Jamaica nabs four medals in opening session

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, Apr 15, CMC – Perennial champions Jamaica sent early warning shots in the morning session of the 46^th CARIFTA Games when Janique Burgher captured gold and teammate Lamara Distin, silver, in the girls Under-18 high jump final here Saturday.
Their successes were two of four for giants Jamaica who also picked up medals in the two other finals staged in the boys Under-20 javelin and the girls under-18 shot put.
Burgher’s effort was the only golden one, however, successfully clearing 1.77 metres to finish ahead of Distin who clinched silver with a mark of 1.74.
Bermudian Sakari Famous finished with bronze with a clearance of 1.71m.
Distin and Famous were also second and third respectively at last year’s showpiece in Martinique.
Burgher was impressive, effortlessly cruising to the mark of 1.77 before missing her first clearance but succeeding with the second.
However, the emerging star failed thrice at the 1.80m mark, despite clearing the height at the Puma Gibson McCook Relays in Kingston last February.
Meanwhile, Keyon Burton handed Dominica their first gold medal of the games when he threw the javelin 62.14 metres, to win the boys Under-20 event.
Barbadian Kalvin Marcus claimed silver with a throw of 60.40m while Jamaican Kevin Nedrick finished with bronze with a mark of 58.33.
Last year, Burton won silver with a throw of 64.87m.
Trinidad and Tobago also claimed their first medal through Ianna Roach who won the girls Under-18 shot put with a mark of 14.43 metres, after finishing with silver in the event last year.
Danielle Sloley thew 14.12 to hand Jamaica their fourth medal of the morning with silver while Tamera Manette of Martinique took bronze with 13.86.
Day one will wrap up with the finals of the marquee 100 metres and the 400m, in both the boys and girls categories.