Guyanese athletes invade Hampton Games
Stabroek News
May 2, 2002
Junior Carifta Games medalists Cleveland Forde and Tai Payne are among a contingent of Guyanese athletes who will invade Trinidad and Tobago today to compete at the annual Hampton Games.
Nine of the competitors are from Atoms club which is aiming to repeat its sting of outstanding feats at the club meet, expected to feature a number of international stars in the senior categories including Olympic medalists Ato Boldon and Frankie Fredericks..
Forde of Rising Stars who won gold at the Easter Carifta Games will step up to the international level in his pet event over 5000 metres. The 17-year-old North West District-born distance specialist will face among others Caribbean marathon king Pamenos Ballantyne and a number of Kenyans expected for the longer races.
Forde will also be in the Under-20 category 1500 metres, the longest race for juniors.
Carifta silver medalist Payne will lead the Atoms lineup and will have a chance to avenge his loss to Trinidadian Eon Jeffers in the 800 metres boys Under-20. He will also contest the 400 metres.
Twelve year-old sprinter Analisa Austin, an Under-12 gold medalist last year will be aiming to transfer her success to the Under-15 division, in the 100 and 200m races. Randy Lee, another medalist from 2001 will be going for gold in the boys Under-15 800, 400 and 200 events while promising jumper Michelle Vaughn will do the long jump and triple jump events.
The other Atoms members are Christopher Joseph (400 metres hurdles), Tulsiraj Ramnauth (1500 Under-20, 5000 men) and Clyde Gibson, Rennison Da Silva and Kester Abrams who will all contest the men's long and triple jump competitions. Coach Foster Sampson said the Games will be used as an opportunity for Payne and Vaughn to qualify for the World Junior Championships scheduled for July in Jamaica.
He pointed that Payne's personal best 800m time of 1.51:33 was not too far off the qualifying mark of 1.50:00 while Vaughn is also close to the long jump standard.
Forde whose PB is 15 minutes 48 seconds is more than two minutes off the 5000m qualifying mark.
Former Inter Guiana Games junior champion, Kelvin Johnson will be also be vying for honours in the international 5000 and 1500 metres. Johnson who recently completed a stint in Barbados where he ran unbeaten this year in track distance races and 10 kilometres road events, is representing Rising Stars.
Junior sprinter Keith Roberts is also expected to compete in the boys Under-20 100 and 200 metres.
The athletes are scheduled to leave today and competition is due to start from Friday, to Sunday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.