Kirani James, 16, 45.45sec

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Sunday, 12 April 2009
http://www.iaaf.org/WYC09/news/newsid=50140.html

James’ 45.45sec beats Bolt’s mark; Nero well inside 27yr-old record - CARIFTA Games, Day 2

Kirani James leads home the field in the U20 400 final - 2009 CARIFTA Games (Jed Charles)
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Vieux Fort, St Lucia - Four records fell and another was equalled – by two athletes, no less – on the second day of competition at the George Odlum Stadium, as the XXXVIII CARIFTA Games continued in St Lucia.
Some big performances were expected from the likes of Gavyn Nero, Kirani James, Shericka Jackson, Raymond Higgs, Pate Gaye Reid and Akela Jones. And they did not disappoint.

Jamaica continued to lead the medal table, but the medal table kept growing, with the Commonwealth of Dominica, US Virgin Islands, Antigua-Barbuda, the Turks & Caicos Islands and Cayman Islands all earning their first medals.
Nero puts on a show in men’s 1500m
There was still less than a second separating them. Trinidad & Tobago’s Gavyn Nero and Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell came to St Lucia to put on a show, and that they did in the men’s 1500m. St Lucia’s Kevin Edward set a heady pace, daring the field to run with him. Campbell accepted the challenge, and led for much of the race. Nero sat back in fifth, picking up with each lap, until he produced a fantastic finishing kick to cross in 3:47.56 to Campbell’s 3:48.18, well inside the 23-year-old record of 3:51.05 by Jamaica’s Anthony Christy.
“I’m excited; I knew I might have to run the record to win,” said Nero, “but I did not want to set the pace, so I was glad Kevin went out early and made Kemoy work.”

James also produces the goods

Most impressive was the commanding performance of young Kirani James. Running against athletes two years his senior, Grenada’s 2009 World Youth Championship prospect delivered the goods in a big way, running 45.45 seconds for first and breaking Usain Bolt’s six-year-old CARIFTA record of 46.35 in the process.
The 16-year-old (Born 1 Sep 1992) James, who says he is unsure of whether he will run the 200, confirmed his coach’s opinion that he can go under 45 this year. “I have not really trained for 400 yet this season,” he said. “I’m really hoping to dominate at the World Youths.”
James was followed home by compatriot Rondell Bartolomew (45.58) and surprise package Leslie Murray, whose 46.74 earned bronze for the US Virgin Islands.
Joining Kirani for the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships (WYC) take place in Bressanone, Sudtirol, Italy later this year (8 to 12 July 2009) will be Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson. Jackson broke fellow countrywoman Claudine Williams’ 1992 quarter-mile record of 53.50 for the under-17 division. Shericka, a replacement athlete on Jamaica’s team, ran 53.48 to edge Rashan Brown (53.93) of Bahamas and Marissa Gale (55.28) of Trinidad & Tobago.
Yet another WYC qualifier, Jamaica’s Jermaine Fyffe ran 47.96 to win the under-17 division, with Barbados’ Shaquille Alleyne and Jamaica’s Jovan Williams sharing the podium. And there was a third Jamaican win in the 400 series, Jodiann Muir taking gold in 53.49 over Jamaican Danielle Dowie and Trinidad & Tobago’s Alena Brooks.
High Jump records for Higgs, Jones, Reid
Now based in the United States, Raymond Higgs cleared a CARIFTA-record 2.13m to win the under-17 High Jump for Bahamas two years ago. In St Lucia on Saturday, in the last event of the day, he needed only 2.12m to win. Then he went after the division record of 2.20m set by fellow Bahamian Jamaal Wilson in those same 2007 Games in Turks & Caicos. Higgs cleared 2.21m on his second trial, a tremendous feat for the young man, who has another year in the junior ranks.
Kareem Edwards of Antigua-Barbuda cleared 2.06m and Daniel Burke of Barbaods 2.03m for second and third. In fourth, last year’s under-17 silver medallist, Wendrico Seymour of Turks & Caicos, went over at 2.00m to qualify for WYC.
More athletes made the standard for Italy in the under-17 High Jump. Janieve Russell, the divisional Long Jump champion, went over at 1.77m in one of the most keenly anticipated events of these Games. But her best effort was only good for third.
The battle went down, as expected, to the top two medallists from last year, Akela Jones from Barbados and defending champion Petergaye Reid of Jamaica. Both went over at 1.80m, tying the 1999 CARIFTA record originally set by Sheree Francis of Jamaica. But neither athlete was able to clear 1.82m, and with Reid having required two trials at the winning height, as opposed to Jones, who needed three, the gold medal went to the defending champion.

Short sprints go to form
The 100m series produced no surprises. Jamaica’s Carrie Russell ran away with the women’s under-20 race. The IAAF World Junior championships bronze medallist and defending CARIFTA champion led a Jamaica 1-2 in the century, with Jura Levy in second, and Allison Peters taking bronze for the US Virgin Islands.

Shekeim Greaves, hailed as Barbados finest schoolboy sprinter since Obadele Thompson, overcame a poor start in the men’s race to clock 10.23 seconds in beating Warren Fraser of the Bahamas and Kemar Bailes-Cole of Jamaica. Afterwards, Greaves said that he would be looking forward to meeting Jamaica’s World Junior Champion, Dexter Lee, at Pan Am Juniors in late July.

