Four medals – two and two bronze – to go along with numerous Personal Best (PB) times was the output of team Guyana at the South American Under-20 Track and Field Championships in Colombia that concluded Sunday.
Sprinters Tianna Springer and Ezekiel Newton achieved PBs on their way to winning the four medals.
Springer won gold (400m) and bronze (200m) likewise did Newton the 200m (gold) and 100m (bronze).
The 16-year-old Springer clocked 53.28s to erase the old mark of 53.44s, previously held by Bárbara de Oliveira of Brazil since July 2009.
Springer’s outstanding performance adds to her gold recently achieved at the CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas, and after the feat in Colombia, she was subjected to a test from officials from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
An official from the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) confirmed that Springer was tested and her results returned a negative result.
As of Monday (May 23), Springer’s record time placed her 23rd in leading times for 2023, the best being Jamaican Rickianna Russell (51.26s).
The North Georgetown student also clocked 23.72 seconds to lower her PB from 24.07, also achieved in Colombia.
Newton ran a blistering 20.96s in the 200m to set a new PB in the 200m while in the 100m, he lowered his PB from 10.60s to 10.42s.
Newton’s new PB in the 200m is currently 30th in the World as American Issamade Asinga (19.97s), leads with the only sub-20 time thus far for the year.
