Two-time 1500m CARIFTA Games gold medallist Jevina Straker will be competing at the CARIFTA Games in her final eligible year come this weekend and she intends to make it a memorable event by claiming two medals in her middle distance races for the first time.
Straker, who is now 18-year-old, debuted at the 38th Annual CARIFTA Games in 2009 in St Lucia when she was just 14 years old.
In that event, Straker clocked 4:42.89 to win the girls’ under 17 1500m to give Guyana’s its first CARIFTA gold medal since Cleveland Forde won the 5000m in 2004.
Amazingly, Straker returned to the event the very next year and stormed to victory once again in the 1500m in 4:43.33s when the event was held in the Cayman Islands.
Straker returned to the CARIFTA Games, but has not managed to make the podium ever since. This year, Straker and her coach Julian Edmonds of the Running Brave Track and Field Club, have their sights fixed on Straker returning to glory at the region’s most prestigious junior track and field event.
When contacted by Stabroek Sport earlier this week Straker said that she is not just aiming to win a medal at this year’s CARIFTA, but she is hoping to medal in both the 800m and 1500m.
“Well in the past I only received medals in the 1500m but this year I’m going out there to win a medal in the 800m as well,” Straker said.
While she is confident about her chances of winning the 1500m, Straker said she knows the 800m will be tough but she would be pleased even if she is able to come away with a bronze medal in the two-lap event.
At the third development meet, Straker won the 800m after utilising the advice from former CARIFTA 1500m record holder Lorie Ann Adams. Incidentally, Adams accomplished much more than what Straker is trying to do this year, in 1988. At the 1988 CARIFTA Games in Jamaica,
Adams brought home two gold medals after clocking 2:11.47 to win 800m and shattering the CARIFTA 1500m by clocking 4:36.67s. Straker managed to break Adams’ national school 800m record 2:19.7s last November at the Guyana Teachers’ Union Athletic Championships at the National Stadium.
Edmonds said that Straker has been working to overcome a deficiency in her speed endurance which has hindered Straker’s further success at CARIFTA for the years that she did not medal. Edmonds said that he realised the problem earlier in the season and has been working on it ever since.
“We started out looking at her mileage then we realised that Jevina’s problem was repeating. She has good flat 400m speed but what we find is that in the second (final lap) she would bring back a much slower time,” Edmonds said.
After working on developing Straker’s strength and speed endurance, Edmonds said that his athlete is ready and able to capture medals in both events with personal best times.
“She is right where we want her to be. Up to yesterday morning we give her some work to do and she was able to maintain the times that we were looking for and even when we told her to step it up in the last two, she excelled and gave us even faster times than we wanted,” Edmonds said.
Straker and eight other athletes are set to represent Guyana at the XLII CARIFTA Games which will be held at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas beginning tomorrow. The meet ends on April 1.