Jahazeel Murphy came into this meet with a lot of hype, but the 14-year-old Jamaican justified his pre-meet press, blowing past Jonathan Farquharson of Bahamas (10.59 seconds) and Johnathan Holder of Trinidad & Tobago (10.62) to stop the clock in 10.41 seconds and confirm his status as the next heir apparent to Bolt’s recent CARIFTA legacy.

The girls’ race ended again in a Jamaican 1-2, this time for Deandre Whitehorne (11.38) and Shericka Moulton (11.69), the latter beating the impressive Chantelle Morrison of the Cayman Islands by a few thousandths of a second, as Morrison was also given 11.69 for third.

Pentathlon well poised
With two events to go, there are just nine points separating the top two athletes in the women’s open Pentathlon. Audilia da Veiga, just 17 years old and a silver medallist last year, threw down an opening marker with a breezy run of 14.69 to earn 898 points from the 100m Hurdles. But St Lucia’s Makeba Alcide responded with a career-best of 11.73m to take 828 points from the Shot Put. Then both athletes, the class of the field, cleared 1.63m to lead the High Jump. Alcide, on 2242, leads from Da Veiga (2233) with Guadeloupe’s Maily Nicar 2094) currently third. Long Jump is Da Veiga’s pet event, but it looks as though when all is said and done that a lot will rest on the final of these five events, the 800m run.
The women’s under-20 Long Jump was an enthralling contest. There were big opening jumps from Karen Rebus of Guadeloupe, Sandisha Antoine of St Lucia, V’Alonee Robinson of the Bahamas and defending champion Daniella Sacama-Isidore of Martinique. Sacama-Isidore was head and shoulders above the rest, though, as she leapt to 6.21m, and was never threatened.
Last year’s under-17 champion, Rebus flew 6.07m on her next to last trial to take silver, having lain in third to that point. And Yushani Durrant of Jamaica rose up on her final trial to clear 5.99m, equalling Robinson’s initial mark, but earning the Jamaican the bronze on the basis of a better second-best mark.
Andre Bazil confirmed his coach’s assessment that he would be the man to beat in under-20 Javelin Throw. Bazil launched the spear 61.72m on his penultimate trial, beating teammate Davis Hypolite (59.06m) and Johan Carbety (58.60m) of Martinique.
Fifth last year, Raquel Williams won the girls’ under-17 Shot Put for Bahamas, her opening throw of 11.80m enough to win the competition, although she improved to 11.93m in the penultimate round. Sasha Gaye Marston of Jamaica (11.75m) was second and Martinique’s Catherine Mastail (11.09m) third. In boys’ under-17 Discus Throw, Ashinia Miller threw 49.21m to win for Jamaica. Lyndon Toussaint’s 45.27m was good for Grenada’s second silver. Trinidad & Tobago’s Kyle Preudhomme threw 40.65m for third.

Terry Finisterre for the IAAF

Click here for RESULTS

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What in the heck are they doing for training down there??? Second place beat Bolt’s time too!

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a 14yo running 10.41!!!

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What in the heck are they doing for training down there???

Maturing early. The training is secondary thing. Think about it. Which nations/races mature/develop earlier than others?

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Monday, 13 April 2009 More records fall in 2009 CARFITA Games – Day 3

Jehue Gordon (TRI) on his way to setting a CARIFTA 400m Hurdles record (Anthony Debeauville)

relnewsJames’ 45.45sec beats Bolt’s mark; Nero well inside 27yr-old record - CARIFTA Games, Day 2
First record falls as CARIFTA Games get underway in St. Lucia
St Lucia set for CARIFTA Games - PREVIEW
Vieux Fort, St Lucia - Last year, in St Kitts-Nevis, there were seven new CARIFTA records. With three days of four gone at the George Odlum Stadium in St Lucia, the XXVIII CARIFTA Games have already witnessed a dozen record performances, including six on Day 3.

With records already gone in the 1500m run under-20 men and women, the 400m girls under-17 and men under-20, and the High Jump men under-20, plus the High Jump under-17 girls equalled, the number of new records doubled on Sunday (12). This time around, the new Mondo track produced records in all events groups in which relays were contested – throws, hurdles, jumps and relays.

Although the start of competition was delayed for two hours thanks to a horrific accident on the road to the Stadium, the early afternoon commencement, plus the prospect of medals for the home team, meant that the Games had their biggest crowd to date. Approximately 5000 patrons, including sizeable contingents from the Bahamas, Barbados and the French Antilles, spurred the athletes on to higher heights, greater distances and lower times, beneath brilliant sunshine – interrupted for just a few minutes by light showers.

Wilson makes new record book entry

Supplanted from the record books last year in the Shot Put under-17, in St Lucia, Quincy Wilson predicted a record, and a 1-2 finish for Trinidad & Tobago in the Discus Throw under-20 men. Initial impressions suggested that he might be right on both counts; the first round saw Wilson on 53.70m (chasing Eric Matthias’ 2003 mark of 55.20m) and himself and teammate Richard Collingwood in the top two positions. But not to be gainsaid, the Jamaican duo of Travis Smikle and Chad Wright overtook Collingwood in the second round. Still well ahead, though, Wilson unleashed throws of 54.48m and then 55.67m, before fouling his last trial. Smikle and Wright occupied the next two spots.

