Athletes continue to fight for sports supremacy on the fourth and final day of the 51st CARIFTA Games at the Kirina Athletics Stadium. Jamaica remains in the lead with 24 gold, 15 silver, 9 bronze and a total of 48 medals.
No other country is close to the Bahamas which is now second in the standings with a total of 25 medals comprising 7 gold, 9 silver, and 9 bronze. Trinidad & Tobago has 16 medals which include 1 gold, 6 silver, and 9 bronze. The host country Grenada is a distant fourth with 9 medals, comprising 1 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze.
For Dominica, it can be said that 4 athletes did well. In the Javelin event in the Boys Under 20, Addison James collected a bronze medal with a personal best of 65.50 meters.
In the Boys Under 17 Shot Put, Jamical Titre also showed good promise and one to keep an eye for in the future. His 13.77-meter throw in that field was also a personal best.
Nian Davis, also a first-timer at the CARIFTA Games, also showed promise. He raised eyebrows with his personal best of 39.67 meters in the Boys under 17 Javelin. At the age of 13, Davis is surely one for the future with the proper guidance and mentorship.
In the track section, 14-year-old Kerelle Etienne has shown that she’s a “bright spark” and barring injuries, will be a force to be reckoned with.
She blazed her way to first place in the preliminary of the girl’s 100 meters Under 17 dash clocking 12.05 seconds but in the finals, running in lane 4, had to settle for 4th place in a time of 11.85 seconds. That event was won by Athaley Hinckson of Guyana at 11.44 seconds with Adora Campbell of Jamaica copping the silver with 11.52 seconds and Aniya Nurse of Barbados bronze, in 11.76.
Etienne, who is said to be nursing a hamstring did not take part in the 200 meters dash girls Under 17 competitions.
Dominica has one more meet today; Jamical Titre will participate in the discus event this evening.
Let’s be forthright here. Team Dominicans performance was far below par. No fault of the athletes. They gave their best. However, there is no premium on sports by the government on sports. You have to invest to progress.