Source: www.trinidadexpress.com
By: Kern De Freitas
Elton Walcott struck triple jump gold for Trinidad and Tobago with a 16.51-metre leap yesterday at the 2011 Pan American Junior Championships at the Ansin Sport Complex in Miramar, Florida.
The T&T athlete warmed up with an initial jump of 16.43 metres—his best legal jump— and followed it up with his golden effort 16.51m three attempts later.
His top three jumps were better than the nearest competitor, second placed Phillip Young of the US, whose best effort was 16.01m. Third was Bahamian competitor Latario Minns-Minns Collie (15.93m).
Kai Selvon scored silver for T&T in the women's 200m dash, striding to the line in a personal best 22.97 seconds. She beat Jessica Davis (22.97) of the US for second spot in a photo finish, but Anthonique Strachan (22.70) of the Bahamas took gold.
Strachan's run smashed the 22.93 Pan American Junior record set by US sprinter Shalonda Solomon in 2003.
Moriba Morain missed out on men's 200m bronze when he finished fourth in a wind assisted 21.15 clocking. He got into the final after finishing second in heat two in 21.06, also with an illegal wind. Grenadian phenom Kirani James won the event in 20.62; the US pair of heat two winner Sean McLean (20.69) and Edward Hadnot (21.03) finished second and third respectively.
Shauna Downey was tenth among 11 competitors in the women's discus throw, her best effort being 39.84 metres. That event was won by US thrower Shelbi Vaughan (53.12m).
Morain, Jereem Richards, Deon Lendore and Machel Cedenio are expected to team up for today's 4x400m relay. On Friday, Lendore earned 400m silver in a personal best 46.50 seconds, while Cedenio bowed out in the preliminary round, the T&T quarter-miler clocking 50.55 to finish sixth in his heat and 13th overall.