Long hurdles marks tumble

It was Trinidad & Tobago again in the men’s 400m Hurdles, this time through Jehue Gordon. Gordon has been ominous in both hurdle events this year, and he stamped his authority on a classy field in St Lucia. Just 18 years old and a bronze medallist last year, the tall powerful athlete, who will also try the 110m Hurdles at CARIFTA 2009, erased Gregory Little’s 2002 performance of 50.85 seconds from the record book. Gordon ran 50.01 to beat his nearest rival, Leslie Murray of the US Virgin Islands, by over a second. Jamaica’s Dwayne Extol was third.

Also in the 400m Hurdles, Janieve Russell of Jamaica might have put herself in contention for the Austin Sealy Award for the Games’ most outstanding athlete. Already having qualified for the IAAF World Youth Championships, 8-12 July in Bressanone, Sudtirol, Italy (WYC), and having won one event and taken bronze in another, Russell broke an 11-year-old hurdles record. She held off Aimee Adamis of Martinique and Sade-Mariah Greenidge of Barbados to not only win the 300m Hurdles, but to do so in record style. Her mark of 41.30 just eclipsed the performance of 41.33 rendered in 1998 by Jamaica’s Patrica Hall.

The other hurdles events on Sunday produced no records, but a number of WYC qualifiers. In the 400m Under-17 boys, Tramaine Maloney of Barbados led four boys who may have booked their trips to Italy. Maloney beat Patrick Bodie (Bahamas) and Kyle Robinson (Jamaica) under the 56-second mark. Nejmi Burnside of Bahamas also qualified, despite ending fifth in the men’s event. Meanwhile, Nikita Tracy won for Jamaica, like Gordon having been third in St Kitts-Nevis. Last year’s 300m Hurdles champ, Danielle Dowie’s 57.88 qualifies her for Italy. Latoya Griffith, an under-20 finalist last year, was third.

Jamaicans resume sprint relay business as usual

Last year, Jamaica lost both under-20 4x100m relays to the Bahamas. This year, they established who the king of the heap is in the team races, and gave a glimpse of the shape of things to come.

In the 4x1 under-17 girls, led by Russell, Jamaica blazed their way to a CARIFTA record of 45.05, beating the 45.43 Jamaica ran in 2005, and beating teams from Trinidad & Tobago and Bahamas in the process. Breaking a prestigious record set by a team including Marc Burns and Darrel Brown in Grenada in 2000, the Jamaica under-17 boys, led by 100m champion Jahazeel Murphy, were timed at 40.76 (old record 40.87) ahead of the Bahamas and Barbados.

The presence of defending 200m champion Nivea Smith did nothing to help the Bahamas, nor did the services of 100m champion Shekeim Greaves help Barbados in the women’s and men’s under-20 finals. Jamaica women beat Smith and company, 45.04 to 45.43, with Trinidad & Tobago third. Jamaica men beat Greaves and associates, 40.05 to 40.62, with Martinique third.

The story, though, may have been Greaves grabbing his biceps femoris twice, having run the 200m semi-finals less than an hour before the relay final, and with his participation in what should be a tasty final Monday in jeopardy.

From third last year to first, all-time

In 2008, Jamaica’s Rochelle Farquharson was third in the Triple Jump under-17 girls and failed to reach the dais in Long Jump. In 2009, Farquharson is a CARIFTA record holder. She was streets ahead of her competition, Akeila Richardson of Bermuda clearing 11.56m and Tamara Myers of Bahamas 11.70m for third and second. But Farquharson, on her opening trial, more than qualified for WYC and, more immediately, broke Kimberly Williams’ 2004 mark of 12.53m for the event. Two of Farquharson’s jumps were over the 12.00m mark needed to qualify for WYC.

Kareem Streete-Thompson’s record may have been a bit too much for him at this time, but Streete-Thompson would be proud of Jamaica’s Daniel Forte, whose distance of 7.25m in the under-17 Long Jump booked him a trip to Italy and was more than enough to hold off Atiba Wright of Trinidad & Tobago and Wilfried Yeye of Guadeloupe.

In the women’s High Jump, a disappointing competition saw winner Shanieka Thomas of Jamaica, Jeanelle Ovid (Trinidad & Tobago) and Shinelle Proctor (Anguilla) all clearing 1.70, which would not have won them and under-17 medal. Breaking Jamaican hegemony, Trinidad & Tobago’s Elton Walcott won Triple Jump men from J’Vente Deveaux of Bahamas and Ulric Bolosier, Martinique.

Da Veiga wins thrilling Pentathlon

Entering the second day of the Pentathlon, the competition was poised to go to the wire. But overnight leader Makeba Alcide of St Lucia underwhelmed in event 4, the Long Jump. Her best effort of 4.89m left her fifth in that event, second overall and staring at a long uphill climb with Da Veiga’s 5.56m enough to win the Long Jump and put her well ahead, needing only to stay within 15 seconds of Alcide’s time in the 800m run. The hometown girl put in an heroic run to establish a fourth personal record, 2:29.99, beating Da Veiga by five seconds in the event, but doing enough to hold onto silver, with Jamaica’s Annmarie Duffs third.

