Nyota Peters lands bronze in heptathlon
"team performed exceedingly well" - GOA president
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
December 8, 2002
Guyana's multi-talented athlete, Nyota Peters, has made Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) president Juman Yassin proud by landing a bronze medal in her debut performance at the heptathlon event at the 19th Central American and Caribbean Games currently underway in El Salvador.
According to reports from El Salvador, Peters registered 4657 points in placing third in her debut performance at the heptathlon event.
The first two positions were occupied by Dominican Republic's F. Mazanillo (5279) and Yudith Mendez (5261) respectively.
"Nyota did exceptionally well" Yassin told Stabroek Sport yesterday, adding "the Canadian coach (Daniel St. Hillaire) was very impressed with her when he was here."
St. Hillaire who is the director of the High Altitude Centre in Montreal Canada, is currently working towards getting Peters to Canada for a three-month stint.
Peters ended day one in fourth position after amassing 2711 points in the 100 and 200 metres races, as well as the high jump and the shot-put events.
She had placed 5th in the 100-metre (15.94 seconds), fourth in the 200-metre (26.15 seconds), second in the high jump (1.63 metres) and fifth in the shot-put (8.54 metres).
On Friday, Peters placed third in the long jump (5.44 metres), sixth in the javelin (30.65 metres) and a surprising second in the 800-metre (two minutes, 22.20 seconds).
Asked about the overall performance of the local team, Yassin said "I think they did exceedingly well, especially the squash players....there were two boxers and they won a medal, then Nyota was the only track and field athlete and she won a bronze but the weightlifters were disappointing."
Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana's president Claude Blackmoore was very confident that Peters would have improved her points tally on the second day by leaps and bounds. Blackmoore had also hoped that Peters secured a medal since she was making her debut in the heptathlon. "Winning a medal will inspire her to go on to greater things as a heptathlon athlete and whatever she gets we (AAA) will be contented," Blackmoore had stated on Friday.
Yassin has offered his congratulations to the local team, especially the squash players who between them won six medals, comprising one silver and five bronze.
The silver was won by Nicolette Fernandes and Luke Fraser in the mixed doubles, while Fernandes won a bronze in the women's individual competition, then teamed up with Jillian Griffith-Lilico to win another bronze in the women's doubles. Fraser and Maxim Weithers won a bronze medal in the men's doubles and the local men's and women's teams won a bronze medal each in the team competition.
Featherweight boxer Paul Lewis settled for a bronze and now with Peters' bronze, Guyana's medal tally has increased to eight.
