By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
JAMAICA'S USAIN Bolt clocked an amazing 19.93 seconds to win the Boys' Under-20 200 metres final in a World Junior record at the National Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda, yesterday.
Bolt's run capped a traditionally brilliant display for the Jamaicans, who secured a record 79 medals to bring the curtains down on the 33rd CARIFTA Games.
In smashing the 200 metres World Junior record, the 17-year-old Bolt became the youngest athlete ever to record a sub-20 clocking.
Only one Jamaican had ever broken the 20-second barrier, 1976 Olympic gold medallist Donald Quarrie, whose national record of 19.86 seconds has stood the test of time.
In the process, the teenaged sprint sensation, nicknamed 'Lightning Bolt', lowered his previous best of 20.13 the former world junior record he held with American Roy Martin.
The effort is the fastest by any athlete this year, surpassing American Justin Gatlin's (20.21). It is also the first sub-20 second clocking by any athlete since Germany's Kederis Konstadinos ran 19.85 in Munich, Germany, on August 9, 2002.
MEDAL HAUL
Meanwhile, the Jamaicans' 79-medal haul surpassed last year's previous best of 76. The team is set to return home later today with 37 gold, 23 silver, and 19 bronze medals.
Three athletes completed double wins on the final day Schilloni Calvert, Kayann Thompson and Robert Peddlar.
Holmwood's Calvert, who did not compete at Champs this year, was in immaculate form as she took the Under-17 sprint double. After winning the 100 metres in 11.98 seconds on Friday evening, she returned yesterday to take the 200m gold in 24.18 seconds.
Edwin Allen's Thompson, who won the 800m and 1500m Class One at Champs, did the same in the Under-20 section. On Friday she ran 4:31.92 to win the 1500m, then returned yesterday to win the 800 metres 2:08.38.
Robert Peddlar was the only double winner among the boys in the Under-17 category. Peddlar took the triple jump with 14.57m and the Long Jump 6.86 metres.
Meanwhile, Edwin Allen's schoolgirl Kimberly Williams leapt a record 12.53m in the Under-17 triple jump to erase her own one-year mark of 12.18m on the way to winning the gold. Kimona Smith out of Morant Bay High, also went below the mark, leaping 12.22m for silver.
Nickeisha Anderson won the girls' Under-20 200m in 23.41 seconds, while in the boys' Under-17 200m, Winston Barnes finished third in 22.02.
In the Under-17 800m, Holmwood's schoolgirl Vanessa Boyd won in 2:21.66 while Theon O'Connor (1:55.66) won the boys' Under-17 title. In the girls' Under-20 Javelin, national junior record holder Shaneka Parkes finished third with a throw of 42.07 metres.
Jamaica's Under-20 mile relay team scored a huge win in 3:12.00. The team of Markino Buckley, Usain Bolt, Michael Gardener and Josef Robertson beat Trinidad & Tobago (3:12.65), while girls' team of Maris Wisdom, Trishana McGowan, Sherene Pinnock and Sonita Sutherland ran 3:40.12 for victory.
In the Under-17 category, Bobbigaye Wilkins, Julia Smith, Judith Riley and Vanessa Boyd completed victory in 3:48.32 to set the stage for Jamaican sweep of the 4x400 metres.
However, that was not to be as boys' Under-17 team of Sandor Pennicott, Gawain Gray, Bengallo Morrison and Thean O'Connor finished third in 3:47.24.
In the sprint hurdles, Akeem Smith won the Under-17 event in 13.60, while Natasha Ruddock took the boys' equivalent in 14.35.