Competition in the Heptathlon has been less exciting than normal, with only three athletes facing the starter’s pistol for the 110m Hurdles. Darion Duncombe won that event in 16.03 seconds from the Turks & Caicos pair of Dorodo Fulford and Anthony Clarke. He won Long Jump with a mark of 6.62m, whilst Fulford threw 49.39m to win Javelin Throw, but Duncombe returned to win the 200m dash in 22.42 seconds. He leads overnight on 2801 points, with Fulford on 2596 and Clarke on 2295.

3000m gold stays in St Lucia

Shawn Adams took silver for St Lucia at CARIFTA 2002 in the 300m under-17 boys. That was the country’s only medal success in that event. But on Sunday, Rolstan Pamphile took off at a very hot pace, variously challenged by teammate Silverius Vidal, Trinidad & Tobago’s Nicholas Landeau and Mark London, the latter eventually settling for third, and eventual silver medallist Trey Simons of Bermuda. But Pamphile, who ended up seven seconds outside of WYC qualifying, fended off all challengers, and brought the home team its second title.

Rounding out Day 3, Twishana Williams led a Jamaica 1-2 with Sharlene Brown in the 300m women’s open, Ashley Berry third for Bermuda. Sasha Gaye Marston similarly led a Jamaica 1-2 with Kellion Nibb in the Discus Throw under-17 girls, Anestecia Daire of Trinidad & Tobago third. There was a TNT 1-2 in the Javelin Throw under-17 boys, Keshorn Walcott’s 59.30m just eight centimetres off the CARIFTA record and less than a metre from WYC qualification. Compatriot Andwele Korede was second, Byron Ferguson of Bahamas third. And Micara Vassell took Shot Put under-20 gold for Jamaica, Hilenn James of Trinidad & Tobago and Anne-Caroline Ducados of Martinique completing the rostrum.

Monday (13) will see the conclusion of what should be very exciting series in the 200m and 800m, as well as Kemoy Campbell taking on his own 5000m record, the rest of the region challenging Jamaica in the mile relays, Kierre Beckles perhaps versus the clock in her 100m Hurdles, Quincy Wilson looking to do the double, and the home team anticipating a strong finishing kick as St Lucia looks to its medal hopes in the Long Jump under-20 men and Triple Jump under-20 women, both of which events they ended in fourth last year.

Terry Finisterre for the IAAF

Click here for RESULTS

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Jazeel Murphy - teen Bolt
posted: 2009-04-04 07:39:21

Bridgeport HIGH’S Jazeel Murphy is the fastest 15-year-old athlete this year.

Murphy, who hails from Spanish Town, St Catherine, ran a blistering 10.42 seconds to win the Boys Under-17 100m at the CARIFTA Trials at Stadium East recently, leaving in his wake second-place runner, Munroe College’s Adam Cummings, 10.75, and Wolmer’s Boys third-place athlete, Odean Skeen, 10.78. The victory margin was 0.33 seconds, which is quite impressive for a sprint.

Murphy’s time was 0.11 seconds faster than the 10.53 seconds which Kemar Bailey-Cole of Old Harbour High to win the Under-20 boys’ final. Murphy ran 22.54 seconds in the 200m final, in -5.1 m/s wind to complete the sprint double.

Murphy’s achievement is somewhat mind-blowing, since he is still learning the techniques of sprinting. His coach, Carl Page, said he can run even faster. “I think he can run faster. He has more in him because he slowed down to beat his chest, with about five metres to go in the 100m race.”

Coach Page said Murphy’s only weakness is his start. “He needs to work on his start because he had to run and catch his main competitors, but he still won easily,” he said.

Murphy will be in pole position, at Boys’ and Girls’ championships at the National Stadium from April 1-4.

The CARIFTA Games record of 10.34, set by Herbert Morrison’s Dexter Lee in 2007, is in danger of being broken, so too is the Boys Champs Class Two record of 10.34, set by super sprinter Yohan Blake in 2006.

C.F.P.I. Timing & Data - Contractor License
38th Carifta Games Championship - 4/10/2009 to 4/13/2009
St. Lucia National Stadium
Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, B.W.I.

Event 2 Boys 100 Meter Dash Under 17

   World: W  9.69  8/16/2008   Usain Bolt, JAM

World Junior: J 10.01 8/24/2003 Darrel Brown, TRI
World Youth: Y 10.24 4/14/2001 Darrel Brown, TRI
Carifta: C 10.34 4/7/2007 Dexter Lee, Jamaica
W. Youth Qul: % 11.35
Name Year Team Finals Wind

Finals
1 Murphy, Jahazeel Jamaica 10.41% 2.0
2 Farquharson, Jonathan Bahamas 10.59% 2.0
3 Holder, Johnathan Trinidad & Tobago 10.62% 2.0
4 Ryan, Lester Montserrat 10.82% 2.0
5 Place, Jeneko Bermuda 10.87% 2.0
6 Venus, Ludovic Martinique 10.95% 2.0
7 Armbrister, Rashad Bahamas 11.11% 2.0
8 Williams, Delano Turks & Caicos 11.13% 2.0

