Jamaica seeking first medal as PanAm Games closes

Sport

PAUL A REID Observer WriterSunday, August 25, 2013 | 4:08 PM

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — With one session to go in the three-day 17th Pan American Junior track and field championships at the Alfanso Galvis Duque stadium in Medellin, Colombia, Jamaica was still seeking its first medal despite placing several athletes into finals.Two athletes Jazeel Murphy in the men’s 100m and Asain Hall in the women’s 400m have managed fourth place finishes so far as the 17 member Jamaican team has underperformed.Jamaicans should be represented in two individual events in the final session later Sunday, Demar Gayle in the men’s shot put and Christoff Bryan in the men’s high jump while Jamaica should field teams in all four relays, the 4x100m for men and women and the 4x400m for both sexes.Murphy, who had a poor start in the semi-finals on Friday before managing to qualify for the final, ran 10.46 seconds (1.8m/s wind) to beat team mate Jevaughn Minzie who was fifth in 10.51 seconds.CARIFTA Games champion Zharnel Hughes of Anguilla won the event in 10.31 seconds.In the men’s 200m, contested on Saturday, Minzie placed sixth in 21.11 second after running 21.03 seconds to win his semi-final while Odail Todd was seventh in the final in 21.26 seconds after winning his semi-final in 21.00 seconds, the fourth fastest time in the morning.Meanwhile Hall ran 53.81 seconds to just miss a medal in the women’s 400m after her 53.67 seconds clocking in the heats.Earlier Sunday, Shanice Cannigan failed to get past first round of the 400m hurdles after running 1 minute 03.56 seconds for fifth in her heat while Oshane Burrell was last in his men’s 400m heat after running 51.45 seconds.Jevaughn Shaw made it to the finals in the men’s discus throw but finished seventh with a best throw of 55.19m while Gayle was 12th overall with 44.70m.Neither Jamaica women advanced past the first round of the 100m this morning, both finishing last in the heat; Janell Kelly ran 12.47 seconds while Shanice McPherson ran 12.48 seconds.Jamaica is being represented by a 17-member team to the championships that is being held later in the year than usual.

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Jamaica seeking first medal as PanAm Games closes