LIMA, Peru, CMC – Grenadian Anderson Peters broke an eight-year-old record as he captured his country’s first-ever gold at the Pan Am Games by winning the men’s javelin on the final day of track and field action here Saturday.
The 21-year-old measured 87.31 metres to reset Cuban Guillermo Martinez’s old mark of 87.20, established at the Guadalajara games.
Trinidadian Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion and Pan Am title-holder, finished second with a throw of 83.55m while St Lucian Albert Reynolds clinched bronze with a personal best 82.19.
“It was an honour being able to compete for Grenada … being able to bring back gold to the country and being able to compete among some of the greatest guys in the region, especially two-time Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott,” Peters said afterwards.
“I’m really happy at being able to bring back the gold to Grenada.”
A second year student at Mississippi State in the United States, Peters threw his winning mark on his first attempt before following up with impressive throws of 81.78m, 78.92m, 85.90m and 81.21m.
The two-time reigning NCAA Division One champion is now fifth in the world this year and will now target the World Championships this October in Doha.
Another Grenadian Markim Felix was fifth with a throw of 77.18 while Trinidadian Shakeil Waithe was sixth with a mark of 76.15.
The gold was one of two on the day for the Caribbean as 29-year-old Barbadian Shane Brathwaite won the men’s sprint hurdles in a season-best 13.31 seconds, narrowly out-leaning American Freddie Crittenden III at the line.
Running out of lane seven, Brathwaite duelled with Crittenden, in lane six, throughout the contest, before getting the best of his rival.
Another Barbadian Greggmar Swift just missed out on a podium finish when he finished fourth in 13.51 out of lane four. Meanwhile, Jamaica captured bronze in the women’s 4x400m relay in a season-best three minute, 67.61 seconds, as the United States took gold in 3:26.46 and Canada silver in 3:27.01.
Trinidad and Tobago also got on to the podium in the men’s 4×400, clocking 3:02.25 to follow home winners Colombia in a season-best 3:01.41.
