07242017 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

MONDAY, JULY 24, 2017

Mixed relay gold Team Bahamas victorious in 4 x 200m

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TOUR

envaughn Whymns was so disappointed in himself with his two individual bronzemedal performances that he was more than determined to get the gold for the Bahamas’ mixed 4 x 200 metre relay team. On the final day of athletics at the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games, Whymns powered from third place on the anchor leg to pass the two female runners ahead of him to surge across the finish line first in a time of one minute and 31.50 seconds. Georgina Adam anchored England to the silver in 1:31.77 and Oarabile anchored Botswana to the bronze in 1:33.51. Team Bahamas concluded the night by adding a gold, silver and bronze medal in the three relays contested to pull the curtain down on the games just before the closing ceremony was held. Whymns got the baton from Kayvon Stubbs, who got it from Tylar Lightbourne, while Shaquiel Higgs got the parade started before the crowd in the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium that was waiting for the Bahamian national anthem to be played for the first time in the nine sporting games. “I felt awesome. I had to come back out here and redeem myself,” said Whymns, who didn’t perform as well as he expected in getting the bronze in both the 110m hurdles and the long jump just after taking a few days off to recuperate last week from the trip to Nairobi, Kenya, for the IAAF World Under-18 Championships. “I wasn’t happy with my performances, so I just decided to come out here and do better than I did yesterday. When I got the baton, I know I had to work because other teams were ahead of me, so I know I had to work hard to bring the baton home.” All of his teammates were just as thrilled about his comeback performance. “I feel like I executed well. We just wanted to get a clean pass and make it fast,” said Stubbs on passing the baton to Whymns. “He did an awesome job, so I’m very proud of him.” Lightbourne took it a bit further. “I felt that God was on our side and we did what we were supposed to do,” she said. “I just want to thank God for the opportunity. We had a very strong team and a very good anchor leg. It was very good.” While it was the first gold medal in all of the events for the Bahamas, the team joined the mixed 4 x100m and 4 x400m teams that got the bronze. On the first leg, Higgs said he just wanted to put the team in contention and he accomplished that

GOLDEN MOMENT: Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard presents members of the Bahamas’ gold-medal winning 4x200 metre mixed relay team - Denvaughn Whymns, Kayvon Stubbs, Tylar Lightbourne and Shaquiel Higgs - with their medals. Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 2

feat. “I just wanted to get off the first curve and maintain it and hit all my points to give my team a good position,” he said. “I know I could trust these guys. But Denvaughn filled me with plenty pride to come out there and do his best.” In another best effort, the Bahamas’ 4 x 100m relay team of Lakelle Kinteh, Joel Johnson, Tylar Lightbourne and Adrian Curry ran 43.83 for second in their heat behind Australia’s winning time of 43.19. However, in the first heat, only Jamaica ran faster in winning in 43.62 for the gold. That enabled Australia to get the silver and the Bahamas the bronze. “I felt my leg went really well. I didn’t let the boys get too far away from me,” Kinteh said. “I tried to keep it up the best I could. I feel good to finally get the medal. I would have liked the

gold, but whatever God does is well done.” Johnson, in getting the baton on the first exchange, said it was all about getting around the track. “The execution of the exchanges was bad but , because of our natural talent, we were able to come back strong,” said Johnson, who missed an opportunity to medal in the 200m after he placed sixth in the final in 21.82 earlier in the day. “It’s good to get the medal.” Lightbourne was just happy to be a part of the two relay-medal performances that came back-toback. “It was good. We had some problems on our exchanges, but we got it around and we medalled,” she said. Curry, who picked up a bronze in the 100m, said it was all about finishing strong. “It feels good,” he said. “We had a good team and a good set up. We had some minor issues, but the ex-

changes were good. We just had to get the baton around and finish the race.” While Wymns walked away with three medals, a relay gold and two individual bronze, Lightbourne was the top female performer with her pair of relay medals. Their performances, along with the silver medal from the 4 x 400m relay team of Marissa White, Corey Sherrod, Shaquiel Higgs and Gabrielle Gibson in 3:34.06 behind Australia (3:25.07), helped the Bahamas to move up on the medal chart from 20 to 17 with a total of one gold, two silver and 10 bronze for the country’s best showing ever with 13 medals. England finished as the cream of the crop with 23 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze for 51 medals. Australia was second with 14 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze for 39 medals and New Zealand got third with 31 medals, inclusive of 8 gold, 14 silver and 9 bronze.

