Wonder girl Springer wins Guyana’s first Commonwealth Youth Games gold

Aug 09, 2023 Sports

(L-R) – Guyana’s Tianna Springer and Narissa McPherson, joined by England’s Charlotte Henrich following the women’s 400m final.

…Silver for Malachi Austin, Bronze for Narissa McPherson

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – Guyana enjoyed a veritable deluge of medals at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on the second day of Track and Field events during the seventh Commonwealth Youth Games, all thanks to the awe-inspiring performances of Tianna Springer, Narissa McPherson, and Malachi Austin.

Springer’s indelible mark on the Commonwealth Youth Games will forever be etched in memory, as her spectacular performance led to the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead for the very first time in the history of the games.

Hailing from Plaisance and a mere 15 years of age, Springer, who had showcased her prowess with the fastest qualifying times (54s), in the final, clocked in 53.55s.

Her pace was too much for the field, relegating England’s Charlotte Henrich to second-place with a time of 55.16s.

Narissa McPherson rounded off a remarkable one-three finish for Guyana in the women’s 400m, capturing third place with a time of 54.82s.

Meanwhile, Austin, on a roll during the games, yet again lowered his Personal Best in the Men’s 400m, earning himself a commendable second place.

Austin had dominated the qualifying rounds with a blazing time of 48.13s. But in the final, although reduced the previous time, his 47.97s performance earned him a silver medal, second only to Nigeria’s Samuel Uchenna Ogazi (46.99s).

Attoya Harvey impressed with a personal best time of 4:45.10 in the women’s 1500m finals.

Unfortunately, her effort secured an 11th-place finish in a race dominated by Kenya’s Nancy Cherop (4:12.38), who shattered the games’ women’s 1500m record.

The previous record of 4:16.61 had been set in 2017.

With these astounding achievements, Guyana’s cumulative medal count has risen to six in the history of the Commonwealth Youth Games, spanning back to the inaugural games in 2000.

Apart from the latest triumphs, other medals were garnered through the sport of boxing, with Clevon Rock and Keevin Allicock claiming silver, and in Squash, with Larissa Wiltshire and Taylor Fernandes securing a bronze in the women’s doubles.

Reflecting on the past, the 2008 Games in India saw Rock, an accomplished Amateur boxer, face a defeat at the hands of England’s John Quigley in the Men’s Bantamweight final.

-Malachi Austin (L) who was second in the Men’s 400m final shares a moment with the winner, Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi and England’s Alexander Beck.

In 2015, in Apia, Samoa, Larissa Wiltshire and Taylor Fernandes-Henry secured a bronze in the Squash women’s doubles.

In 2017, during the Games in The Bahamas, Allicock’s participation in the men’s flyweight final was marked by a controversial outcome against England’s Eithan James.

Boxing and Squash were absent from the 2023 Games held in Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, with unyielding determination, the Guyanese athletes will return to action today, gearing up for the 200m and 800m events, both male and female.