Guyana’s dominance in the discipline of track and field at the Inter Guiana Games continued yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre.
On the back of scintillating performances by its standout student athletes, Team Guyana racked up 390 points and earned 21 gold medals to be crowned champions of the 2022 edition of the Games in athletics.
French Guiana ended with 261 points and five gold medals while Suriname finished with 232 points and one gold.
With the return of the multi-sport Games after five years, the locals showed up and showed out and scorched their rivals in brilliant sunshine on the track and in the field.
On day two at the West Coast venue, sprinter, Ezekiel Newton powered to a sprint double, Tianna Springer won another gold medal as did Javon Roberts (800m and 1500m) and jumper, Staffon Roach (long and triple jump) to highlight yesterday’s activities.
One day after sprinting to gold in the blue riband 100m event, Newton returned to the track and mirrored his heroics in the 200m.
The 17-year-old took control of the race straight out the blocks, rocketed around the turn and further turned on the jets on the homestretch, easily winning in 22.10s. His teammate, Malachi Austin, who won the 400m a day earlier, placed second in 22.70s. French Guiana’s Far Pierre-Louis ended third in 22.88s.
Guyana’s Nalicia Glen won the girls version of the 200m in 25.28s a day after claiming silver in the girls 100m.
Roberts, a silver medalist at this year’s CARIFTA Games, provided a reminder of his pedigree by earning a hard fought 800m victory. He ran 2:00.77s to complete his double after his golden 1500m run on Friday. Suriname’s Jeffel Koorndijk pushed him to the hilt in a dead heat but had to settle for silver in 2:00.86s in the two-lap race. Guyana’s Matrim Martin claimed the bronze in 2:06.63s.
Springer and Narissa McPherson were also in an entertaining dead heat in the girls 800m. The clock painted the perfect picture, Springer won in 2:22.17s while McPherson placed second in 2:22.19s. Suriname’s Allanyx Brei finished third 20 seconds behind as the rivalry between the Guyanese duo continues to heat up.
Elsewhere in the field, Roach disturbed the sand at 6.88m to win the boys long jump a day after hopping, skipping and jumping to the triple jump gold.
Other winners for Guyana yesterday included Shawn Hunte and Esther Marks in the boys and girls javelin events.
Initially held in 1967, the IGG is normally an annual affair among Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, with the most recent edition being held in Suriname in 2017.
The return of the Games is a promise fulfilled by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
The Games culminates tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with the closing ceremony set for a 20:00hrs start.
The event was officially started on Thursday with the opening ceremony at the National Stadium.