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JONQUEL JONES STEALS SHOW IN ALL-STAR GAME By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net AMONG the shining stars of the WNBA, Jonquel Jones solidified herself as one of the top talents in the league by stealing the show at the 2017 All-Star Game. The Connecticut Sun forward finished with 24 points (three three-pointers), nine rebounds and one slam-dunk as her East All-Stars lost 130-121 to the West All-Stars at Key Arena in Seattle, Washington, on Saturday. Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx was named the game’s most valuable player. “It was great to be able to go out there and play against some players that I’ve watched growing up, looking up to, and now I’m on the same court as them,” Jones told the Sun’s media team in post-game press conference. “It being my second season in the league, I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly so I just wanted to go out there and take advantage of the opportunity.” With the game decided, players from both sides cleared a path for Jones to drive the lane and slam home a dunk that sent both benches and the Key Arena crowd into a frenzy. Grand Bahamian Jones is averaging 15.8 points, a league-leading 11.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 29 minutes per game. The 6’6”, 190-pound forward is also shooting 53 per cent from the field, 41 per cent from three-point range and 84 per cent from the free throw line. “I just wanted to go out there and have fun,” Jones said. “I want to get back to my team healthy and make that playoff push. That’s the main thing. But it’s great to go out there and have a good game here.” The Sun currently lead the Eastern Conference with a 12-9 record. Connecticut returns to action tomorrow night when they host the Chicago Sky at 7pm. By virtue of having the top record in the conference, Sun coach Curt Miller and his staff coached Jones and her Sun teammates Jasmine Thomas and Alyssa Thomas in the AllStar game. “It was an honour to coach the East team,” Miller said at the post-game press conference. “We had a couple of goals when we came in with eight of the 11 first-time AllStars - first and foremost to have a blast, to live in the moment and have fun.” She was voted as a starter in a new voting platform the WNBA implemented for the first time. The fan vote accounted for 50 per cent of the

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Bahamas strikes for the bronze in men’s beach soccer By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net WITH regulation time on the brink of expiration and the bronze medal on the line, Bahamas team captain Phieron Wilson provided the dramatic finish to secure a place in history for the men’s beach soccer side at the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games. Chadwick Russell’s shot was blocked by keeper Jernya Oscar, but Wilson was there to corral the rebound and scored the go-ahead goal with eight seconds remaining to lift the Bahamas to a 5-4 win over Antigua and Barbuda to win the bronze medal at the national beach soccer stadium on Saturday. Wilson and Jonathan Richardson each scored two goals for the Bahamas and goalkeeper Michael Butler added another. “We came together as

a group of brothers, we weren’t training for that long, maybe three months at the most, and we expected a gold, but it still feels good to come away with a bronze with my brothers,” Richardson said. He finished the tournament second to Wilson among the team’s top goal scorers. “I just came out and I was mainly thinking about my team and my country, it happened to work out for us and we came out with a win, he said. “In beach soccer, going into the third period you have to stay mentally tough, we were able to do that and we came away with the win. Our song is ‘who let the dogs out’ and that’s how we fought.” Antigua struck first on a goal from D’Jaire Sheppard and moments later Javorn Benjamin caught Butler out of position and beat him to the ball for a 2-0 lead with three seconds left to play in

