Nassau BAH - After Friday’s opening ceremony, the first day of competition (9 July) at the ColinaImperial Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships opened with a clutch of gold medals for Cuba, but Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and hosts the Bahamas did their share of damage as well.

There were meet records in several events at the Thomas Robinson Track & Field Stadium, including men’s and women’s 100m. Hurricane Dennis largely spared Nassau and its 20-year-old stadium, refurbished earlier this year for this meet. Bahamians responded by filling the seats.

100m records fall

In the evening session, world season’s leader (10.84) Chandra Sturrup delighted her home crowd with a Championship record run of 11.02 (wind 1.1m/s). Tahesia Harrigan broke the British Virgin Islands national record, posting a time of 11.29 to finish ahead of Fana Ashby (TRI).

In the men’s 100m, Ashby’s compatriot’s lived up to the pre-race hype. Darrel Brown and Marc Burns put on a fantastic show in Nassau, ending first and second with no daylight between them. Only the photofinish camera could discern between the two, both clocked a meet record of 10.02 seconds.

Brown, who holds the World Junior record for this event, was eventually adjudged the victor. The 20-year-old was two thousandths of a second quicker than his 22-year-old countryman. Third was Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Atnilles, in 10.10 seconds. Wind was 1.9 m/s.

Bahamians make 400m finals

Olympic champion Tonique Williams-Darling perhaps had too easy a time of it to reach Sunday’s 400m final. The Bahamian was in the slowest preliminary on Saturday, winning in 52.63. It was the fourth fastest qualifying time, just good enough to earn the Olympic champion a central lane.

Winning the fastest heat was Cuba’s Libania Grenot. Turning 22 on Tuesday, the Cuban edged Tiandra Ponteen (51.65) of St Kitts-Nevis by three hundredths of a second. The other preliminary run was won by Guyana’s Aliann Pompey, crossing the line in 52.50 seconds.

Cuban Glauder Garzon upset the form sheets by topping the qualifying round for the men’s one lap. Running in 45.88, Garzon beat Damion Barry (TRI) in Heat 1. They were the only two men under 46 seconds on Saturday (9 July).

Barry’s fellow Trinidadian, Ato Modibo, won his heat in 46.10, ahead of Jamaica’s Lansford Spence (46.36). Meanwhile, Bahamians should be well aware that Christopher Brown will have a lot of work to do in the final, having won his heat, but in just 46.94 seconds.

Jamaicans double in 400 Hurdles

Jamaica’s Debbie-Ann Parris-Thymes was the 1993 CAC 400m Hurdles champion. She repeated the feat 12 years on, stopping the clock in 55.26 seconds to hold off Barbados’ 1998 Commonwealth Games champion, Andrea Blackett (56.47) and Jamaican Shevon Stoddart (56.64).

Another Jamaican, Dean Griffiths took the men’s title in 48.99 seconds. Establishing a new meet record, the former NCAA champion is also Jamaica’s third consecutive 400m hurdling king, after Mario Watts (2001) and Gregory Little (2003).

As in the women’s race, a Jamaican was third, that honour going in 49.23 seconds to 25-year-old Lueroy Colquhoun, who may have one of the most unique names in Nassau. Yacnier Luis of Cuba ran a season-best 49.12 for silver, matching Domingo Cordero’s previous record, set in 1991.

All gold for Cuba’s jumpers

As anticipated, Cuba dominated field events. Katiuska Perez won women’s Pole Vault, at age 30. The CAC Championships record holder at 3.85m, she won Saturday with a best mark of 4.25m, matching the CAC record set by Venezuela’s Keisa Monterola earlier this year. Puerto Rico’s Denise Orengo (4.10m) took second place, with Cuba’s Maryoris Sanchez (4.00m) third.

Yarianna Martinez reset a Championship record as well, on the way to women’s Triple Jump gold. Tied for the lead as she prepared for her final trial, the 20-year-old had her best mark of the year, with an effort of 14.18m, besting compatriot Olga Cepero’s 10-year-old mark by four centimetres.

Mabel Gay joined her countrywoman on the rostrum, also leaving her best for last. Gay, 22, hopped, stepped and jumped her way to a mark of 13.97m, with the two Cubans well ahead of Venezuela’s Jennifer Arvelaez, whose 13.09m earned her bronze.

Scott foils Cuban throws sweep

Candice Scott (TRI) took gold in women’s Hammer Throw for the Land of the Hummingbird, the only non-Cuban field events champion. With a meet record mark of 67.44m, the Trinidadian sealed her place in history.

Silver medalist Yunaika Crawford had the more consistent series by far. Going over 65m on four of her six trials, the 2004 Olympic Games bronze medallist led through the first five rounds. Her Trinidadian counterpart had yet to cross the 65m barrier at that stage.

Scott’s final throw – coming after she had fouled her penultimate attempt, as had Crawford – erased all the Cuban had done to that point. Crawford – two years Scott’s junior, at 22 – launched the implement 66.75m on her fourth try. Jamaica’s Natalie Grant (61.34m) was third, her nation’s first-ever Hammer medal.

Order was restored in the men’s and women’s Discus Throw and men’s Javelin Throw. Emetrio Gonzalez threw the spear 76.44m to better fellow Cuban Yudel Moreno. But Moreno’s 73.95m was far ahead of Justin Cummins’ mark of 61.92m for third place.

Yarelis Barrios, 22 on Tuesday, won the women’s Discus Throw with a best effort of 56.59m, one of just two legal attempts from her. Lisandra Rodriguez, at 19 one of several junior competitors in this event, threw 53.07m for a second Cuban medal. Chafree Bain (47.36m) was third for Bahamas.

Yunio Lastre won the men’s event, posting a best mark of 60.10m to record a minor upset of Lois Maikel Martínez. The Cuban silver medalist hurl the platter 59.35m, over four metres better than Hector Hurtado’s 55.05m bronze medal throw.

Two-man race for combined glory

So far, the men’s Decathlon has been between two men, former Jamaica national record holder Claston Bernard and Cuba’s Alberto Juanorena Jr. The Jamaican won the opening event, the 100m dash (10.89 to 10.95 for Juanorena). The Cuban came back with a winning mark of 7.35m in Long Jump, but despite a slight injury, Bernard gained momentum in Shot Put, with a 13.50m effort.

He opened the lead slightly in the High Jump, posting a best height of 2.12m, but the Cuban was three centimetres back of him. With a 49.59 second run in the 400m to close Day 1, Juanorena is well within striking distance. Bernard and Juanorena go into Day 2 on 4160 and 4111 respectively.

Spanish speakers take all distance medals

Yudelkis Martínez won the women’s 5000m run in 17:12.58, ahead of Mexico’s Angelica Sanchez and Cuba’s Yudileisis Castillo. Cuba’s Aguelmis Rojas (30:14.75) won the men’s 10,000m run from Mexico’s Juna Carlos Romero and Cuba’s Henry Jaen.

The men’s 3000m Steeplechase went entirely according to form. Puerto Rico’s Alexander Greaux won in 8:56.15, with 18-year-old Cuban José Sanchez and Mexico’s José Salvador Miranda second and third.