Kirani strikes gold for Grenada at CYG '08

By Michael Bascombe

WEDNESDAY October 15, Pune, India – Grenada’s quarter-mile sensation and World Junior silver medallist Kirani James won Grenada’s first ever medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games here on Wednesday.

James won the men’s 400 metres in a new Games Record of 46.66 seconds to pick up his first international gold medal, with compatriot Rondell Bartholomew finishing sixth in 48.21 seconds. The CARIFTA gold medallist finished ahead of Elvis Ukale of Nigeria (47.16) and Briton Jordan McGrath (47.26).

His time of 46.66 seconds surpassed the earlier CYG record of 47.06 seconds held by Australian Tristan Thomas at Bendigo, Australia in 2004.

The lanky quarter-miler was outside of his personal best and national junior record of 45.70 seconds clocked at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland last July.

James, who was listed in the 200 metres, didn’t compete. Bartholomew ran but didn’t qualify to the next round of competition finishing fourth in Heat six in a time of 22.73 seconds.

The victory for James was a crowning moment of his 2008 season where he only missed out on gold in Bydgoszcz. However, he was able to dominate local and regional junior events during the year and the leading candidate for sportsman of the year.

In the swimming competition, it wasn’t a good opening day for the two Grenadian swimmers. Sophia Noel was 15^th out of competition in the 100 metres backstroke in a time of 1:12.14 while Esau Simpson was 22^nd overall in the 50 metres butterfly in 29.05 seconds and 23^rd over the 200 metres freestyle in 2:11.93.