Keliza Smith and Attoya Harvey are the latest local qualifiers for this year’s CARIFTA Games scheduled to be staged in Jamaica during the Easter weekend.
Smith and Harvey booked their spots on the team after highlighting the first trials yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre with emphatic wins in their respective events.
The 18-year-old Smith was the fastest woman on the track, clocking 11.80s to win the blue riband 100m final, a shade above her personal best of 11.60s.
Nevertheless, Smith equalled the qualifying mark and will be on the shortlist for the annual games.
Post-race, Smith, who also qualified for the World Juniors Champion-ships, stated that she could have run faster and will as the season progresses.
As Smith, who also won the 200m event spoke of improvements, Harvey,16, ran her personal best in the 1500m.
Harvey, who qualified for the Games in 2020 and 2021, clocked a blistering 4m:56.83s
With her only competition coming from the clock and the overcast conditions, she emerged winner in wire-to-wire fashion to book her place on the team.
The Running Brave Athletic Club duo joins Anisha Gibbon (javelin) and Wesley Tyndall (long jump) as Guyana’s qualifiers so far for CARIFTA 2022.
Meanwhile, long jumper, Melon Lowenfield and quarter-miler, Naris McPherson (57.44s) were among the athletes who were close to the qualifying marks in their respective events.
Lowenfield, who disturbed the sand in 7.03m, needed a leap of 7.10m while McPherson needed to run 57.00s to qualify for Jamaica.
The athletes will have two more trials ahead of the Games to reach and or surpass the qualifying standard set by the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG).
The trials are being used to select Guyana’s team to the 49th edition of the event.
“The Land of Wood and Water’ is set to host this year’s Games from April 16 to 18 after receiving their government’s backing following the cancellation of the last two editions due to COVID-19.
The 2020 event was scheduled to be held in Bermuda but was then postponed to 2021 before being cancelled as a result of ongoing coronavirus-related concerns in that territory and worldwide.
Guyana is set to host the 50th edition next year.