JAHAZEEL (OR MAYBE JAZEEL) MURPHY IS 14 OR MAYBE 15. THE WORLD AGE 14 RECORD (AS FAR AS I COULD FIND OUT) IS 10.64 BY CURTIS JOHNSON OF THE US. kk

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JAHAZEEL MURPHY: THE FACTS
15 years 46 days (27 Feb 1994)

PERSONAL BESTS:

100 m

Outdoor 10.41 2.0 1-16 CariftaG Vieux-Fort 11 Apr 2009

200 m

Outdoor 21.38 -0.4 1-17 Kingston 4 Apr 2009

Progression:

100 m

Outdoor

2008 10.97 1.4 2-16 HS Ch Kingston 14 Mar

2009 10.39w 6.1 1h3-16 CariftaG Vieux-Fort 11 Apr

2009 10.41 2.0 1-16 CariftaG Vieux-Fort 11 Apr

200 m

Outdoor

2009 21.69w 3.1 1-16 Jackson Kingston 31 Jan

2009 21.38 -0.4 1-17 Kingston 4 Apr

2009 season

100 m

10.64 0.3 1-16 UWI Inv Kingston 21 Feb

10.42 1.1 1-16 Kingston 7 Mar

10.44 0.0 1-17 Kingston 2 Apr

10.39w 6.1 1h3-16 CariftaG Vieux-Fort 11 Apr

10.41 PB (71) 2.0 1-16 CariftaG Vieux-Fort 11 Apr

200 m

21.69w 3.1 1-16 Jackson Kingston 31 Jan

21.47 -2.0 1h4-18 Kingston 1 Apr

21.66 -0.8 1s1-17 Kingston 4 Apr

21.38 PB (211) -0.4 1-17 Kingston 4 Apr

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That’s an effective argument… for everyone who runs faster than 10.41 at any age.

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:eek::slight_smile: Ouch and snap

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The next Usains bolting to the fore

Tuesday 14th April, 2009 Posted: 17:16 CIT (22:16 GMT)

The world caught a glimpse of who could be Jamaica’s future Olympic champions last week at the island’s annual high school Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic Championships at the National Stadium.

Some of Jamaica’s most prolific athletes rose to prominence there. The names Herb McKenley, Donald Quarrie, and Merlene Ottey spring to mind.

The high school meet, has in the last 30 of its 90–plus year existence, earned the reputation of being the biggest in the English–speaking Caribbean.

There was added excitement this year following Jamaica’s 11–medal haul at the Beijing Olympics.

All four individual gold medallists, including the 100m and 200 metres world record holder Usain Bolt, got their start at this event.

Two–time 200m winner Veronica Campbell–Brown, 100m gold medallist Shelly Ann Fraser and 400m hurdles winner Melaine Walker are the others who got their first taste of track and field stardom at the Championships.

Jamaica had an influx of international media, sports agents, and representatives from athletics’ world governing body IAAF.

British former two–time world champion and 110m hurdles world record holder Colin Jackson was among the noted athletes who watched the meet from Wednesday to Saturday as part of a delegation from sportswear manufacturers Puma, which also sponsors the country’s athletics association.

Former Olympic 100m champion Donovan Bailey and 2004 Olympics 400m hurdles gold medallist Felix Sanchez have been spotted among the massive crowds at past Championships.

Onlookers were not disappointed. World Youth 200m champion Ramone McKenzie of dethroned champions Calabar and Holmwood’s pair of Dianna Johnson and Chris–Ann Gordon were the star performers on the last day.

McKenzie, 19, secured the 200 and 400m Class One double in 20.66 and 46.88 seconds respectively.

Holmwood’s Johnson, only 13, took the Class Four sprint double by running meet records of 24.62 seconds to add to her 11.90 seconds 100m .

However, the performance, arguably the best of the meet, saw Gordon, only 14, destroying the Class Three 400m field, which included Carifta Under–17 champion Shericka Jackson of Vere, to win in 52.68.

Gordon, who won the 100m and 200m in Class Four last year, ran away with the 400m and 800m in her first Class Three year. She ran 2:13.45 for victory in the 800m.

Gordon, who returned to clock 51.2 on anchor for Holmwood to break the record in the 4x400m open (3:34.35), ran faster than her seniors – Jodi–Ann Muir, 18, of Wolmer’s (53.45) in Class One and Petra Fanty, 17, of Holmwood, the Class Two winner in 54.24.

However, while all these great performances were unfolding, Kingston College and Calabar were battling out the boys’ title down to the final event, the boys’ 4x400m.

In the end, KC maintained their lead and took top honours by a whisker, 223.5 over Calabar’s 222. Jamaica College, 154, and Wolmer’s, 144, and St Jago, 122.5, rounded off the top five.

The National Stadium seats around 25,000 and it was packed every day.

Over 1,000 athletes vied for titles in 30–plus events over the four days with a points system determining the champion school.

Among those on show were the reigning 100m World Junior champion Dexter Lee.

He won the senior boys’ 100, in a personal best 10.31 seconds.

Nickel Ashmeade, who won the 200m silver at last summer’s World Juniors, was second in 10.37 secs.

Lee won the World Junior 100m gold medal last year in Poland and the World Youth gold in the Czech Republic the previous year, and has been identified as the future of sprinting in Jamaica.

