Jaheel Hyde (left) looks across at the finish line after winning the 110m hurdles gold in 13.36 seconds ahead of Xavier Coakley (second left) of The Bahamas, and teammate Seanie Selvin in third. (PHOTOS: COLLIN REID COURTESY OF SUPREME VENTURES AND COURTS)
Jamaica's junior athletes once again proved they are the kings and queens of the Caribbean with another dominant display at the annual Carifta Games after amassing 85 medals at the 44th staging of the championships which ended at the newly renamed Kim Collins Stadium in Basseterre, St Kitts, yesterday.
The Jamaicans won 41 gold, 25 silver and 19 bronze medals, the 31st straight time they have topped the table and their second best ever haul since the schedule moved to 66 events, and just shy of the record 89 medals won last year in Fort de France, Martinique.
The Bahamas finished second on the table with 31 medals, eight gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze; Barbados were next with seven gold, four silver and five bronze; Trinidad and Tobago were fourth with six gold medals, eight silver and eight bronze, while Grenada won a gold, three silver, and four bronze to complete the top five.
Nineteen of the 25 countries that took part won at least one medal, while eight countries won at least a gold medal.
From Friday's opening session, the Jamaicans took charge and never let go, increasing their dominance with every passing session.
Yesterday, Youth Olympics champion Jaheel Hyde completed his second hurdles double after winning the Under-20 110m hurdles gold medal in a wind-aided 13.36 seconds (3.3m/s) to add to the gold medal he won in the 400m hurdles a day earlier.
Xavier Coakley of The Bahamas was second in 13.51 seconds, just ahead of Seanie Selvin, who took the bronze for Jamaica in 13.57 seconds.
IAAF World Youth champion Yanique Thompson won the girls' Under-20 gold in a wind-aided 13.21 seconds (4.8m/s) leading home teammate Jeanine Williams with 13.40 seconds, while Jeminise Parris of Trinidad and Tobago took the bronze in 13.85 seconds.
Janeek Brown set a new meet record 13.29 seconds (1.2m/s) to win the Under-18 title to break her own record of 13.48 seconds set last year.
Martinique's Jessie Zali was second with 13.70 seconds and St Kitts/Nevis's Kieshonna Brooks took the bronze in 13.71 seconds.
Jamaica won just one of the four 200m gold medals, as Shaniel English, who was fourth in the 100m, took the half-lap event in 23.38 seconds (1.5m/s), beating The Bahamas's Brianne Bethel with 23.47 seconds, while Kimone Shaw, also of Jamaica, took the bronze in 23.89 seconds.
Trinidad's Kayelle Clarke won the Under-20 race in 23.12 seconds (4.3m/s) beating Jamaica's Saqukine Cameron with 23.32 seconds and Keianna Albury of The Bahamas in 23.49 seconds.
Five runners started the boys' Under-20 200m race, as both Jamaican representatives Chad Walker and Nigel Ellis and Tyler Bowe of The Bahamas did not show up. Only four finished, however, as Trinidad's Jonathon Farinha pulled up midway the race.
Barbados's Mario Burke completed the sprint double running 21.51 seconds (-0.6m/s) ahead of St Vincent's Reuberth Boyde in 21.70 seconds and St Kitts and Nevis's Warren Hazel third in 21.81 seconds.
Paul Tate staged a late rally to win the boys' Under-20 800m, running 1 minute, 52.43 seconds, as The Bahamas's Justin Pinder (1:52.587 minutes) just edged another Jamaican Devaughn Smith (1:52.588 minutes) for the silver medal.
Lisa Buchanan took the silver in the Under-20 girls' 800m, as The Bahamas's Shaquania Dorsett won her second gold in 2 minutes, 11.99 seconds after winning the 400m.
Bermuda's Faheeham Kyrah Scraders took the silver in 2:12.16 minutes and Buchanan ran 2:13.26 minutes.
Barbados's Mary Fraser, who was the Austin Sealy Award winner, won her third gold medal when she took the Under-18 girls' 800m in 2 minutes, 11.63 seconds with a late kick over the last 80 metres. She also won the 1,500m and the 3,000m.
Jamaica's Chrissani May won the silver in 2:13.28 minutes and St Kitts/Nevis' Reandra Richards was third with 2:14.48 minutes.
Leon Clarke and Jauvaney James were first and second in the Under-18 800m, while Barbados's Jonathon Jones took the bronze.
Isheeka Binns set a new record in the Under-20 girls' javelin with a new mark of 49.72m, beating the 47.88m set last year by Martinique's Sephora Bissoly.
Ayesha Champagnie, also of Jamaica, took the silver with 47.51m, and the bronze went to Granada's Candesha Scott, who threw 45.58m.
Obrien Wasome took his second silver medal and defending champions Odaine Lewis was third in the Under-20 boys' triple jump.
Suriname's Miguel van Assen won with 16.24m (0.7m/s), while Wasome had a best jump of 15.85m (2.4m/s) and Lewis, 15.79m (3.3m/s).
Demar Gayle won his second gold medal, adding the Under-20 shot put to the discus title he won earlier, throwing 19.24m. Sanjae Lawrence, also of Jamaica, took silver with 17.92m, and Martinique's Lael Tirnan was third with 16.78m.
Shanice Love won the Under-20 girls' discus with 49.39m with teammate Rochelle Frazer second with 46.86m and Martinique's Emeline Tedos taking the bronze with 41.00m.
Thaleentino Green won the boys' Under-20 5,000m in 15 minutes, 55.29 seconds, beating Grenada's Tallan James (16:01.57 minutes) and Jamaica's Daniel Glave was third in 16:16.24 minutes.Members of Jamaica’s Carifta Games squad at the end of the 44th edition inside the Kim Collins Stadium in Basseterre, St Kitts, last night. See story on Pages 54&55 (PHOTO: COLLIN REID COURTESY OF SUPREME VENTURES AND COURTS)
