By Charwayne Walker
After 38 years athletic fans throughout Central America and the Caribbean are still talking about Guyanese athlete Myrtle Chester’s performance at the fourth Central American and Caribbean Junior Athletic Championships in Nassau, The Bahamas in August, 1980. Competing at the under 20 level, Myrtle won gold in the 100 metres hurdles in a time of 14.7 seconds, gold in the 400 metres hurdles in 62.7 seconds, gold in the pentathlon with 3696 points, silver in the high jump with a leap of 1.69 metres and silver in the long jump with a leap of 5.41 metres.
Could the IAAF say if any other athlete won five medals: three Gold and two Silver at one International Junior Meet?
Chester had warmed up for the CAC Juniors in 1980 by winning a gold and two bronze medals at the 9th Junior Carifta Games in Hamilton, Bermuda. At the under 20 level, she won gold in the 100 metres hurdles in 14.96 seconds, gained bronze in the high jump with a leap of 1.65 metres and bronze in the long jump with a leap of 5.79 metres.