By Juanita Hooper
Winston George represented Guyana in the 400m at the London Olympic Games last year. Stephan James won a bronze medal last year at the South American Games Junior Track and Field Championships.
Their clash last Sunday at the Guyana Defence Force ground, Camp Ayanganna in the Running Brave Track Club Developmental Meet was eagerly awaited and resulted in a win for the Olympian over Guyana’s junior 400m record holder in a mouth watering clash.
In fact, it was Olympian’s George’s day. He won a photo finish against James in the 200m and made it a hat-trick of wins by claiming the men’s 100m event.
The sore point of what was an enthralling day of athletics was the tardiness of the governing association, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) which could not produce the times the athletes recorded for the media or even for the athletes themselves and their coaches.
George, a member of the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) blasted out of the blocks in the men’s 100m final one to outclass Akeem Stewart of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Chavez Ageday of the Ruralities Athletics Club.
Keith Roberts ruled the roost in the men’s 100m final two to defeat his club mates, Terry Easton and Reginald Wright of the PPYC.
In the 400 metres, George took command of the race from the first 250 metres before being challenged by James who however was unable to pass George in the close finish.
The men’s 200m final was a fierce battle between George and James.
Both sprinters were equally impressive on the turn as they both matched each other stride for stride.
The two athletes’ strides were in sync coming down to the finish line but George eventually pipped James on the line.
Leslyn Baird of GDF finished third.
Kevin Bayley of PPYC won the men’s Open 1500 metres with a burst of speed to withstand Running Braves Cleveland Thomas after being challenged in the final 80 meters of the race. Bayley’s new club mate, Nathaniel Giddings, from Linden finished third.
Wayne Harlequin, a senior athlete of the University of Guyana Track and Field Club (UGTFC) won the men’s Open 800m with GDF’s Devon Barrington second and Ornesto Thomas of UGTFC third.
Outstanding performances also came from the Junior CARIFTA athletes, Alita Moore, Jason Yaw, Cassie George, Jevina Straker and Tirana Mitchell.
Moore and Mitchell captured double victories in the women’s and girls’ U17 100m and 200m respectively.
Moore won the women’s 100m with Ebony Nelson of Mercury Fast Laners (MFL) and Alzemo Briton, second and third placed finishers. Leota Babb was ruled out of the race by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) false start rule. Moore returned to win the women’s 200m ahead of Tiffany Carto who trailed closely behind while Nelson finished third.
Yaw took the boy’s U17 100m and 200m while Jevina Straker defeated Cassie George in the Open women’s 800m after George stopped in the first lap of the race to replace her foot into the cleats. Cassie Kirton was third in the event.
Alika Morgan won the women’s Open 3000m opening a gap on Junior CARIFTA bronze medalist Andrea Foster who finish second ahead of Delicia Harper of Berbice. Morgan informed Stabroek Sport that the entered the race to push Foster who was attempting to achieve the AAG CARIFTA standard.
