 2013 girls under 17 crown with a games record of 14.48 metres. Akidah Briggs will also represent TT in the event and could medal after she threw a personal best of 14.98 to beat James at the Carifta trials. James will have a busy day when she returns to the field at 6.25 pm for the girls under 18 discus finals and again will be one of the favorites for gold.

James established a new personal best of 41.61 at the Falcon Games. Last year’s bronze medallist Shaian Charles will also be contender for gold.

Boys under 20 Carifta champion Machel Cedenio will also defend his title later today. Cedenio took the 2012 title in the Bahamas by finishing strongly to take the gold medal in a personal best of time of 45.93, outdipping Jamaican Jevon Francis and home town favourite Stephen Newbold of the Bahamas.

The 18-year-old Simplex sprinter qualified for this year’s Carifta meet with a time of 46.27 at the Carifta trials in March. The lanky Presentation College/San Fernando student has been training in the US since his victory at the trials. The boys under 20 400m heats are set for 11.05 am with the finals carded for 6.45 pm. Asa Guevera is this country’s other entrant. The 2012 World Junior bronze medallist will be looking to improve on his fifth place in last year’s finals.

Jonathan Farinha will bid for gold in the boys under 20 100m. The Queen’s Royal College student won the event at the Carifta trials in a wind aided time of 10.18. However, there are reports that he has been recovering a leg injury. The heats of the boys under 20 100m are set for 10.05 am with the semis (5 pm) and the finals (8 pm). Micah Ballantyne will be vie for gold.

The first medal for TT could come in the first final of the day the boys under 20 discus where Kenejah Williams will be this country’s representative. Williams will be seeking to gold and improve on his eight place finish in 2013. The Tobago Falcons athlete won the boys under 17 title in 2011.

UK-based distance runner Nicholas Landeau will be seeking to end his Carifta campaign with a gold. The 2011 Boys under 17 1500m and 3000m champion will contest the boys under 20 1500m finals carded for 6.00 pm.

The Bemont Boys Secondary graduate fine tuned his preparation taking the men’s 1500m crown at the Falcons Games in 3:57.69. Trials winner Ashton Gill will make his Carifta debut.

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