Guyana’s premier junior distance athlete, Matthew McKenzie was touted to win yesterday’s 10km road race of this year’s 54th edition of the National Schools Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships.
West Coast Berbice’s (District 5), Daniel Gaskin did not read the memo.
The third form Mahaicony Secondary School student stormed to an emphatic victory, upsetting the favourite and his experienced rival of North Georgetown (District 11) under the hanging trees of the National Park.
Gaskin, 14, stopped the clock in a brisk 35 minutes and 51 seconds to run away with the gold. McKenzie was relegated to bronze (36:57) after Odwin Tudor (36:35) of Corentyne (District 6) also played spoiler in the event to snare silver.
The starters were closely bunched up all the way to the return point. However at Ocean View Hotel on the way back, Gaskin and Tudor changed gears leaving McKenzie and the rest of the bunch in their shadow.
Gaskin then shifted gears again at the entrance of the National Park and stretched his lead on Tudor with every powerful stride. He then went on to cross the line unchallenged.
On the distaff side, Rupununi’s Semona Lawrence cruised to a comfortable victory ahead of West Coast Berbice’s Delicia Harper and North Georgetown’s Mariah MacKenzie (sister of Matthew) for the event which ran off outside GT&T on Carifesta Avenue, proceeded to UG road and returned to the National Park for the finish.
The pint sized, bare footed 15-year old clad in all white ran across the finish line smiling in 41 minutes and 55 seconds. Harper and McKenzie completed the race in a distant 43 minutes and 25 seconds and 44 minutes and 39 seconds respectively.
Not everyone was all smiles as there was no tent, medical attention or water for the athletes at the finish line.
This begs the question as to where the sponsorship went to primarily from beverage giants Banks DIH Limited and DDL. The organizers certainly need to make changes for the better.
The championship continues today at the GDF ground Base Camp Ayanganna. (Emmerson Campbell)
