Guyana’s leading middle distance athletes, Cassey George and Jevina Straker secured two gold medals for Guyana in the 1500 metres yesterday evening at the XLII CARIFTA Games at the Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, The Bahamas.
George (U17) and Straker (U20) took the lead in the 1500m events and never looked back dominating the races and storming to gold medals in the process.
Lindener George, though marking her debut at the games was expected to win the gold medal based on her performances at the Athletics Association of Guyana Trials and lived up to expectations winning her event in a time of 4:39.43 seconds, the fastest time in the female category.
Trailing behind her was Faheemah Scraders of Bermuda in 4:39.43 seconds and Jamaica’s Britnie Dixon in 4:47.45 seconds.
Straker achieved one of her goals when she won the event in 4:43.27 seconds. The athlete, who is in her last year at the CARIFTA Games had indicated to Stabroek Sport that her aim at the Games was to medal in the both the 1500m and 800m. She is on track to achieve her pre Games goals.
Curacao’s Vaness Philbert and Jamaica’s Lisa Buchanan finished second and third respectively in 4:47.97 seconds and 4:52.21 seconds.
Both quarter-mile athletes, Jason Yaw and Kadecia Baird won bronze medals for Guyana in the boys U17 400m and girls’ U20 400m respectively.
Yaw’s first experience at the games saw him crossing the finish-line in third place in a time of 48.53 seconds.
More significantly, was his outstanding run in the 400m heat 1 which saw him recording a new personal best time of 47.87 seconds, the fastest semi-final time in his category.
The 16-year-old Running Brave Athletics Club athlete finished behind Martin Manley (47.72 seconds) of Jamaica and Kinard Rolle (48.05 seconds) of The Bahamas.
Baird the World Junior silver medalist clocked 54.28 seconds to claim a bronze in the U20 girls’ 400m. The race was won by The Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller the gold medal winner at last year’s World Junior Games in Barcelona, Spain. Miller won in 51.63 seconds.
Baird’s coach, Shaun Dietz informed Stabroek Sport that the athlete is focusing at the upcoming World Championship in Russia.
Tirana Mitchell and Avon Samuels were unable to medal in the girls’ U17 100m and 400m finals. Mitchell finished in sixth place in 12.25 seconds after clocking 12.14 seconds in the semi-finals.
Fourteen-year-old Samuels placed eighth in the 400m finals in 59.11 seconds but ran a faster time in the semifinals where she placed second in heat one with 56.65 seconds, a new personal best time.
Alita Moore will look to climb the podium today in the girls’ U20 triple jump after a bad start in her first event, the girls U20 100m. Moore was unable to qualify for the final with her 12.20 seconds recorded time. The event was won by Natalliah Whyte of Jamaica in 11.88 seconds.
Also in action today is US-based Ashley Tasher in the Girls U17 long jump. Baird, Samuels and Yaw will face starters’ orders in the 200m heats as well.