media_artricles :: 2012

T&T Carifta manager very satisfied

Team manager Dexter Voisin is pleased with Trinidad and Tobago's performance at the 2012 Carifta Games here in Hamilton, Bermuda.

The 45-member T&T team earned six gold medals, nine silver and seven bronze to finish third on the medal table.

Perennial champions Jamaica were runaway winners, securing 34 gold medals, 25 silver and 19 bronze, while Bahamas copped second spot at Carifta 2012 with 14 gold medals, 14 silver and 12 bronze.

"There were some challenges," Voisin told the Express. "As we all know it was very cold. Most of them adapted, some of them had difficulties, but at the end of the day I am very satisfied with the performances."

On Sunday, Chelsea James captured T&T's first gold medal at the Games, the Tobago thrower winning the girls' under-17 shot put.

Also in winners' row were Jonathan Farinha (boys' under-17 200 metres), Mark London (boys' under-20 800m), Andwuelle Wright (boys' under-17 long jump), Kenejah Williams (boys' under-17 discus), and Keshorn Walcott (boys' under-20 javelin).

Walcott claimed his gold medal on Monday, the Toco athlete completing a hat-trick of Carifta victories in the boys' under-20 javelin. His monster throw of 77.59 metres is a Carifta record, a Central American and Caribbean (CAC) junior (under-20) record, and a T&T junior record.

Walcott, who is also the 2009 under-17 javelin champion, has a grand total of four Carifta gold medals. His brother, Elton Walcott is a quadruple Carifta gold medallist as well, having won the boys' under-17 triple jump title in 2008 and three under-20 triple jump titles between 2009 and 2011.

Throwers captured half of T&T's six gold medals at Carifta 2012, and eight out of the team's overall total of 22.

Voisin credits the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) for the country's success in the throws.

"The NAAA presently has a throws programme. Most of the athletes on this team are part of that programme, so definitely there is something that is going on positively in terms of the field events, specifically the throws."

Late on Monday, the T&T combination of Asa Guevara, Machel Cedenio, Kern Alexis and Jereem Richards returned a time of three minutes, 11.62 seconds to seize silver in the boys' under-20 4x400m relay. Bahamas won in 3:09.23, while bronze was bagged by Jamaica (3:12.48).

In another late event, on Monday, the boys' under-20 triple jump, T&T's Akeel Edwards and Kevin Roberts finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Edwards jumped 14.58m and Roberts 13.37m.

Anthonique Strachan repeated as the Austin Sealy Award winner. The Bahamian sprinter was voted most outstanding athlete at the Games following victories in the girls' under-20 100m and 200m events.

Strachan, who won the half-lap final in a Games record 22.85 seconds, also anchored her team to gold in the 4x100m relay.

Bahamas will host the 2013 Carifta Games.

CARIFTA 2012 MEDAL TABLE

Gold Silver Bronze Total

Jamaica 34 25 19 78

Bahamas 14 14 12 40

Trinidad &Tobago 6 9 7 22

Barbados 2 2 13 17

Guadeloupe 2 2 2 6

Grenada 2 1 0 3

Bermuda 1 3 2 6

British Virgin Islands 1 2 2 5

Martinique 1 1 2 4

French Guiana 1 1 0 2

Turks & Caicos 1 0 2 3

Dominica 1 0 1 2

St Lucia 0 3 1 4

Antigua & Barbuda 0 1 0 1

Curacao 0 1 0 1

St Kitts & Nevis 0 1 0 1

Anguilla 0 0 2 2

Guyana 0 0 1 1

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