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So are you saying that those who mature faster/earlier have a greater potential for speed?

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Originally Posted by Charlie Francis View Post
That’s an effective argument… for everyone who runs faster than 10.41 at any age.
So are you saying that those who mature faster/earlier have a greater potential for speed?

The kid is 14/15 y.o. and is a developing athlete. The training he has done so far could not have contributed to his amasing speed [at the level of an adult elite sprinters] because he has not been doing it at the required level for as long as it would be required to produce such training related outcome. Rather it is his talent and more importantly his early BUT gradual growth/puberty/development.

This is particularly specific to some nations who tend to develop early. In the Pacific region you have “islanders” who kick arse when they are 13-15y.o and then disappear from the sporting scene forever. I have seen some Indian kids developing early [around 13-15 and by the time they reach 16-17 they still run the same and they will continue to run approx. the same times. Of course there are exceptions.

I have not seen this kid yet but I bet my bottom dollar that he is a very strong boy, who is perhaps not lanky and is more of compact built. And most importantly who has not been going through sudden big growth spurts but rather who has been developing early and GRADUALLY.

I have a number of good examples that I could mention from my experience. Let’s not overlook teenage girls who go through puberty earlier than others and outperform their coevals by the time they are 13-14yo. producing in the process some stunning times for that age. If they have not been coached carefully they will run approx. the same times even when they are 18 or 25. I have more examples of this than exceptions.

In Australia, for example, kids from QLD generally outperform kids from the southern states - due to better weather conditions but by the time NSW, or VIC or TAS kids reach their puberty [14-17] they rank the same as QLD kids if not better.

Furthermore, it also comes down to sport specific communities. Some very fast kids will never become T&F athletes but rather footballers, rugby players, etc because they come from such community or class.

So back to the question - what sort of training this kid has been doing?

I reckon he has been doing similar sort of training as many other kids of his age - the training for developing athletes.

I would be more concerned than happy for this boy even though I admire the results he produced. My concern is related to potential injuries that such young athlete could be prone to when running at that intensity.

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http://www.iaaf.org/WYC09/news/newsid=50165.html

Tuesday, 14 April 2009
More records, a relay upset, and double jumping success for hosts - CARIFTA Games close

Jamaica’s Jahazeel Murphy (154) on his way to completing sprint double with 200m victory - 2009 CARIFTA Games (Jed Charles)
relnews
• More records fall in 2009 CARIFTA Games – Day 3
• James’ 45.45sec beats Bolt’s mark; Nero well inside 27yr-old record - CARIFTA Games, Day 2
• First record falls as CARIFTA Games get underway in St. Lucia
• St Lucia set for CARIFTA Games - PREVIEW
•
Vieux Fort, St Lucia - A total of fifteen records fell on the track and in the field over the four days (10 – 13 April) of the XXXVIII CARIFTA Games which closed yesterday (13).
The George Odlum Stadium, proclaimed by North and Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (NACAC) president, Neville “Teddy” McCook as the best stadium in the Caribbean, saw over 500 athletes from 26 territories giving their all and demonstrating why CARIFTA is considered one of the world’s foremost development meets.
Victor Lopez, president of the Caribbean Athletic Confederation, supported the stadium’s claim as the finest in the region, and went on to advise that whoever ends up hosting the Games in 2009 will find it hard to surpass the show put on in St Lucia.
It started on Good Friday with a surprise gold medal for the hosts and a new record for CARIFTA wonder girl Natoya Goule. It continued with the fabulous Kirani James making his under-20 men’s debut and blasting away not only the field, but also Usain Bolt’s six-year-old meet record for the 400m dash. That feat earned young Kirani the Austin Sealy Award as the most outstanding athlete of the 2009 CARIFTA Games. It was always going to be his to lose, but there would have been little argument had the award gone to any of the likes of Goule, Gavyn Nero or even young Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.

A crowd of some 6000 came in on the final day to witness records falling, and success for the host nation.
An upset and a record in 4x400m relays
Last year, Jamaica had to settle for “just” two of the four sprint relay titles – this year, they secured them all.
They were set to do the same in the 4x400m series, winning the first three races, but the final event produced the drama that typified these Games. Jamaica was well set after the first leg, with hurdler Dwayne Extol. Trinidad & Tobago’s Nero, though, would have none of it, dragging his team near level on the second shift. Just after Jamaica’s Sheldon Williams handed off to World Junior Championship silver medallist Nickel Ashmeade, 400m Hurdles champion Jehue Gordon got the baton, and in the end, his speed endurance told, as the team from the Land of the Hummingbird erupted in celebration.
Meanwhile, in the under-17 girls division, a team featuring 800m champion Chris Ann Gordon, 400m record holder Jackson and intermediate hurdles record holder Janieve Russell would have taken some beating. Instead, they beat the Bahamas (3:45.61) and Trinidad & Tobago (3:50.61) into second and third, and in the process broke a five-year-old Games record, running 3:38.09 to supplant the record of 3:39.50 previously set by a team that included the likes of World Junior Championship silver medallist Sonita Sutherland and WJC bronze medallist Sherene Pinnock.