BAHAMAS players celebrate after scoring the final goal of the match to defeat Antigua and Barbuda 5-4 at the national beach soccer stadium on Saturday. Photo: Clarence Rolle

the first period. Butler got the rally started with his goal at the 8:45 mark in the second period and Wilson scored the equaliser with 7:33 left in the period. Tevin Lewis drew a penalty shot which was blocked by Oscar but Richardson was in the right place at the right time for the rebound and his first goal gave the Bahamas a 3-2 lead with just under four minutes left in the second. Antigua’s Jajuan Williams subbed into the game and on his first touch used a great individual effort to tie the game at 3-3 with 2:29 left and the teams took that score into the final frame. Richardson opened the scoring in the third with his second goal to give the Bahamas a 4-3 lead with 7:44 left in regulation. Sheppard’s second goal tied the game at 4-4, setting

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PAGE 2, Monday, July 24, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

TEAM BAHAMAS TOPS PODIUM IN 4 X 200M MIXED RELAY

WINNING WAYS: Members of the Bahamas’ gold-medal winning 4x200 metre mixed relay team – Shaquiel Higgs, Tylar Lightbourne, Kayvon Stubbs and Denvaughn Whymns – with their medals on the podium yesterday during the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS

BAHAMAS STRIKES FOR BRONZE IN MEN’S BEACH SOCCER

BAHAMAS players (in action below) celebrate after scoring the final goal of the match to defeat Antigua and Barbuda 5-4 at the national beach soccer stadium on Saturday. Photos: Clarence Rolle

FROM PAGE 1 the stage for Wilson’s latematch heroics. Senior national team member Dwayne Forbes served as head coach and said his team showed great resilience throughout the tournament fighting through their early mistakes. “The whole tournament was very tough and hats off to the boys for closing it out like this and getting the job done. Unfortunately we had to leave it up to the last minute and had to come from behind in order to win. What caused us to be playing for third place is we were beating ourselves, we made silly mistakes in a few games and in every game, there were three or four bad mistakes that almost cost us the game. Even in the bronzemedal game, there were even more mistakes, but we were able to come through.” The team opened with a 5-2 loss to St Lucia in a game that was tied at two late in the third period before the Bahamas surrendered three quick goals. They followed with a 7-3 win in the first matchup against Antigua before a 4-2 loss to Trinidad and Tobago in the semi-final. “It’s a big win for the programme, even though it’s not what we expected but it’s a great start at the youth level with a Commonwealth Youth Games medal,” Forbes said. “They were fantastic, this team is fit so that wasn’t an issue or an issue of any

team being better than us, we just made mistakes but fortunately we were still able to medal and we can only look forward to improving the overall programme in the future.” St Lucia went on to take the gold medal with a 6-2 win over Trinidad and Tobago. The Bahamas’ women’s team was less fortunate and finished in fourth place after a 3-1 loss to Turks and Caicos in the bronze-

medal game. After both teams were tied with a goal apiece, Turks and Caicos took a 2-1 lead into the third period on a goal from Sydney Campbell. Campbell added another goal early in the third period to take a 3-1 lead at the 10-minute mark. Team Bahamas suffered a 15-2 loss to Jamaica in their opening match. Shorthanded after that match, the team played back-

to-back matches where they lost on penalties. In the first match against Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas lost 2-1 (3-3) and in the semi-final they lost to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 (5-5). “I guess we were a bit tired from the other days of competition but we gave it our all, we came away with fourth place. I’m a bit disappointed because I know we could have given a little bit more. We trained hard for this

but we have the upcoming years and we’re looking forward to it. We got tired and we have limited subs because after the first game we lost a lot of people so we just had to work with what we have,” team member Hannah Darville said. “The experience was good, it was some of our first time on the national team and that’s why we were so confident and so okay with our performance because it was our first national team.”

