media_artricles :: 2012

Gold, records for Walcott
- Farinha, Wright victorious too

Within minutes of each other, Keshorn Walcott, Jonathan Farinha and Andwuelle Wright secured gold for Trinidad and Tobago on the third and final day of the 2012 Carifta Games, at the National Stadium here in Hamilton, Bermuda, yesterday.

Walcott completed a hat-trick of Carifta Games boys' under-20 javelin triumphs, the Toco athlete hurling the spear 77.59 metres--a Carifta record, a Central American and Caribbean (CAC) junior (under-20) record, and a T&T junior record.

Walcott threw 74.81m in the very first round of the competition to smash his own Games record, bettering the 72.04m standard he had established last year.

The crowd went wild as the javelin sailed through the air, the big effort leaving Bahamian broadcasters in awe.

"He's amazing! You've got to see this to believe it."

And there was more to come from Walcott. In round five, the 19-year-old landed the spear 77.59m—the best throw this year by a junior athlete anywhere on the planet.

Last year, his brother, Elton Walcott completed a hat-trick of boys' under-20 triple jump victories.

"I came here thinking about it," Keshorn told the Express. "We've been talking about it at home. It was great."

Barbadians Nicoliai Bovelle (66.44m) and Janeil Craigg (65.50m) earned the minor medals, while T&T's Akim Phillips (57.37m) finished eighth.

Farinha struck gold in the boys' under-17 200m in a personal best 21.28 seconds. Farinha was never challenged for the top spot, forcing Bahamian Cliff Resias to settle for silver in 22.06. Barbadian Mario Burke (22.23) picked up bronze.

"I feel very good," Farinha told the Express. "I came into the race most confident, knowing I would get the gold medal, and I just went along with my race plan."

In the preliminaries, Farinha topped heat three in 21.91 seconds to advance to the final as the fastest qualifier.

Wright produced a personal best 6.84m leap to grab gold in the boys' under-17 long jump. Jamaica's Given Gibson (6.78m) and Bahamian LaQuan Nairn (6.66m) claimed silver and bronze, respectively. T&T's Edson Moses (6.04m) finished eighth.

Wright's winning jump came in the final round of the competition.

"I knew I had to pull off the winner. I am extremely pleased."

T&T's Nicholas Landeau seized silver in the boys' under-20 5,000m. He returned a time of 15 minutes, 54.64 seconds. Jamaican Orane Wint topped the field in 15:27.05, while bronze went to Bermuda's Juma Mouchette (16:13.41).

Jeminise Parris followed up on her girls' under-17 300m hurdles silver, on Sunday, with a medal of the same colour in the 100m hurdles. The T&T athlete clocked 14.30 seconds to finish behind Jamaican Yanique Thompson (13.67) and ahead of Guadeloupe's Elsa Plante (14.43).

Just before press time, last night, Asa Guevara, Machel Cedenio, Kern Alexis and Jereem Richards picked up silver in the boys' under-20 4x400m, finishing behind Bahamas and ahead of Jamaica.

The boys' under-17 mile relay team—Jamoul Pierre, Jonathan Farinha, Aaron Andrews and Jonathan's twin brother, Nathan Farinha snapped up silver in 3:21.61. Jamaica (3:14.52) finished first, while Barbados (3:22.86) copped third spot.

Hezekiel Romeo bagged bronze in the boys' under-20 shot put with a 17.95m throw. Jamaicans Ashinia Miller (18.96m) and Emmanuel Onyia (18.89m) earned gold and silver, respectively.

Reubin Walters finished fourth in the boys' under-20 110m hurdles final in 14.02 seconds. His T&T teammate, Kuniba Stewart got to the line in 14.67 to cop seventh spot.

In the qualifying round, Walters was second in heat one in 14.46 seconds, the T&T athlete advancing automatically to the championship race. Stewart clocked 14.55 to finish fifth in heat two, the clocking earning him a "fastest loser" berth in the final.

Precious George finished fourth in the boys' under-17 javelin. The T&T field athlete's best throw was 53.69m.

In the girls' under-20 discus, Shaunna Downey (39.57m) and Marielle Pierre (34.97m) were fourth and eighth, respectively.

In the girls' under-20 4x400m, the T&T combination of Dawnell Collymore, Kernesha Spann, Cherisse Murray and Domonique Williams finished fourth in 4:07.37.

Richards copped fifth spot in the boys' under-20 200m final in 21.41 seconds. In the preliminaries, Richards won heat two in 21.31 to advance as the second fastest qualifier. The other T&T entrant, Asa Guevara finished fourth in heat one in 22.16, and did not qualify for the final.

Alisha St Louis finished eighth in the girls' under-17 long jump with a 5.24m leap.

And Dawnell Collymore was a starter, but a non-finisher in the girls' open 3,000m.

Late on Sunday, Ron Wright, Jonathan Farinha, Jamell Dacon and Nicholas Douglas earned bronze for T&T in the boys' under-17 4x100m relay in 42.01 seconds. Jamaica (41.64) finished first and Bahamas (41.98) second.

And in the boys' under-20 4x100m, the T&T quartet—Jesse Berkley, Jonathan Holder, Breon Mullings and John-Mark Constantine—finished fifth in 41.76 seconds.

T&T finished third on the medal table with six gold medals, nine silver and seven bronze—a grand total of 22. The Jamaicans were first, and the Bahamians second.

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