THIS WEEK IN NACAC
12 July 2021
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!
Sincere congratulations are in order for FECOA, the NACAC member federation of Costa Rica, for its successful hosting of this year’s edition of the NACAC U18/U20/U23 Championships in the capital city of San Jose.
President of FECOA, Geen Clarke, came in for commendation from NACAC’s leadership for ensuring that the next generation of athletes was offered the opportunity to travel to compete in the Area without having to quarantine. The health protocols were in place and afforded engagement in athletics competition over three days of mixed weather.
For her part, Clarke chose to ‘thank those member federations, athletes and coaches that supported FECOA’s decision to host the Championships”.
The Championships produced exciting and high-quality competition over the three days, 9 – 11 July.
Jamaica emerged with the most medals in the Championships which also saw several records broken.
NACAC President, Mike Sands, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the event citing the numerous challenges that mitigated against greater numbers from the Area’s member federations while understanding the explanations offered for the absence of others.
There was high participation from Jamaica and the Bahamas in particular, a feature that allowed for the number of participants to exceed 200. The USA and Canada had long indicated their inability to participate due to the pandemic’s impact. Panama, though now a member of NACAC, requested to participate in the Championships due to the absence of competition at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The host country, Costa Rica, competed in all events. Unfortunately, health protocols in place in the country did not allow for spectators at the competition venue.
Costa Rica came forward as host of this year’s Championships when NACAC was experiencing great difficulty attracting bids from member federations.
NACAC Athletes intensify Olympic Preparation
While Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce stole the show at Jamaica’s National Championships, 24 – 27 June, it was the runners-up, Shericka Jackson and Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, who rose to the occasion at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial, at the Bregyó Athletic Centre in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
Thompson-Herah turned the tables on Fraser-Pryce in the100m, by producing a season’s best 10.71. This was her second consecutive 100m victory in Europe since the Jamaican Championships, sending a very clear message that she is not prepared to readily give up her Olympic crowns so easily. Fraser-Pryce was second in 10.82. Both Jamaicans broke the existing Meet record set by another Jamaican, newly retired, Veronica Campbell-Brown, of 10.99, set in 2015.
For her part, Jackson won the 200m in 21.96, serving an impressive victory over long-time rival, Bahamian, Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.15). It was an interesting twist of fate since yet again, the top two sprinters went under Miller-Uibo’s meet record of 22.18.
With the stunning performances currently being witnessed at the Diamond League events and with top US female sprinter, Sha’Carri Richardson out of the Olympic 100m, the Jamaicans seem set to take all the medals in the 100m.
Many sprint enthusiasts and especially those from Jamaica have hinted that Fraser-Pryce is certainly a big occasion athlete and that being the fierce competition that she is, we can all look forward to a very exciting 100m final in Tokyo, despite fears of the pandemic and empty stadia.
Meanwhile, pundits are pointing to the possibility that the intensity of competition amongst the female sprinters at this edition of the Summer Olympics may be the best rivalry to the men’s version that we have ever witnessed.
Athletics dominates TTO’s Olympic team
As with most Caribbean countries, Trinidad and Tobago’s team to the Tokyo Olympics is dominated by track and field athletes.
The team is a mix of some first timers, second timers, third timers and a few who are on the team for their fourth Olympics.
Jereem Richards (200m and 4 x 400m) and Michelle-Lee Ahye are expected to carry the nation’s chances for medals in Tokyo.
NCAA Heptathlon champion 2021, Tyra Gittens will contest the long jump after having fallen short of the standard for her pet event by one point.
Other team members are: Kelly-Ann Baptiste (100m 4x100m), Semoy Hackett (4x100m), Khalifa St Fort (4x100m ), Ayla Stanisclaus (4x100m), Kai Selvon (4x100m), Sparkle McKnight (400m hurdles), Kyle Greaux (200m), Jereem Richards (200m, 4x400m), Machel Cedenio (400m, 4x400m), Deon Lendore (400m, 4x400m), Dwight St Hillaire (400m, 4x400m), Asa Guevara (4x400m relay), Che Lara (4x400m relay), Kion Benjamin (4x100m), Adell Colthrust (4x100m), Eric Harrison (4x100m), Akanni Hislop (4x100m), Richard Thompson (4x100m), Jonathan Farinha (4x100m), Keshorn Walcott (Javelin), Andwuelle Wright (Long Jump) and Portious Warren (Shot Put).
Bermuda serves up impressive Nationals
Bermuda’s Junior and Senior National Championships over the weekend saw the engagement of the nation’s elite international athletes as well as some invited international athletes brought in to assist in enhancing the competition and, of course, the excitement.