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Monday, July 24, 2017, PAGE 3

In its best showing ever, Bahamas 9th in swimming By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ENGLAND and the Republic of South Africa finished with eight gold medals each to top the charts as swimming came to a close in the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex on Saturday night. England ended up with a total of 21 medals as they added nine silver and four bronze to their gold rush while South Africa had three silver and four bronze for their total of 15. New Zealand (20 medals) and Singapore (17 medals) both tied with seven gold for the next two spots. Scotland rounded out the top five with three gold, two silver and three bronze for their total of eight. Host Bahamas, in its best showing ever at the games, was ninth with three medals, including a silver and bronze from Izaak Bastian in the men’s 50m (28.77) and 100m (1:03.71) breaststrokes respectively and a silver from Lilly Higgs, who also lowered her national record in the women’s 50m breast in 32.52 for her silver. “We really stepped up. We knew it was going to be a different ball game coming in and I think it was really good to see our kids swim against strong teams like Australia, New Zealand, Britain and be able to go one-on-one with them,” said head coach Andy Knowles, who was assisted by Travano McPhee. “We had swimmers in the final every night, which was real positive. We had three medals and we had three swimmers in one night in the finals. This was a really good opportunity to be exposed and to compete at the next level. So I feel very

well about how the team performed.” Victoria Russell, who anchored the Bahamas’ mixed 400m freestyle relay of Peter Morley, Bastian and Higgs that brought the curtains down on the swim competition, summed up the experience for Team Bahamas. “At first, I was a little nervous because a lot of the swimmers are much bigger and faster than we are,” she reflected. “But we did our best. Everyone did very well, considering that this was the last day and we were all tired. We did what we could. We are all very proud of ourselves.” Russell, home from Plymouth boarding school in England, said the games was very nice and she got to meet a lot of new friends, but the biggest thrill for most of her teammates was the pin trading. “I’m also very proud that we got two medals and I got a chance to swim with them,” she said. “I’m very close with both of them, so I am happy that they did so very well.” Russell, who also made it to the final of the women’s 100m breast where she was eighth in 1:14.82 when she swum with Higgs (just shy of her second medal with her fourth place in 1:11.14), will be celebrating her 17th birthday on Wednesday. In the exciting grand finale where teams had to strategise with their mixture of boys and girls, the Bahamas was eighth in 4:10.36. Singapore held the bragging rights as the final gold medallists in 3:56.74 with New Zealand picking up the silver in 3:57.21 and England capturing the gold in 3:59.33. On the other hand, England’s head coach Fred Furniss said they had a fantastic time in the Bahamas.

HEAD coach Andy Knowles speaks to members of the Bahamas’ swimming team at the Betty Kelly Kenning national swim complex. Photos: Derek Smith/BIS “We thought we would do very well, but we didn’t think that we would have gotten 21 medals, so we’re pleased with that,” he said. “Everyone stepped up, coming on the back of our European Junior Championships a few weeks ago. “On top of the 21 medals, we got 18 best times as well, so we’re really, really pleased with the performances turned in here.” Furniss thanked all of the organisers for putting on what he called an A-plus event. He also commended the Bahamian people on their hospitality shown everywhere they went from the Lynden Pindling International Airport to the Games Village at Breezes SuperClub and the facilities. “Fantastic job Bahamas,” he said. “These were very good games. Teams like South Africa and New Zea-

NEW Zealand team members with their swimming medals.

SWIMMERS from Singapore enjoy the games.

JONQUEL JONES SHINES IN ALL-STAR GAME FROM PAGE 1 vote to determine the starters while current players and a media panel accounted for 25 per cent each. Fans cast 604,680 votes, more than double the number in 2015 (280,670). In a postgame interview with ESPN’s LaChina Robinson, Jones thanked the Bahamian public for their support in the voting campaign.

“The Bahamas is me, I am the Bahamas. Everybody there I think is one of the main reasons why I’m here as a starter because they voted, they got on social media and allowed me to be here so I’m happy to grow my game and it’s going to allow me to go back to the Bahamas and do more things for the youth so I’m just really excited about everything,” she said. Prior to the season, a panel of WNBA general

managers voted Jones as the player most likely to have a breakout year. She may also be in line for another post-season award as one of the league’s most improved players with scoring and rebounding totals that more than double her production as a rookie. Last season, Jones appeared in 34 games with six starts and averaged 6.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 14 minutes per game.

land swum their European Jr Championship teams

and so the competition was very good. Those have been

ENGLAND’s swim team topped the medal chart.

some great games, fantastic games.”

