Gold Rush
HISTORY was created at the 39th CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands last night when Barbados won gold medals in both the Under-17 and Under-20 boys’ 800 metres at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.Jerrad Mason ended the gold medal drought, earning Barbados’ second gold medal, and Anthonio Mascoll followed him two races later in capturing the senior boys’ event.When Mason crossed the line in 1:54.66, it was the first time a Barbadian had won that event since Ashton Cherubin in 1985; while Mascoll, who has been following in the footsteps of former Barbados champion Lennox Ellis all season, did the same again last night in a personal best 1:52.16.No Barbadian male had won that event since Ellis did back in 1992. Here, Mascoll (right) pulling away from Bermuda’s Shaquille Dill and Jamaica’s Kevin White to win gold in the Under-20 boys’ 800 metres. Inset, Jerrad Mason. (Pictures by Sherrylyn A. Toppin.)
by SHERRYLYN A. TOPPIN
in George Town, Grand Cayman
IN WHAT HAS become the usual last minute rush, Barbadian athletes collected two gold, two silver and five bronze medals in quick succession on the final evening of the 39th CARIFTA Games at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
With only the 4×400 metres relays to be run, the Barbados medal count stood at 17 - three gold, seven silver and seven bronze.
Fourteen-year-old Jerrad Mason won Barbados’ second medal in the Under-17 boys’ 800 metres, the first time a Barbadian had done so since 1985.
Seeking redemption after a medal slipped from his grasp in the 400 metres, he took the race from the gun and set a blistering pace that soon had the six-man field in single file.
The time of 1:54.66 wasn’t his fastest this season, but it was enough to deliver that elusive gold. John Haynes, who was in third place for most of the race slipped to fourth near the finish in a personal best 1:57.26, edged by Ashley Riley (1:56.64) of The Bahamas. Jamaica’s Oshane Turner was second in 1:53.79.
Mason said he was not satisfied with the overall time.
“I was looking for the record (1:53.72) and it was off my personal best (1:53.97). I was determined (to get gold) after the 400 metres because that run was also not a personal best and I wasn’t satisfied with fourth place,” he said.
But it was Anthonio Mascoll who brought the house down and had the many Bajan supporters here waving their flags in glee as he sprinted away from the field for victory in the Under-20 800 metres.
Mascoll came from as far as fifth, moving up gradually before taking over as his trademark bow-legged strides began eating up the track.
At the end of the race, he was mobbed by the Caribbean media, who gave him little time to recover and he later complained of a tight chest, no doubt made worse by the dry, dusty conditions here.
He had a personal best 1:52.16, followed by the Bermudian pair of Shaquille Dill (1:53.31) and Henry Stevens-Carey (1:53.45).
Sonia Gaskin also redeemed herself in the Under-17 girls’ race. She stayed with the pace and had just a bit more at the end, making that desperate lunge to the finish line to get bronze in a personal best 2:13.60 behind Jamaica’s Marlene Eubanks (2:11.86) and Dominique Williams (2:13.42) of Trinidad and Tobago.
Cindy Forde was in tears at the end of the race. Looking flat, she finished sixth in 2:19.23, below her best time by about four seconds.
As expected, Jamaica’s Natoya Goule won the Under-20 girls’ race in 2:06.03, while Barbadian Shani Adams finished fifth in 2:18.24.
For the second year, Greggmar Swift made a desperate lunge to the line in the Under-20 boys’ 110m hurdles. Last year, it earned him bronze. This year, he got silver in a personal best 13.75 metres behind Trinidadian Jehue Gordon who added gold to his 400m hurdles feat, erasing Ryan M. Brathwaite’s 13.42 seconds record in the process.
Gordon clocked 13.41 and later hailed Swift, who he said was a very good friend and knew would be his biggest competition, denying Jamaica the event sweep. Tyrell Forde had failed to reach the final.
Kierre Beckles’ 13.43 record in the Under-20 event also was erased by Jamaica’s Samantha Elliott as the records continue to tumble at these games with 13.42. Elliott’s teammate Sonique Tobah was second in 13.55 and Ivanique Kemp of The Bahamas third in 14.21. Barbadian Sadé-Mariah Greenidge had a personal best of 14.30, running back after a slow start.
The bronze medals also began to stream in on the final day. Shakera Hall (13.97) was third in Under-17 girls’ 100m hurdles which was on by Jamaica’s Megan Simmons in a wind-aided 13.64. Akela Jones made the long, lonely walk to collect her clothes after false starting in the race.
Tramaine Maloney slapped the ground in disgust, but his personal best 13.55 seconds won him bronze in the Under-17 boys’ 100m hurdles. Maloney was leading, but said his focus was broken after one of the Jamaicans hit a hurdle, and stretched his hands in front of his face, just as he was about to accelerate. Jamaica went one-two in the event and Daley Carter was fourth.
Shavonne Husbands followed up her fantastic anchor leg run in the 400m relay with a 24.32 seconds to get bronze in the Under-17 girls’ race which was won by Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in 23.64.
The wind settled down long enough for Jamaican Odane Skeen to clock 20.84 for the Under-17 boys’ 200m gold, removing Jahzeel Murphy’s 20.97 from last year.
Allison Peter of the United States Virgin Islands won the Under-20 girls’ race in 23.29, while Grenada’s Kirani James stopped the clock in 20.76. Shekeim Greaves was third in 21.29, tying up as he reached the finish line.
Matthew Wright moved up one place with silver in the Under-20 boys’ 5000 metres behind Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell. Official times were not available. (Nation News)