Douglas in spotlight at Carifta Games

Jamaica’s dominance at the Carifta Games looks set to continue when the 53rd staging gets under way this morning at the Kirani James Athletic Centre in St George’s, Grenada.

Just a week after strong performances at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs), Jamaica’s primary objective at the three-day meet is to exceed last year’s medal tally of 78, which included 30 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze.

Most attention today will be focused on the outstanding Shanoya Douglas, the defending Under-20 double sprint champion. She will take the track at 10:51 a.m. in the 100 metres. Douglas is coming off a personal best 10.98 seconds at Champs and will be hoping to go much faster at these Games. She could go under the 10.92 national junior record if she is pressed. She will be joined in the event by Natrece East.

Nyron Wade and Sanjay Seymore will close out action on the track this morning in the boys’ Under-20 100m, which will get under way at 11:12 a.m.

The 100m preliminary round will close out action on the track in the opening session. Azaria Harris and Rihanna Scott will compete in the Under-17 girls’ event starting at 10:02 a.m., to be followed 10 minutes later by Kai Kelly and Joshua Ricketts in the Under-17 100m for boys. All 100 metres finals will be contested this evening.

It will be a busy morning session for Jamaicans on the track, with several athletes also in action in the 400m.

Following her impressive performance at ‘Champs’, Shanieka McLean will line up in the Under-17 girls’ 400m at 8:23 a.m., where she will be joined by Danielle Dixon.

The fastest one-lapper at Champs, Jason Pitter of Kingston College, the only sub-46 performer with an impressive 45.76 seconds to win the Class Two event, will make his appearance in the Under-17 event, where he will have as company Diwayne Sharpe, who was third at Champs behind Pitter.

Davine Dickenson and Breanna Brown will do duties in the Under-20 girls’ 400m, which begins at 9:04 a.m., while Jabari Matheson and Zachary Wallace will do likewise in the Under-20 boys’ event at 9:28 a.m.

High jumpers Kemoya Campbell and Stefanco Henry will be the first Jamaicans in action, as both are down to contest the Under-17 girls’ high jump finals at 8 a.m. (Jamaica time).

Jaquen Souden will be involved in his first event of the day in the Under-20 boys’ decathlon at 8:02 a.m. when he lines up in the 100 metres.

Four other Jamaicans will be involved in field event finals in this morning’s first session. Zoeyann Plummer and Shamanda Wilmot will compete in the Under-17 girls’ shot put finals at 8:15 a.m., while Zoelle Janel will do duty in the Under-20 girls’ javelin finals at 10:30 a.m.

World Under-20 leader in the boys’ discus and defending champion Joseph Salmon will be in action in the Under-20 boys’ event in the afternoon session, where he, along with Denzil Phillips, will throw at 3:15 p.m.

Five minutes earlier, Talshawn Edwards and Joshua Patrick will compete in the finals of the Under-17 boys’ triple jump. Later at 5 p.m., Sabrina Atkinson and Zavien Bernard will close out action on the field when they contest the Under-20 girls’ triple jump finals.

Today will also see the 1500m finals for all age groups and the 4x400m mixed relay final.