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THE TRIBUNE

England captures seven boxing finals By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IN a dominating performance, England captured all seven boxing finals they competed in yesterday at the sixth Commonwealth Youth Games at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. As the competition came to a close, England secured five men and two women titles in the 11 bouts contested. The other four were shared by India and Scotland. England’s head coach Michael Driscoll said it was all about their preparation for the games. “We had an eight-week training camp. We spent some time in the British Army conditioning and we spent six days in Maimi prior to coming to the Bahamas and we got some excellent sparring from the Americans and the Cubans,” Driscoll said. “We started the tournament a little slow. I think underperformed at the beginning, but I think we were just peaking and we peaked at the right time. We had six boxers in the semi-final yesterday (Saturday) and seven

in the final, so we peaked at the right time.” Driscoll credited a fantastic coaching staff that he had to work with and no real superstars in the ring for their tremendous success. He said the games were like a dream come true for many of their competitors, who rarely got to travel anywhere before. But despite all of that, Driscoll said their goal was all the same to win the gold and they accomplished that feat. England’s gold rush was led by James Eithan, the unanimous winner of the men’s flyweight or 52 kilogram over Keevin Allicock from Guyana. They closed out the competition with Georgia Ann O’Conner winning the women’s middleweight over Naomi Pelletier from Canada after the referee stopped the contest in the second round. In the other bouts, Shiloh Reuben Defreitas won an unanimous decision over Joshua John William Fritpatrick from Australia in the bantam (56kg), Charles Clem Frankham won over Jake Leroy Clague from Australia in the men’s lightweight (60kg), Mark Dickinson def. Anthony John-

LENNOX BOYCE, of the Bahamas talks to media after his loss. ston from Northern Ireland in the men’s welterweight (69kg) and Aaron Patrick Bowen was a split decision winner over Kane Tucker from Northern Ireland in the men’s middleweight (75kg). Also, Chloe Louise Watson took the women’s flyweight (48-51kg) over Shylah Te Uranga Waikai from New Zealand. In the other matches contested, India’s Sachin won a split decision over James Nathan Probert from Wales in the men’s light flyweight (46-49kg), Scotland’s Tyler

Jai Jolly won the men’s light welterweight (64kg) title over Jacob Lovell of Wales, Wales’ Sammy Alex Lee won the men’s light heavyweight (81kg) over Scotland’s Lewis Beggs and Ella Jada Boot of Australia over Jony in the women’s lightweight (57-60kg). Lennox Boyce was the lone Bahamian competing in boxing. He didn’t get out of the first round of the men’s light welterweight (54kg), losing to the taller Brian Galelemogwe from Botswana in a split decision.

India and Scotland take home tennis titles By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ZEEL Desai and Hamish Stewart captured the women and men singles titles for India and Scotland respectively as the tennis competition at the sixth Commonwealth Youth Games came to a close at the National Tennis Centre yesterday. Desai, the top seeded player in the women’s draw, pulled off a 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over Eliza Omirou of Cyprus to clinch her title. The bronze went to England’s Indianna Spink, who didn’t have to play after her opponent, Minette Van Vreden of South Africa, was unable to play because of an injury she sustained in her semi-final match on Saturday. “I did really well. I was very confident in myself. I really wanted a gold medal for India,” Desai said. “So I played my best today and I won it.” Desai said it was a very good feeling for her to come to the Bahamas and win the title. She said it was even sweeter to team up with Siddhant Banthia to take the mixed doubles with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Cyprus’ team of Elefterios Neos and Eliza Omirou about a hour later. “Thanks to my partner for believing in me, we did it too,” she said. “It was just

