After returning home from the CARIFTA Games without a medal in April, junior track stars, Jason Yaw and Jevina Sampson saw a refreshing rebound at the CAC Junior Champion-ships in Mexico.
The two quarter milers placed third in their respective events to finish among the medals at the July 4-6 championships in Morelia.
Yaw clocked 47.71s while the pint-sized Sampson finished the event in 57.22s
Despite failing to snare gold medals, the athletes along with coach of the sojourn, Julian Edmonds were satisfied with their podium-worthy performances after taking into account the high altitude and thin air of Michoacán state.
Yaw, who along with the contingent returned to Guyana last week, told this publication that his performance could count as excellent.
“I think it was excellent, I ran out of lane 8 and I still got a medal in those conditions.
“I don’t feel good about losing but running the race was hard, travelling was hard and long and I think I did well under the circumstances with severe burning in my stomach.”
The 6-foot 3-inch ace runner said that his aim after a disappointing CARIFTA Games showing was to “just return with a medal”
Sampson, 15, echoed similar sentiments but noted that she thinks she could have done better.
Coach Edmonds affirmed her statements.
“I think Jevina could have done a bit better but she don’t have all that experience out there.”
Disappointments
Yaw and Sampson both failed to make the final of their 200m events after being eliminated in the preliminaries but more astonishingly was the failure of this year’s double CARIFTA Games gold medallist, Cassey George failing to step on the podium.
George who bagged gold in the under-16 1500m and 3000m events at the Games in Martinique three months ago, struggled with the thin air and the altitude in the Central American country and finished fifth in the 1500m and sixth in the 3000m.
The Lindener was so disaccustomed to the conditions that she had to receive oxygen following the 3000m.
Said Edmonds “The altitude definitely affected Cassey because after the first 300m in the 1500M she started to have breathing problems through her nose, even breathing through her mouth was a problem.”
Edmonds added that “In the 3000m was the similar problems, she carried the pace for the first three laps but when the girls stepped up the pace she could not have responded, she was fighting for air.”
In Martinique, George recorded 4m: 40.40s and 10m: 03.27s respectively for the 1500m and 3000m events. In Mexico however, she timed 5m: 18.44s and 11m: 23.76s, way off what she is capable of running.
The coach opined that if the three athletes had enough time to acclimatize, the medals heist would have been greater.
“This place is about 2200 meters above sea level and we knew of this trip on short notice.
“We left here Thursday morning at 6:45 and arrived at the Games Village until 5:30 Friday morning, then we had to prepare for the opening ceremony at 10 and the athletes had to prepare for running the next day so under the circumstances they did well.”
What is next for Yaw and Sampson?
Yaw spoke of bettering his performance and medalling at the Youth Olympics slated for China in August while Sampson said she will be looking to strike gold at the IGG meet.
George who has dominated the local scene will be looking for an international rebound as soon as possible.