The Championships featured the Juniors on Friday 9 July with the Seniors the following day, Saturday 10 July.
Sierra Leonne’s Margaret Barrie, gave good account when winning the Open 400m in 53.23, ahead of Bermuda’s Caitlyn Bobb, a former Carifta gold medalist, in a time of 53.64. Barrie also won the 200m in 24.64.
Bermuda’s Tyrone Smith produced a winning performance of 7.79m in the Long Jump, continuing the proud tradition of the jumps in the country, defeating Bahamians, Damar Forbes (7.63m)and Laquan Nairn (7.52m).
Jah-Nhai Perinchief, winner of the Triple Jump at the SEC Championships and second in the NCAA Championships, won the Triple Jump with a leap of 17.94.
Dage Minors and Suresh Back emerged double winners at the Championships. Minors won the 5000m (15.23.62) and 800m (1.54.20), while Black’s double came in the 100m (10.89) and 200m (21.79) respectively.
BNAA President, Donna Raynor, expressed her satisfaction with the outstanding performances by all the athletes who, eager to compete after being sidelined by the pandemic for so long, made it clear that their love of the sport kept them in training.
“Carifta 2020: Our Vision” was the ceremony that preceded the commencement of the Senior Championships on Saturday last. It featured past Carifta athletes of Bermuda who engaged in a baton relay through the streets of the capital city, Hamilton.
With the Carifta Games not having been held in Bermuda when they were due in both 2020 and 2021, the BNAA creatively decorated stadium in the Carifta paraphernalia and had the “Carifta 2020: Our Vision” ceremony with the country’s Premier, Government officials and sponsors in attendance.
The ceremony also includes several speeches and the country’s Carifta 2020 team was introduced, to the delight of all present in the stadium.
The dignitaries and past Carifta athletes were each presented with a commemorative Carifta medal.
Two of Bermuda’s elite athletes, Tyrone Smith and Jah-Nhai Perinchief, were presented with plaques in appreciation for their outstanding achievements in the sport of track and field athletics.
Dominica celebrates Nationals 2021
While Nathan Telemaque (men) and Jemerly Lawrence (women) earned themselves due recognition as the top performers at Dominica’s National Championships over the weekend, it was Telemaque who carried home the title of the Most Outstanding Athlete.
Telemaque won the High and Long Jumps, the 400m.
MacNaguirre Suares was unfortunate not to have captured the top title, having won the 200m, 800m and 1500m.
President of the Dominica member federation, Godwin Dorsett, in highlighting the eagerness of the athletes to compete in the Championships, remains eager to garner NACAC’s continued support for Anguilla and Dominica’s longstanding appeal to World Athletics for assistance with the provision of one of the 10 tracks offered by the Qatar member federation several years ago.
NACAC’s president, Mike Sands, and the NACAC Council, has given an undertaking to keep the matter of the tracks for Anguilla and Dominica, on the agenda of discussions with World Athletics.
“These tracks remain one of our priorities”, Sands is quoted as saying.
Young Vincentian athletes shine at Nationals
Home-based Vincentian athletes displayed their proficiencies on Saturday 10 July when Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines finally held its National Championships which had been postponed, first because of the volcanic eruption of La Soufriere and secondly because of the passage of Tropical Storm, Elsa.
Shonte Matthias of IT DAT Academy, dominated the track events for the U17 category with victories in the 100m, 400m and 200m respectively.
Another IT DAT female athlete, Tyhra Charles, won the 80m, 400m and 200m, respectively, in the U15 category.
Nellie Ambriton of Xcel had double victories in the 800m and 1500m of the U20 category while
Devonte Mack of High Performance (HP) took honours in the U17 100m and 200m.
HP’s Kirk Hamlet, won the U20 Discus Throw and High Jump while Xcel’s Godwyn Roban won the senior Long Jump and High Jump respectively.
For the first time in Nationals the hurdles event was introduced.
IT DAT Academy’s foursome of Ethan Myers, Daniel Hasheem, Odesha Nanton and Grenisha Thomas, contested the 400mH event and finished in the above order.
Nanton and Tamara Woodley had represented St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Carifta Games in Cayman Islands in 2019 when Woodley finished in fourth.
Coach Michael Ollivierre is spearheading TASVG’s drive to expand interest in the hurdles events.
Weekly Meetings
Wednesday 14 July
10.00am ECT – Weekly Meeting – Mike Sands, Michael Serralta, Chester Morgan and Keith Joseph
