The Guyana Police Force (GPF) returned to the throne after beating out their nemesis Guyana Defence Force (GDF) by a whopping 202 points in the Joint Services Track & Field Championships at the Eve Leary ground yesterday.
The final day of the three-day event also saw a number of records being broken. Quincy Clarke, in a controversial finish, lowered his previous personal best of 10.5s to 10.4s yesterday. The GDF athlete was adjudged the winner ahead of his teammate Rupert Perry, who also finished second last year. Perry got home in 10.5s while GPF’s Winston George finished third in 10.7s.
“While I am not satisfied with my performance, it was a good race despite picking up a groin injury during training for the event,” Clarke stated after the race.
Perry, however, returned to set a new record in the 200m sprint by posting a hand time of 20.8s ahead of George’s effort of 21s flat and Patrick King’s 21.5. “It felt good and I gave that race my best,” he declared after breaking the record.
It was also another close finish that had the spectators on their feet and in the end it was Perry who got the judges’ nod.
He added, “I ran down to the line and there was no pressure on because I trained hard for the event before the meet.”
By the end of the day the GPF had an unassailable lead with 616 points while their nearest competitor GDF had 414 points.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Guyana Prison Services (GPS) and the City
Constabulary (CC) became mere spectators as they finished with 134, 110 and 11 points respectively.
Manager of the GPF, who lost the title for the first time in 18 years last year, George Vyphuis admitted that it hurt after losing but winning is a habit that the GPF never lost. He opined that the GDF will be returning to base to plan but the GPF already has its own plan on stream for next year.
“There is no room for complacency because I know that they (GDF) will be coming again with blood in their eyes but we (GPF) have managed to take the blood out our eyes. It was a keenly contested competition and it helps with developing camaraderie among the members of the joint forces and next year the championships should be held on neutral turf,” Vyphuis said.
On the distaff side Leota Bobb avenged her loss at the GPF Track & Field Championships last month to Nadine Rodrigues in the 100m to post a time of 12.06s. Rodrigues, who returned to set a new mark of 25.5 seconds in the half lap sprint, clocked 12.09s while Akela Alves recorded 13.2s in a GPF sweep.
Rodrigues then doubled up with a win in the 400m by clocking a time of 1:01.6 ahead of Dellie Williams, who won the 800m for GPF in 1:01.9.
In the men’s 400m relays bad baton passes resulted in the GPF losing out to the GDF while the women romped to victory in the team race.
Dennis Horatio started the day with a convincing win in the 5000m by posting a new championship record of 16:13.2 ahead of Wilbert Mingo (16:16.8) of GDF and Carlton Halle (17:34.8). He later returned to anchor his team to a win in the 1500m medley relay.