good to win the two titles.” The mixed doubles bronze medal match didn’t have to play after Wales’ team of James Story and Morgan Cross won via a walkover against South Africa’s Siphosothando Montsi and Vreden. The men’s singles title went to Stewart with an identical score of 6-4, 6-4 over James Story of Wales. “This was nothing like I ever played in before, so obviously, I had to be very careful,” said Stewart of the melting hot sun. “I brought a lot of ice with me to keep myself kind of cool whenever possible. “I was really happy that I won because there were a lot of good players here. This tournament was ran so well, beautiful place. I couldn’t ask for a better place for this to be held. I’m so happy that I won it here.” The men’s bronze medal went to Siddhant Banthia of India with his 6-2, 6-0 win over Eleftherios Neos of Cyprus. The Bahamas had two competitors entered in the tournament but Donte Armbrister got eliminated in the second round of the men’s singles and Isabel Donaldson got ousted in the first round of the women’s singles. The duo combined to play in the mixed doubles but they didn’t advance out of the first round.

ON the men’s side, England went on to win the gold medal, Cyprus took silver and Australia won bronze.

Bahamas women 7th overall, men 11th and 12th in tennis By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THEY may not have achieved their desired results in the final standings, but the Bahamas was able to end the beach volleyball competition with a pair of wins at the Commonwealth Youth Games. The women’s team finished seventh overall while the pair of men’s teams were 11th and 12th when the event concluded at the National Beach Soccer Stadium. La’Tavia Braynen and Mechelle Moss got their first win of the tournament with a three-set victory over Tsyan Selvon and Ebony Williams of Trinidad and Tobago in the seventh place match. Trinidad and Tobago took the first set 21-15 but the Bahamas responded to take the second set 21-18. With both teams showing signs of fatigue, the third and deciding set was tied at 2-2 and again 5-5 at the first side change. The Bahamas took a 10-8 lead and held serve for the next four points. They took the set and the match, 15-10. “It feels really good to know that we were able to put all that practiced into our playing and that we were able to get a win in our last game. We can move on

and do better next time,” Braynen said. They finished the tournament with a 1-4 record with losses to Australia, New Zealand and twice to England, once in the prelims and again in the quarterfinals. “It’s always a privilege to represent the Bahamas,” Moss said. “No matter where we are and we will always try to represent the country to the best of our abilities.” According to both players, a win against another Caribbean team bodes well for the junior programme’s standing in the region. “We can see more of this partnership moving forward, she’s a great player and she can do anything they request of us. Beach volleyball is fun but you have to play really hard to accomplish what you set out to do,” Braynen said. Australia won gold, New Zealand took silver and Rwanda won bronze. On the men’s side, both Bahamian teams faced off with Kyle Wilson and Nathan Wert (Bahamas One) getting the 21-15, 21-8 win over James Cleare and Aaron Springer (Bahamas Two) for 11th place and bragging rights. The first set was tied at 10 before Wilson and Wert moved ahead in the set with four consecutive points.

ON the women’s side, Australia won gold, New Zealand took silver and Rwanda won bronze. Cleare and Springer went on a run of their own and were within one (15-14) when the teams switched sides and Sweeting’s spike tied the game at 15. In a game of runs, Bahamas One would go on another and Wert’s kill made it 2015 at the switch before they eventually took the set. Bahamas One dominated the second set and led by as

much as 12 points en route to the win. “It was very familiar so it was really easy to read them, we knew exactly what they were going to do,” Wilson said. “It felt good to finally get a win. The whole Commonwealth Youth Games experience has been a lot of fun and a real learning experience for us.” Before the win against

their regular practice partners, Bahamas One lost to Cyprus, South Africa and Jamaica. “It was really fun because we practice together all the time and we were just having fun. It was really amazing being a part of the CYG and great training for future tournaments,” Wert said. Bahamas Two suffered losses to Australia, St Lucia

