The 2023 Carifta Games continue to produce mixed results for Jamaica as the most successful nation in the 50-year history of the regional event suffered further setbacks with disqualifications on day two of the three-day extravaganza.
The Jamaicans, who have tallied the most medals on 44 of the previous 49 editions, won the girls Under-17 4x100m relays in emphatic fashion only to be subsequently disqualified for exchanging batons outside the zone.
The race was awarded to Trinidad and Tobago, with The Bahamas upgraded to silver and Bermuda claiming the bronze medal.
The boys’ equivalent resulted in Jamaica finishing second behind The Bahamas, with Grenada third and Trinidad and Tobago fourth.
Again the Jamaicans had their colours lowered for another exchange of batons outside the zone.
They are champions for a reason and the black, green, and gold clad Under-20 boys and girls duly set the record straight by claiming gold.
The girls destroyed their peers to win in 44.01 seconds, well clear of Trinidad and Tobago in 45.35 seconds and The Bahamas in 45.55 seconds.
The boys were made to work much harder and it took a herculean effort for anchor leg runner DeAndre Daley to pull back a five-meter lead on the Bahamian runner to win in 39.68 seconds to The Bahamas’ 39.78 seconds.
Trinidad and Tobago were third in 40.83 seconds. The effort of Daley was an indication of what would have happened had he not false-started in the semi-finals of the Under-20 boys’ 100m on Saturday, especially after his more accomplished teammate and team captain Bouwahjgie Nkrumie had pulled up injured in the heats earlier in the day.
It has since been reported that the officials have asked that the boys’ Under-20 4x100m relays be rerun at 3:15 pm on Monday’s final day following a protest by a team that claimed that it had been at a disadvantage after its leadoff athlete ran approximately 80m due to the late recall of the race.
The Bahamian runner staggered after the order of set and was left in the blocks after the gun was fired, while all the other runners replied to the gun and went on their way.
The Jamaican team officials are reported to have indicated that their athletes will not participate in a rerun as there is no indication from the officials that Sunday’s race was declared null and void.
Jamaica won two of the 400m hurdles events even while the country captured two medals in each of the four events.
In the girls Under-17, Jody-Ann Daley won gold in 1:01.05 minutes with teammate Rhianna Lewis claiming the bronze medal in 1:02.61 minutes/
The Bahamas’ Darvinique Dean copped the silver medal in 1:02.50 minutes.
The boys’ equivalent saw Akanye Samuel-Francis of St Kitts and Nevis claiming gold in 54.14 seconds while condemning the Jamaica pair of Deandre Gayle (55.10) and Demario Bennett (55.27) to silver and bronze, respectively.
In the Under-20 girls’ event, Michelle Smith won gold in 57.69 seconds ahead of Jamaica’s Tonyann Beckford (58.94) and Alliah Baker (59.55) for silver and bronze.
Order was restored in the boys’ Under-20 as Roshawn Clarke won gold in 49.92 seconds ahead of teammate Antonio Forbes in 51.72 seconds. The bronze medal was won by The Bahamas’ Shimar Bain in 52.48 seconds.
At the end of the second day, Jamaica led the medal count with 49, comprising 24 gold, 14 silver, and 11 bronze.
The Bahamas were second with 32, seven gold, nine silver, and 16 bronze. Trinidad and Tobago rounded out the top three with 21 medals, six gold, six silver, and nine bronze.
The competition closes on Monday.
Medals Tables at the end of Day Two
Country G S B Total
Jamaica 24 14 11 49
The Bahamas 7 9 16 32
Trinidad and Tobago 6 6 9 21
St Kitts & Nevis 5 4 3 12
Grenada 2 3 3 8
Guyana 2 2 2 6
Barbados 2 2 0 4
Cayman Islands 2 0 1 3
Belize 2 0 0 2
Dominica 1 0 0 1
MONDAY’S SCHEDULE
AFTERNOON SESSION
3:30 PM- PM MEDAL CEREMONY
4:00 PM – 100m Hurdles U-17 Girls Final (0.76m)
4:05 PM – Triple Jump U-17 Girls Final
4:10 PM – 100m Hurdles U-20 Girls Finals (0.84m)
4:15 PM – Discus Throw U-17 Girls Final (1kg)
4:25 PM – 110m Hurdles U-17 Boys Finals (0.91m)
4:30 PM – Shot Put U-20 Boys Final (6kg)
4:35 PM – 110m Hurdles U-20 Boys Finals (0.99m)
4:40 – PM MEDAL CEREMONY
4:55 PM – 800m U-17 Girls Final
5:05 PM – 800m U-17 Boys Final
5:15 PM – 800m U-20 Girls Final
5:25 PM – 800m U-20 Boys Final
5:30 PM – MEDAL CEREMONY
5:35 PM – 200m Special Olympics
5:40 PM – Triple Jump U-20 Boys Final
5:45 PM – 200m U-17 Girls Final
5:50 PM – Discus Throw U-17 Boys Final (1.75kg)
5:55 PM – 200m U-17 Boys Final
6:05 PM – 200m U-20 Girls Final
6:15 PM – 200m U-20 Boys Final
6:20PM MEDAL CEREMONY
6:35 PM – 5000m U-20 Boys Final
7:05 PM – 4x400m Relay U-17 Girls Final
7:15 PM – 4x400m Relay U-17 Boys Final
7:25 PM – 4x400m U-20 Girls Final
7:35 PM – 4x400m U-20 Boys Final
7:45 – PM MEDAL CEREMONY
