Guyanese athletes notch 7 golds in T&T
Stabroek News
May 7, 2002
Guyana's athletes made a huge impact at the Hampton Games athletics meeting by bagging 12 medals including seven golds in Trinidad and Tobago last weekend.
Atoms club took away all the Guyana medals except one silver, to record their best ever performance with a nine-person team in the annual meet at the Hasely Crawford stadium.
Fourteen year old Randy Lee led the medal haul by carting off three golds in all three Under-15 events he contested while there was even greater joy for Tai Payne who copped two first places while Michelle Vaughn and Clyde Gibson completed the gold medal haul with one each.
In speeding to victory in the 400m, Payne recorded a personal best 47.26 seconds and smashed the Guyana national junior record of 48.4s set by Anthony October in 1976 and the Hampton Games mark (47.40). In the process, the Bishops High student also clinched a place for the World Junior Championships by bettering the qualifying time of 47.9s.He went on to whip the 800 metres field in 1 minute 51.90 seconds and avenged his loss to Trinidadian Simeon Bovell at the Junior Carifta Games last Easter in the Bahamas where he settled for silver.
The time for the Guyanese's pet event fell short of the world Championships qualifying mark of 1:50.00 and his personal best 1:51.32.
Lee touted as one of Guyana's most promising young runners, fully justified that feeling by romping to victory in the Under-15 200 (23.3s), 400 (50.65s) and 800 (2:13.08) metres, recording personal best times in all three events. His 400 performance was also a Hampton Games record.
Michelle Vaughn who was overlooked by the Amateur Athletics Association for the Carifta Games, proved it was a mistake by winning the women's long jump with a 5.89 metres effort that would have earned her a medal in the Bahamas. She also won silver in the triple jump by leaping 11.00 metres.
Clyde Gibson took gold in the men's triple jump with a 14.28m effort, in an event hardly contested in Guyana. His clubmate Rennison Da Silva won bronze in 13.46m.
Twelve year-old Analisa Austin stepped up to the Under-15 level and won silver in the 100 and 200 events, in personal best times of 12.34 and 25.62 seconds respectively. Carifta Games gold medalist 17-year-old Cleveland Forde was also in blistering form as he chopped nine seconds off his personal best, clocking 15:39.28 in his first international track race among seniors in the 5000 metres. He finished fourth in the event won by world class marathoner Pamenos Ballantyne in 14:39.90.
A silver medal performance was also recorded by Royal Youth Movement's Keith Roberts who clocked 10.78 seconds in placing second to world under-18 champion Darrell Browne of Trinidad and Tobago who recorded a stunning personal best 10.19s
There was a fourth place finish for Kelvin Johnson in the men's 1 mile and fifth in the 5000 metres.
Atoms coach Foster Sampson described the athletes' performances as excellent and said they were fully motivated to do their best. He pointed out that mental preparation was a key to their success, which he was able to accomplish to an extent.
Double Carifta Games gold medalist Guyanese James Baird, representing Antigua Pioneers won the boys Under-17 1500 metres.
The meet attracted a number of high profile world class runners including Namibian Frankie Fredericks who won the men's 100m in 10.28s from 19-year-old Trinidadian Marc Burns and Americans Coby Miller, Jon Drummond and Tim Harden.
The women's 100 featured Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers who had to settle for fourth behind Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas, Jamaica's Tanya Lawrence and Inga Miller. (Orin Davidson)