In the under-17 boys category, Jamaica beat Trinidad & Tobago and Grenada. In the under-20 girls, they defeated Barbados and Bahamas.
Murphy makes good on the double
The last day at CARIFTA is when double champions are crowned. Well worthy is Jahazeel Murphy, the latest Jamaican sprinting sensation. Just 15 this year, he won the 100m dash earlier on the weekend, after running 5 hundredths of a second out of the Games record in the semi-final, he made no mistake in the 200m, blasting away Dexter Lee’s 2007 record of 21.09, running 20.97with a trailing wind of just 1.4 metres per second and leaving the likes of Trinidad & Tobago’s Johnathan Holder (21.36) and Delano Williams (21.62) of Turks & Caicos in his wake.
The Jamaican camp may say that they were unsurprised, but Nivea Smith of the Bahamas had not lost a CARIFTA 200m dash in three years. It seems fourth time was the charm, though, as Smith ran 23.36 seconds to finish second, with Jamaica’s diminutive sensation, Jura Leavy, winning in 23.20 seconds. Third, for the second time this meet, was Allison Peters of the US Virgin Islands.
Shericka Jackson ran 23.62 to win the under-17 title from the Bahamian duo of Antonique Strachan and Rashan Brown. With Barbados’ 100m champion Shekeim Greaves succumbing to a hamstring injury, Nickel Ashmeade and Ramone McKenzie romped home 1-2 for Jamaica, as Rachmil van Lamoen showed his improvement, taking third for the Netherlands Antilles, their only medal.
Campbell strikes gold, resets 5000 mark
Surely disappointed at his inability to overcome rival Gavyn Nero on the opening night, for the second year in a row Kemoy Campbell ended his meet by taking his frustration out on the 5000m run. Next year, he won’t have Nero to contend with, and the double could be virtually a foregone conclusion, as opposed to a possibility.
This time out, though, it was Kemoy Campbell against the clock, the small Jamaican blasting out to a CARIFTA record 14:40.67, just under six seconds better than the mark he set last year. Delohnni Samuel of St Vincent & the Grenadines, this year minus the dreadlocks, earned his country’s only medal a minute later, with Matthew Wright of Barbados pressing hard in third.
Wind robs Beckles, who leads hurdle series
Central Arizona College freshman Kierre Beckles was in a record-breaking mood in St Lucia. But her 100m Hurdles mark of 13.43 from 2008 will stay in the books, instead of her 2009 winning mark of 13.31, as she fell victim to the inconsistent winds at this facility, a 2.6 metre per second wind invalidating her record. Ivanique Kemp of Bahamas and Kaymarie Jones of Jamaica took second and third.

