James gives TT CARIFTA gold

TRINIDAD and Tobago athletes raked in four more medals at the 32nd CARIFTA Track and Field Championships at Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday.

Jamal James struck gold winning the Boys Under-17 800 metres in a time of one minute 56.15 seconds.  Jamaicans Klemar Ellis followed in second and his countryman Melvin Weller finished third. Pilar McShine gave the Trinidadians their second medal, silver, finishing runner-up to Jamaican Jodram Richards in the Girls Under-17 800 metres, clocking two minutes 15.47 seconds.  The winner’s time was two minutes 14.57 seconds. Both Donelle de Verteuil and Carlan Arthur gained bronze medals in the Under-20 800 metres. De Verteuil was third in two minutes 14.04 seconds behind Jamaican Carlene Robinson (2:7.56 seconds), while Arthur trailed behind Mallard Brown (Jamaica).  He was timed in one minute 52.22 seconds.  The winner clocked one minute 50.49 seconds.

But the star of the day and Games so far is Usain “Thunder” Bolt of Jamaica who broke the CARIFTA Games 200 metres record posting a time of 20.43 seconds, erasing the previous mark set in 1997 by another Jamaican Roy Bayley whose time was 20.48 seconds. Trinidadian Wanda Hutson could only manage fourth (24.25 seconds) in the Under-20 Girls 200 metres, while national champion Kelly-Ann Baptiste trailed in fifth in 24.31 seconds.  The event was won by Piandra Pompeen of St. Kitts in 23.71 seconds.