Jamaica recovered from the loss of boys’ team captain Bouwahjgie Nkrumie due to injury and the disqualification of DeAndre Daley to stake their claim and continue their dominance of the medals at the 2023 Carifta Games being held in Nassau, The Bahamas.
At the end of the opening day of the three-day 50th Carifta Games inside the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Jamaica soared to the top of the medals table with a combined 28, comprising 15 gold, well clear of the hosts who have 17 medals.
Jamaica has dominated the 49 previous editions of the Carifta Games, topping the medals of 44 occasions. The country last tasted defeat in 1984 to The Bahamas which hosted the event at that time.
But the day started badly for Jamaica as Nkrumie was on his way to an easy win in his heat of the Under-20 100m when he clutched at his right hamstring before tumbling to the floor 80 meters from the finish line.
He eventually limped off the track and appears set to be ruled out of the rest of the meet. Nkrumie entered the Carifta Games as one of the biggest stars have recently ran 9.99 seconds, only the third juvenile in the history of the sport to have done so.
Jamaica’s second representative in the Under-20 boys’ 100m DeAndre Daley progressed easily through the first round and into the semi-finals, only to be disqualified after a false-start, thereby leaving Jamaica with no athlete in the final.
However, the team quickly regained its composure and did what it has been long known to do, win medals.
Alana Reid (11.17 seconds), the girls’ captain, and Alexis James (11.53 seconds) made amends by taking gold and silver in the Under-20 100m final, while Tramaine Todd (10.52 seconds) won the Under-17 gold ahead of Ishmael Rolle of The Bahamas and Grenada’s Ethan Sam.
Natrece East was the lone representative for Jamaica in the Under-17 girls’ 100m final, but she could fare no better than fourth place behind Jamiah Nabbie of The Bahamas, Naomi London of St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago’s Alexxe Henry.
Jamaica’s Jasauna Dennis and Delano Kennedy occupied the first two places in the Under-20 400m final. Amal Glassgow of St Vincent and the Grenadines took home the bronze medal.
Rickiann Russell won the girls’ Under-20 400m gold medal ahead of The Bahamas pair of Javonya Valcourt and Lacarthea Cooper.
Nickeroy Bramwell of Jamaica won the Under-17 400 gold medal, with Jaylen Bennett (St Kitts and Nevis) claiming the silver medal and Andrew Brown of The Bahamas taking third place.
In the Under-17 girls’ equivalent, Jody-Ann Daley finished second to Guyana’s Tianna Springer, with De’Cheynelle Thomas finishing in third place.
Kishay Rowe and Jody-Ann Mitchell claimed silver and bronze, respectively, behind the Layla Haynes of Barbados in the Under-20 girls’ 1500m, while Ainsley Campbell won the Under-20 boys’ equivalent, ahead of Kahzi Sealey of Bermuda and Guyana’s Seon Booker.
Jamaica’s Joel Morgan finished third in the Under 17 boys’ 1500m behind Demetie Meyers and Javon Roberts of Guyana, but there was no medal in the girls’ equivalent.
Competition continues on Sunday with many more medals up for decision.
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
MORNING SESSION
9:00 AM 110m Hurdles Octathlon Boys – Event 5
9:05 AM Long Jump Heptathlon – Event 5
9:10 AM Javelin Throw U-20 Girls Final (600g)
9:15 AM 400m Hurdles U-17 Girls Semi-Finals (0.76m)
9:20 AM Shot Put U-20 Girls Final (4kg)
9:25 AM 400m Hurdles U-20 Girls Semi-Finals (0.76m)
9:35 AM 400m Hurdles U-17 Boys Semi-Finals (0.84m)
9:40 AM High Jump Octathlon Boys – Event 6
9:45 AM400m Hurdles U-20 Boys Semi-Finals (0.91m)
10:00AM 800m U-17 Girls Semi-Finals
10:15 AM 800m U-17 Boys Semi-Finals
10:20AM Javelin Throw Heptathlon Girls – Event 6 (600g)
10:30 AM 800m U-20 Girls Semi-Finals
10:35 AM Long Jump U-20 Boys Final
10:45 AM 800m U-20 Boys Semi- Final
11:00 AM 200m U-17 Girls Heats
11:10 AM 200m U-17 Boys Heats
11:20 AM 200m U-20 Girls Heats
11:30 AM 200m U-20 Boys Heats
11:40 PM MEDAL CEREMONY
AFTERNOON SESSION
3:00 PM 4x100m Relay U-17 Girls Semi-Finals
3:05 PM High Jump U-17 Boys Final
3:10 PM 4X100m Relay U-17 Boys Semi-Finals
3:15 PM Long Jump U-17 Girls Final
3:20 PM 4X100m Relay U-20 Girls Semi-Finals
3:25 PM Javelin Octathlon Boys – Event 7 (800g)
3:30 PM 4x100m U-20 Boys Semi-Finals
3:35 PM Shot Put U-17 Boys Final (5kg)
3:45 PM 400m Hurdles U-17 Girls Finals (0.76m)
3:55 PM 400m Hurdles U-20 Girls Finals (0.76m)
4:05 PM 400m Hurdles U-17 Boys Finals (0.84m)
4:15 PM 400m Hurdles U-20 Boys Finals (0.91m)
4:20 PM MEDAL CEREMONY
4:30 PM 200m U-17 Girls Semi-Finals
4:35 PM Triple Jump U-17 Boys Final
4:40 PM 200m U-17 Boys Semi-Final
4:50 PM 200m U-20 Girls Semi-Final
5:00 PM 200m U-20 Boys Semi-Final
5:00 PM Pole Vault Open Division Boys Final
5:05 PM Javelin Throw U-17 Boys Final (700g)
5:10 PM 800m Heptathlon Girls – Event 7
5:20 PM 1500m Octathlon Boys – Event 8
5:30 PM MEDAL CEREMONY
5:40 PM 3000M Open Division Girls Final
5:55 PM 3000m U-17 Boys Final
6:10 PM MEDAL CEREMONY
6:20 PM 4X100m Relay U-17 Girls Finals
6:30 PM 4x100m Relay U-17 Boys Finals
6:40 PM 4x100m Relay U-20 Girls Finals
6:50 PM 4x100m Relay U-20 Boys Finals
7:00 PM 4x400m Mixed Relay (Open) Finals
7:10 PM MEDAL CEREMONY
