Usual suspects, Emanuel Archibald, Natrena Hooper, Loneil Marks and Devaun Barrington were among the standout performers when the curtain came down on the National Senior Championships yesterday.
In stellar conditions for competing at the National Track and Field Centre, Archibald and Hooper took their talents to the pit and disturbed the sand with gold medal winning performances in the long jump.
A day after winning the blue-riband 100m, Archibald, the National long jump record holder (8.12m) showed his versatility, dispatching a field of other jumpers to win the event with a best jump of 7.90m. The Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) standout was subsequently awarded the Paul Arthur trophy for the Champion Male athlete.
Hooper who won the women’s triple jump event on Friday night, returned to win the long jump with a leap of 6.10m.
Marks who competes for the Guyana Defence Force, won the men’s 200m with a time of 21.34s in an exciting photo finish with Noelex Holder and Revon Williams (21.57s).
Holder who placed second in the 100m, earned another silver medal in the 200m after clocking 21.37s.
Keliza Smith (24.19s) won the female version of the half-lap event to complete a sprint double after her gold medal run in the marquee 100m final.
Earlier in the day, Joanna Archer (2m: 06.39s) and Barrington (1m: 52.07s) made hay in the brilliant sunshine, scorching their rivals to win their respective 800m events.
Winston Missigher (32m:45.32s) also got his revenge on Cleveland Thomas (32m:48.67s) who helped relegate him to fourth in the men’s 5000m by turning the tables on him in the men’s 10,000m on the final day of the three-day fixture which also saw Julio Sinclair taking gold in the men’s shot put with a throw of 13.64m.
Natasha Aulder, winner of the women’s discus event, added another gold to her resume by winning the women’s shot put in 11.22m yesterday. The other standout of the PPYC then lifted the female version of the Paul Arthur trophy.
In a post meet interview, President of the Athletics body, Aubrey Hutson labeled the annual flagship championships a success.
He also stated that the next event on the local calendar will be the National Youth and Junior Championships set for July 8-10 at the same venue.
