Hinckson’s historic gold, Mixed Relay record the story for Guyana at CARIFTA 2024

Apr 02, 2024 Sports

Athaleyha Hinckson shows off her historic 100m gold, won in the Girls U17 finals.

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – Athaleyha Hinckson’s historic gold in the 100m, alongside a record-breaking performance in the 4x400m mixed relay, stood out as the highlights of Guyana’s performance at this year’s CARIFTA Games, which concluded last evening in St. George’s, Grenada.

When the curtains closed on the 51st edition of the games, which commenced in 1972, Guyana amassed a total of eight medals – four gold, two silver, and two bronze.

On the championship’s final day, Hinckson narrowly missed securing a sprint double, settling for second place in the Girls U17 200m finals with a time of 23.85s.

She crossed the line just behind Jamaica’s Natrece East, who clocked in at 23.74s, with Tyra Fenton (23.97s) of Antigua and Barbuda securing the third spot.

Hinckson made history by becoming the first female athlete from Guyana to clinch victory in the 100m event at the CARIFTA Games.

(L-R) Narissa McPherson, Malachi Austin, Tianna Springer and Dh Neilson Gill set a new Mixed Relay Record at the CARIFTA Games.

The achievement also places her alongside Compton Caesar in the distinguished ranks of Guyanese athletes who have won gold in the 100m event at the CARIFTA Games.

Kaidon Persaud clocked 1:56.53 to secure second place in the Boys U17 800m finals, finishing behind Jamaica’s Keandre Kelly (1:56.31) but ahead of Alejandro Palmer (1:58.05), also from Jamaica.

On the thrilling opening day of the championship, the Kirani James Stadium was ablaze with excitement as Tianna Springer, last year’s CARIFTA Games U17 400m champion, showcased her exceptional talent.

Demonstrating why she was hailed as the fastest in the Americas and the Caribbean in 2023, she seized victory in the U20 event with an impressive time of 52.31 seconds.

At just 16 years old, Springer now holds the title of the fastest 400m time among U18 athletes worldwide this year, surpassing the USA’s Skylar Franklin’s time of 52.53 seconds set on March 22.

Kaidon Persaud finished second in the Boys U17 800m finals.

In Grenada, Springer surged ahead, leaving Jamaicans Abigail Campbell (52.85s) and Shanque Williams (53.03s) to settle for second and third place, respectively.

Another standout Guyanese athlete, Narissa McPherson (54.72s), clinched fifth place in the event.

Meanwhile, Malachi Austin delivered an impeccable performance in the Boys U20 400m finals, crossing the finish line in a Personal Best time of 46.35 seconds.

In a remarkable turn of events, Austin, the silver medallist in last year’s Youth Commonwealth Games’ 400m, outpaced the pre-race favourite, Jamaica’s Marcinho Rose (46.59s), who secured second place, while Joshiem Sylvester (46.93s) of Grenada settled for third.

Austin, Springer, and McPherson later teamed up with Dh Neilson Gill to achieve a remarkable feat, registering a blistering time of three minutes and 23.51 seconds (3:23.51), setting a new CARIFTA record in the Mixed 4x400m relay. Grenada (3:29.19s) and Trinidad and Tobago (3:31.24s) secured the podium spots.

Guyana’s two bronze medal came from Attoya Harvey, who has amassed five medals at CARIFTA over three Games and in the Men’s 4x400m relay.

She crossed the finish line third in the 3000m event on Sunday, clocking in at 10:36.59s. Harvey trailed behind Jamaicans Ashara Fraser (10:24.83s) and Kayden Johnson (10:04.44s).

The 23-member contingent representing Guyana will return home today, where a welcome ceremony will be hosted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Athaleyha Hinckson, CARIFTA 2024, Grenada, Rawle Toney, St. George’s

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