Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Story by: Rachael Thompson-King
T&T concluded the 40th Carifta Games in Montego Bay, Jamaica with a tally of 29 medals, a significant drop from last year’s historic haul of 40. Then the local unit had won 12 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze.
“Under the conditions, like the fact that other countries are stepping up, T&T gave a good performance,” said Ali St Louis, head coach of the T&T team. “Keshorn Walcott record-breaking performance of 72.04 was outstanding. Machel Cedenio did tremendously. He won the 200m and 400m and helped the team to the 4x100m and 4x400m silver. That was a tremendous performance. “Landeau, who doubled up in the 3,000 and 1,500, was tremendous and Walcott’s brother Elton who also won the triple jump even better.”
T&T’s other gold medals were won by Shervorne Walcott in the Boy’s U-17 Discus. Walcott also won silver in the Shot Put event. In those two events, Kenejah Williams walked away with silver and bronze, respectively. None of T&T girls reached the top of the podium but two had double silvers, including Michelle-Lee Ahye, who was unable to defend her 100m title. She then teamed up with Breanna Gomes, Gabriela Cumberbatch and Kai Selvon to get another silver medal in the 4x100m relay final.
Cumberbatch also anchored the 4x400m relay team of Kernesha Spann, Chelsi Campbell and Merissa Gale, to seal her second silver. “All in all, all of them went out there and did their best. It is a young team and they will get better.” Bahamian Anthonique Strachan copped the Austin Sealy award for the most outstanding athlete at the Games, producing a sprint double in the 100m, clocking 11.38 seconds and 23.17 in the 200 to highlight the Bahamas’ 31-medal tally. Strachan tied Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown’s 2001 games record of 22.93 set back in the preliminary rounds.
Final 2011 Medal Table
Team Gold Silver Bronze
Jamaica 32 22 12 66
Bahamas 9 11 11 31
Barbados 9 8 10 27
T&T 7 13 9 29
Guadeloupe 3 1 2 6
Turks/Caicos 2 0 0 2
Grenada 1 2 3 6
St Kitts/Nevis 1 0 2 3
French Guyana 1 0 1 2
Martinique 0 1 2 3
Bermuda 0 3 3 6
Dominica 0 2 2 4
St Lucia 0 2 2 4
Cayman Islands 1 0 0 1
Suriname 0 1 0 1
Netherlands 0 0 3 3
Antigua & Barbuda 0 0 2 2
US Virgin Island 0 1 0 1