media_artricles :: 2012

London, James, Williams strike Carifta gold

"I'm very proud of the run. I was feeling good and I executed as I wanted to."

It was certainly a race planned to perfection, Trinidad and Tobago's Mark London surging to the front on the home straight to capture the Carifta Games boys' under-20 800 metres title at the National Stadium here in Hamilton, Bermuda, yesterday.

London returned a time of one minute, 55.65 seconds to strike gold, forcing Bermuda's Shaquille Dill (1:55.91) and Bahamian Andre Colebrooke (1:56.66) to settle for silver and bronze, respectively.

On Saturday, London endured the cold to bag 1500m bronze. Conditions were more bearable yesterday, the Tobago runner winning on a cool evening in Hamilton.

At the bell, London trailed the top five. But with 300 metres to go, he stepped up a gear, eating away at the lead and eventually moving into the gold medal position in front of the main stand.

"Coming to the bell, they were getting a bit far from me, but I just kept my focus. I know I had a lot more in the tank so I held out, and coming to the last 300 metres I kicked and hoped for the best."

Throwers Chelsea James and Kenejah Williams also struck gold for T&T yesterday.

James became T&T's first champion at the Games when she topped the girls' under-17 shot put field with a 14.02 metres heave. Her teammate, Portious Warren threw 13.00m to pick up bronze, while the silver went to Trevia Gumbs (13.47m) of the British Virgin Islands.

With the three-kilogramme shot used for the first time in Carifta competition, yesterday, James' winning throw is also a new Games record.

Halfway through the event, James was in second spot thanks to her 12.99m third round throw. But in round four, the 14-year-old T&T field athlete produced a 13.66m effort to move into the gold medal position. James strengthened her lead in the fifth round with the big 14.02m throw.

"I was very contented with the result," James told the Express, "and it was a pb (personal best), so I'm very happy."

Following his silver in the boys' under-17 shot put on Saturday, Williams promised gold in the discus.

He delivered in emphatic fashion, landing the discus 50.36 metres!

Williams was dominant yesterday, all four of his legal efforts bettering the best produced by the silver medallist, Bahamian Drexel Maycock (45.35m). Jamaica's Shamar Kitson (44.34m) bagged bronze.

After fouling his first throw, Williams seized control of the competition with a 46.82m effort, and then followed up with a 48.59m throw. There was another foul in round four. In the fifth round, however, he improved to 49.79m. And on his last visit to the cage, the 15-year-old Tobago thrower produced the big one, Williams applauding himself when "50.36" went up on the performance board.

Young Williams expressed his gratitude to T&T throws coach Ismael Lopez.

"If Ismael wasn't here, I don't know what might have happened, so thank God for Ishmael and thank God for the coach who helped me prepare for the Games, and all the friends and family who support me all the way."

Kernesha Spann seized silver in the girls' under-20 400m hurdles, the T&T athlete getting home in one minute, 00.23 seconds. Jamaicans Janieve Russell (58.80) and Terrian Williams (1:00.49) earned gold and bronze, respectively.

T&T's Jeminese Parris clocked 44.76 seconds to claim silver in the girls' under-17 300m hurdles. Bahamian Mesha Newbold grabbed gold in 43.98, while bronze went to Jamaican Andrenette Knight (44.76).

In the boys' under-20 long jump, T&T's Atiba Wright secured bronze with a 7.22m leap. Martinique's Jean-Noel Cretinoir (7.36m) finished first, and Jamaican Keniel Grant (7.26m) second. Another T&T jumper, Kevin Roberts was eighth with a 6.69m jump.

Shaiann Charles threw 38.15m to get bronze for T&T in the girls' under-17 discus. Jamaicans Paul Ann Gayle (43.99m) and Venique Harris (38.93m) finished one-two in the event. Another T&T thrower, Britney Bedlow (34.60m) was fifth.

And just before press time, Ron Wright, Jonathan Farinha, Jamell Dacon and Nicholas Douglas combined for bronze in the boys' under-17 4x100m relay, taking T&T's haul of medals to 14--three gold, five silver, six bronze.

Ayana Glasgow accumulated 2,788 points to finish fourth in the girls' open pentathlon. Yesterday, she produced a 4.59 metres leap to finish sixth in the long jump. And in the 800m, the T&T athlete was seventh in 2:46.10.

Kern Alexis finished fifth in the boys' under-20 400m hurdles in 55.53 seconds.

In the girls' under-20 800m, Dawnell Collymore (2:20.59) and Domonique Williams (2:24.08) were sixth and eighth, respectively.

And late on Saturday, Edson Moses finished 13th in the boys' under-17 high jump with a 1.65m clearance.

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