Chantel Malone strung her best series together in two years during a competitive Pan American Games long jump competition last Friday night in Toronto.
She placed fifth in the event, after the USA’s Sha’Keela Saunders leaped frogged her to claim the bronze medal with a mark .04 centimetres better than Ms. Malone’s jump.
In her first Pan American Games, she fouled her opening two jumps before she got into her groove. She put herself into the final with a leap of 6.55 metres matching her career best from 2014.
The territory’s multiple event national standard bearer followed up with 6.53 metres before cutting the sand at 6.62 metres, just .05 centimetres off her career best, knocking off Barbados’ Akela Jones, who had a personal best 6.60 metres in her attempt. Ms. Malone finished with a jump of 6.52 metres to end the competition.
Veteran sprinter Tahesia Harrigan-Scott ran a consistent series, but found herself one position out of the final after running 11.18 seconds for fourth in her 100-metre semifinal heat. Ms. Harrigan-Scott ran 11.19 seconds to advance — the first time in her career — that she had put two races under 11.20 in a championship event.
Eldred Henry and Karene King struggled at the games.
Mr. Henry opened the shot put competition with a 16.47-metre throw, which he described as his ‘worst performance of the year.’ He then proceeded to foul his next two attempts and finished 12th overall. Two days later in the discus throw, Mr. Henry fouled each of his three attempts.
Ms. King, coming off missing next month’s IAAF World Championships qualifier by .06 seconds with her season’s best 23.26 seconds in the 200 metre in Trinidad last month, had a time of 24.14 seconds to finish eighth in her heat.
In Europe, Ashley Kelly completed her tour in cold weather in Dublin, Ireland by running 200 metres in 24.04 seconds.
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