This Week in NACAC: Jamaican female sprinters seize Diamond League limelight

St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Maarten and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The overseas participants made this edition of the Games the largest in its relatively short history.

When the curtains came down on the day’s competition, Guadeloupe had emerged the most successful team with a total of 15 gold, two silver and four bronze, ahead of Martinique with six gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze, and Antigua and Barbuda third with five gold and seven silver medals.

For many of the participants the competition was a welcome one given the extensive lockdown to which some of them were subjected during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International Friendship Games was established by Alain Jean-Pierre, president of that country’s Athletics Federation, following the border conflict between the Dominican Republic and Haiti in May 2017 which left 17 persons dead. The presidents of the member federations of both countries committed to establish the International Friendship Games between them to commemorate the incident as well as to show that sport, and particularly athletics, could bring people together in unity and put an end to conflict of any sort.

While the original intent was to have the International Friendship Games involve the two countries that were involved in the 2017 conflict, the sheer nature of the sport of athletes eventually led to an expansion of invitations to others in NACAC. The fact that this year’s celebration, the first time in Martinique, attracted 11 federations is testimony to the understanding, cooperation and commitment of an increasing number of NACAC members to choosing sport as a vehicle to combat conflict.

NACAC is extremely proud of the initiative and commends Jean-Pierre for his vision in this regard.

NACAC also congratulates the Martinique Athletics League for stepping forward to host this year’s 4^th edition of the International Friendship Games, a Caribbean initiative.

Around NACAC

Nicaragua

As the Nicaraguan Athletics Federation prepares for the U18 and U20 Central American Athletics Championships (17 – 19 June), the Senior Central American Athletics Championships (1 – 2 July) and the World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia and Oregon, the leadership convened the last of its national pre-selection competitions for the two major events on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May 2022.

The outstanding athletes:

U18

1. Jair Diaz. 200m – 22.00
2. Irish Villarreal. 100m – 13.50

U20

1. Gabriel 10,000m Race Walk – 42:51.00
2. Oliver 400mH – 56.80
3. Marvin Pole Vault – 4.00m

Seniors

1. Ingrid 400m – 56.30.
2. Yeykell Eliud 200m – 21.50
3. Carlos Hammer – 55.80m

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Despite significant bad luck along their way to the International Friendship Game sin Martinique, the national representative team from Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines, still managed to win two gold medals at the competition.

Shaquana Jacobs of X-Ceed Sports club won the 200m for U20 Girls, running out of lane 8, in a time of 25.25. Zicri Hepburn did a repeat of his 800m victory at home when he led from start to finish in Martinique to win the U17 Boys in a time of 2:01.07.

Before leaving for Barbados on Thursday, the team lost Trish Henson to covid. While in Barbados they then lost Andros Dennie, also to covid and a compulsory 10-day quarantine on the island.

On Friday, after arriving in transit in St Lucia the flight to Martinique was cancelled leaving them with the only option of arriving at the mid-way stage of the one-day competition on Saturday.