In the men’s U20 110m HurdlesTrinidad & Tobago’s Jehue Gordon, put in a performance of 13.86 seconds and successfully held off Dennis Bain of Bahamas and Greggmar Swift of Barbados to take his second title of these Games.
Keenan Davis of Jamaica will have been pleased to win the 100m Hurdles in the under-17 division, but she would also be thrilled to realize that her winning time of 14.15 seconds ought to book her a ticket to the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships, 8-12 July in Bressanone, Sudtirol, Italy (WYC).
The Jamaica team for that meet will be interesting – it could feature CARIFTA bronze medallist Taitanna Wolfe as well, whereas silver medallist Sade-Mariah Greenige could represent Barbados. Stefan Fennell won the 100m under-17 Hurdles for boys, the Jamaican winning over Raphel Jordan of Barbados and Patrick Bodie, Bahamas.
Straightforward wins in 800 series
With a leisurely pace being set in the 800m under-17 girls, and mindful of the upcoming mile relay, Jamaica’s Chris Ann Gordon ran from the front almost from the start, and eased to the line in 2:11.43, punching her ticket to Italy nonetheless, as did second- and third-place finishers Shani Adams and Sonia Gaskin, both of Barbados. Similarly, it was Jamaica-Barbados-Barbados in the boys’ race. Waquar Da Costa was unbothered by the early pace, sat back through the first lap, and was never even pressed until the last 150m, winning in 1:55.70 from Antonio Mascoll and Jerrad Mason, all three boys qualifying for WYC.
The under-20 division produced repeats of last year’s doubles for 1500m record breakers Gavyn Nero and Natoya Goule. Nero ran 1:51.75 to beat Aaron Evans of Bermuda and Kadeem Smith from St Kitts-Nevis in the men’s race. Goule was untroubled in ringing up a time of 2:09.27, more than enough to hold off hard-charging teammate Ristananna Tracey and Alena Brooks of Trinidad & Tobago.
Hometown crowd cheers champions
The first field event of the day, the Long Jump under-20 men, saw last year’s fourth-place finisher coming up against a man who set a CARIFTA record on Saturday, Lenyn Leonce of St Lucia drawn in the same flight as High Jump champion Raymond Higgs of Bahamas. And from his opening jump of 7.31, Higgs declared that he would concede nothing to home pit advantage. But on his third jump, Leonce produced the goods, clearing 7.35m to take a lead he would not relinquish. He went on to add a centimetre on each of his next two trials, meaning that Higgs’ final-round 7.35m was still two centimetres short. Marlon Thompson of Jamaica never improved on his second-round 7.26m and stayed third.
In the other under-20 jump final on the last day, Martinique-based St Lucian Sandisha Antoine looked like a woman among girls from the first round of the Triple Jump, as only three athletes had legal jumps in that round, her 12.43m easily the best of them. Chasing 13m, the 18-year-old eventually ended at 12.91m, although none of her trials resulted in a National Record, thanks to illegal winds of up to 4.1 m/s. Cinthia Battah-Aoufoh had a best performance of 12.54m to take the silver back home to Guadeloupe, and Yushani Durrant added another bronze medal to the one she earned in Long Jump on Saturday.
Three individual champions lined up in Triple Jump under-17 boys. Kemar Jones had won High Jump already, while Keshorn Walcott took Javelin Throw on Sunday. But it was Long Jump champion Julian Forte of Jamaica who would triumph, looking by far the best jumper on display. He hopped, stepped and jumped his way to 14.77m, twice going over the qualifying distance for WYC. Unfortunately, only one of the identical twins Latone and Lathario Minns of the Bahamas qualified for Italy. Latone cleared 14.58m to bypass his brother on round two, whilst Lathario never improved from his 14.39m in round one.
Lacklustre Heptathlon ends in Bahamas gold
The meet record was never in danger in what turned out to be an exhibition event. Darion Dumcombe won 100m Hurdles, Long Jump, 200m dash, Discus Throw and 1500m on his way to 4394 points, followed by Dorodo Fulfolrd and Anthony Clarke of Turks & Caicos. Myriam Sacama-Isidore took gold for Martinique in Javelin Throw under-20 women, throwing 41.43m to beat teammate Laure Mongin and Tesril Nisbett of St Kitts-Nevis.
Robert Collingwood won Shot Put under-20 men with 17.49m to beat teammate and Discus Throw champion Quincy Wilson and Shakir Simmons of Grenada. Ashinia Miller’s throw of 16.62m to win Shot Put under-17 for Jamaica was a centimetre shy of the Games record.
Jamaica tops well-spread table
At the end of Day 4, 20 out of the 26 participating territories were represented in the medal table. Anguilla, Netherlands Antilles and Cayman Islands got a bronze medal apiece. St Kitts-Nevis, last year’s hosts, got two bronze medals. St Vincent & the Grenadines and Antigua-Barbuda took a silver each. Turks & Caicos got a silver and two bronze, bettered by US Virgin Islands with one bronze more. Guadeloupe had two silver, one bronze, Bermuda two silver, four bronze. French Guyana, returning to the CARIFTA fold this year, was 10th overall with gold and bronze. The Commonwealth of Dominica took gold and silver in the same event, whilst Guyana managed one medal of each colour.
Grenada, on the back of James, but with strong performances in the field events as well, got a gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Martinique had 10 total medals, three gold, one silver, six bronze. Bahamas had a relatively disappointing meet, with just three gold medals, 17 silver and eight bronze.
The host nation had its best CARIFTA outing ever, with four gold and two silver medals. Barbados did not meet their pre-Games expectations, with four gold medals, nine silver, eight bronze. Trinidad & Tobago had a great Games, nine gold including several records, 10 silver, 10 bronze. And Jamaica ruled the roost with 39 gold medals, 15 silver and 13 bronze for a total haul of 67.
Interestingly, Jamaica had a relatively rough time in the under-20 men’s division, absent the likes of champion sprinter Dexter Lee. The only individual successes for that team came from Campbell and Ashmeade. The Jamaica challenge was mainly carried by their girls’ team, Goule, Gordon, the Russells, Carrie and Janieve, and the Sherickas, Jackson and Moulton, helping them to come within two of their overall medal total from St Kitts-Nevis 2008.
Next edition?
The CARIFTA Congress Monday morning (13) having decided that the US Virgin Islands will not host the 2010 Games, Cayman Islands are now being considered as a possible venue.
Terry Finisterre for the IAAF
Click here for RESULTS

14

Oh here he is. Thanks kk1 I guess he can not be taller than 175cm???

This kid came out of blue and is the fastest 16yo in Australia [10.74] Has been on the track since October 2008. Soccer background. 175cm tall approx. but very strong and solid.

Strong, versatile and compact athletes these two. But will they make it onto the next level?

15

I’m just saying that’s a terrific result.

16

Oh, ok gotcha.

17

on a somewhat related note,
especially where I live the best girl distance runners are not only skinny but many have not started puberty even at 16-17 and when they do hit puberty they can never run the same times again. It isn’t a rare to see a girl run her best ever times freshman year and never come close to them again.

18

It also isn’t rare for 17-y-o girls to run into serious bone density problems when they haven’t had regular periods up to that age. Next step, osteoporosis - a problem for life, not just for the track. It has to do with level of bodyfat. If a female isn’t carrying enough, the body will sometimes switch off the fertility machine… so although many will never run as fast again following the onset (delayed or whatever) of menstruation and sometimes also bodyweight (read fat) we should really be thankful that they’ll get onto a more healthy life track. I’m sure we would all agree on that.

19

Yes, it’s really a combination of enough activity to keep the hormones in check into puberty but also to prevent overstress and underweight conditions.
It’s a balancing act, but, on the whole, due to higher fat levels and sedentary lifestyles, puberty is setting in earlier than ever.