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#Carifta2022 | Jamaica grabs three of four gold over 800 metres

Published:Monday | April 18, 2022 | 7:15 PM
Jamaica's J'Voughnn Blake pushes the pace in the Boys' Under-20 800 metres on his way to a gold medal at the 49th Carifta Games inside the National Stadium this evening.
Gladstone Taylor
Jamaica's J'Voughnn Blake pushes the pace in the Boys' Under-20 800 metres on his way to a gold medal at the 49th Carifta Games inside the National Stadium this evening.

While it was not all gold in the 800 metres for Jamaica, the home team at these 49th Carifta Games made the podium at every time of the asking inside the National Stadium earlier this evening.

In the Under-20 girls' category, Rushana Dwyer finished in a time of 2 minutes 07.35 seconds, but faced the disappointment of a disqualification after a tussle with Layla Haynes of Barbados.

Gold still went to Jamaica, after the fast-finishing Jody Ann Mitchell, 2:09.73, overtook Haynes, who was upgraded to silver with her time of 2:10.58.

The Under-20 boys' title was won by Jamaica's J'Voughnn Blake in a time of 1:49.89. Blake's gold medal marked the completion of a 1500-800 metre double. Nathan Cumberbatch of Trinidad and Tobago was second in 1:51.86, while Blake's teammate Adrian Nethersole was third in 1:51.96. Nethersole had claimed silver in the 1500.

Among the Under-17 boys, Jamaica's Ainsley Brown took gold in 1:58.08 ahead of Keeran Sriskandarajah of Trinidad and Tobago who finished second in 1:58.45. Jamaica's Rasheed Pryce was third in 1:58.51.

The US Virgin Islands' Michelle Smith spoiled the party for the Jamaicans, winning the Under-17 girls' event in 2:10.78. This was Smith's second gold after she won the 400-hurdles and grabbed a bronze in thge 110 hurdles half an hour before her 800 win.

Smith, despite the exertions of the sprint hurdles, left Andrene Peart in her wake, the Jamaican taking silver in 2:13.07.

Attoya Harvey of Guyana won her third medal of these Games when she finished third in 2:14.08. Harvey had captured the Under-17 girls' 1500 metre and was second in the girls' under-20 3,000.

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