Trinidad and Tobago's junior track and field contingent finished third in the medal standings at the conclusion of the 42nd annual Carifta Games at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, on Monday.
The youngsters collected 20 medals (8 gold, 2 silver and ten bronze). The Dexter Voisin-managed team finished behind powerhouse Jamaica which won 69 medals (29, 25, 15) and hosts Bahamas, 31 (8, 10, 13), and narrowly ahead of Barbados, which also collected 20 medals but only four were gold.
The final day of action proved to be the most successful of the three days for the local athletes as they won 10 medals to double their tally after the first two days of competition.
T&T collected ten medals (four gold, one silver and four bronze) before Monday. But Mark London (Bishop's High/Zenith) led the way with victory in the Under-20 800m in 1:51.34 to retain his title. Hezekeil Romeo (Rebirth) followed up with a last round effort of 18.66m to win the Under-20 shot put while Andwuelle Wright (Signal Hill Sec) defended his under-17 long jump crown with a leap of 7.29 (pb). Teammate Che Richards (CIC/Oasics) was third with a leap of 7.01.
Akeem Marshall (Toco Sec/Toco Titans) won the Under-20 5000m in 16:49.96. The under-20 4x400m quartet was looking for the fifth gold of the day but finished second in 3:06.23 behind Jamaica (3:05.68), a championship record. The quartet of Asa Guevara, Jereem Richards, Theon Lewis and 400m champion Machel Cedenio was briefly elevated to gold after Jamaica was initially disqualified, but a successful protest relegated T&T back down to the runner-up spot.
Akeel Edwards (Toco Sec/Toco TAFAC) landed bronze in the under-20 triple jump with a leap of 14.99m while another Toco athlete, Akidah Briggs, was fourth in the Girls Under-17 javelin with a distance of 37.03. Briggs was going for a third straight medal in the event after mounting the podium in 2011 and 2012.
Voisin singled out double gold medallists Mark London, who won the Boys Under-20 800 and the 1500m.
"Mark was in a tough field in both races but came out and dominated," he said.
Chelsea James, who took the Girls Under-17 shot put with a record throw of 14.48, Akeem Marshall (Boys Under-20 5000m and Jeminise Parris (Girls Under-17 300m hurdles) were also singled out. "Akeem's winning time in the 5000m was not a fast one but the race was a tactical one."
Voisin added he was satisfied that athletes were able to achieve personal best performances. "We asked athletes to go and give their best. If their best gives one, two, or one hundred medals, we are satisfied. And what we saw at the games is that most athletes did personal best even though some did not medal. Many were not satisfied with their performance based on their expectation coming into the meet."
The NAAA assistant secretary added: "I know some of them would have performed well at the trials at the Falcon Games and positioned themselves to excel but it didn't happen."
The contingent returned home late yesterday.
