Borel dominates at Twilight Games
Cleopatra Borel gave a classy display at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain late yesterday, producing a big 18.83 metre throw to secure gold in the International Twilight Games women’s shot-put event.
Borel was in a competition of her own. The Tri-
nidad and Tobago field athlete landed the iron ball well past the 18-metre mark with each of her four throws while her closest challenger, Cuban Yaniuvis Lopez, managed a best effort of just 16.64m.
T&T’s Cherisse Murray threw 13.58m to earn bronze.
Borel opened with an 18.24m throw, bettering the 17.75m meet record she had established in 2013. In round two, the 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist improved the record to 18.50m. And in the third round, she was even better, landing the shot 18.83m. Borel closed with an 18.55m effort—her second best throw in the competition.
Just before press time last night, T&T’s Richard “Torpedo” Thompson produced a superb run to win the men’s 100-metre dash. The triple Olympic medallist stopped the clock at 10.10 seconds, his fastest run since 2012. The clocking is a new meet record.
Thompson was unchallenged for the top spot, runner-up Adam Harris of Guyana crossing the line in 10.23.
Bronze went to T&T’s Darrel Brown, the former world junior champion getting home in 10.31.
There was a meet record, too, in the women’s 100m; American Tawanna Meadows clocking 11.18 seconds for a huge cushion on Barbadian Jade Bailey, the silver medallist in 11.37.
Mikel Thomas was the class of the men’s 110m hurdles field. The T&T athlete successfully defended his title with a 13.47-second run, beating Cuba’s Jhoanis Cardenas (13.61) and American Andrew Brunson (13.87) to the line.
There were three victories for Cuba yesterday.
Roberto Perez topped the men’s 200m field in 20.37 seconds. Gilda Aguilera won the women’s 400m in a meet record time of 52.28 and Jorge Martinez finished strong to grab gold in the men’s 800m in one minute, 47.83 seconds—another meet record.
Jamaal James was well positioned for victory near the end of the two-lap race. Martinez, however, was stronger coming home, moving past the T&T half-miler to claim the top spot.
At press time, Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott was defending his Twilight Games men’s javelin title.