and Trinidad and Tobago. “We just went out there and tried to play our best game. The night before we talked to each other and we said we were going to try to go out and have fun but we were not going to take the competition lightly and joke around so we just went out there, tried to make ourselves proud and bring back a win for the country,” Cleare said. “The trash talking started the night before at the dinner table, straight through the game, it’s bragging rights but they got the better results. As a player I’m thankful for the Commonwealth Youth Games and it gave us a lot of experience to see where we are internationally. We’re technically the best in the Bahamas but when we match up against other countries we see that we fall short in a lot of places so we just need more experiences to better our games.” England went on to win the gold medal, Cyprus took silver and Australia won bronze. In other event finales on the day, the men’s rugby sevens side finished in sixth place after a 43-5 loss to Sri Lanka. They finished the tournament with an 0-6 record. Samoa won gold with a 10-5 win over England and Fiji took bronze.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, July 24, 2017, PAGE 5

Jordan’s wild journey: Spieth wins British Open

MOORE LEADS WEST PAST EAST 130-121 IN WNBA ALL-STAR GAME

By DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — Maya Moore provided the example, reigning league MVP Nneka Ogwumike gladly followed along, and Sue Bird received attention and recognition she deserved. Those veterans on the West roster knew exactly how to turn the first WNBA All-Star Game in Seattle into a showcase. “I thought it was a great game, a great pace. You don’t want anybody to get hurt, but you also want to play with a certain intensity to show off your athleticism and I thought we were able to do that,” Moore said. Moore scored 23 points, Ogwumike added 22 points and the West outlasted the East 130-121 in the WNBA AllStar Game on Saturday, where most of the focus was on Seattle’s 10-time AllStar playing in front of her home crowd. The veteran West squad with 55 total All-Star Game selections on its roster, pulled away after a close first half. Moore made 9 of 17 shots, including five 3-pointers, while Ogwumike made 11 of 15 attempts off the bench. Bird had a hand in many of those baskets, finishing with a game-record 11 assists and eight points. Moore was named the game’s MVP for the second consecutive All-Star Game. No matter what Moore, Ogwumike or impressive East standout Jonquel Jones did in the game, it was secondary to Bird. She was the focus of the entire weekend welcoming the All-Star Game to her adopted hometown for the first time. It was her record-tying 10th AllStar appearance for No. 10, although it was her hope not to have all the attention specifically on her. Easier said than done. Bird received the loudest ovations as she was introduced , drowning out those that went to Taurasi, Seattle teammate Breanna Stewart and others. Bird seemed more interested in involving others than trying to take control of the game. Bird regularly bypassing her own shot to provide layup chances for Moore, Ogwumike, Candace Parker and others. The competiveness started to emerge late as the East tried to rally from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit, but Bird’s wide open 3-pointer with 4:05 left to push the West’s lead back to 11. She threw her hands in the air after the make, following an underwhelming performance in the 3-point contest.

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — During one of Jordan Spieth’s many low points yesterday in the British Open, his caddie reminded him of a photo from a Mexico beach holiday two weeks ago that showed him in All-Star company that included Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan. The message: “You belong in that group.” Spieth left little doubt with a closing performance that ranks among the greatest finishes in major championship history. Trailing for the first time all weekend at Royal Birkdale — and lucky it was only one stroke thanks to a shot from the driving range — the 23-year-old Texan followed with a birdieeagle-birdie-birdie stretch that allowed him to close with a 1-under 69 and win the British Open by three shots over Matt Kuchar. Spieth captured the third leg of the career Grand Slam and heads to the PGA Championship next month with a chance to be the youngest to win them all. “This is as much of a high as I’ve ever experienced in my golfing life,” Spieth said. And it all started in a spot so dire it looked as though he would endure another major meltdown. The break of the tournament — and a moment that will rate alongside Seve Ballesteros making birdie from the car park when he won at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1979 — was when Spieth discovered the range was part of the course. His tee shot was so far to the right on the par-4 13th hole that it sailed some 75 yards from the fairway and settled in thick grass on a dune so steep he could hardly stand up, let alone take a swing. The only smart option was to take a one-shot penalty for an unplayable lie. And that’s when Spieth

showed his golfing brain is as valuable as any club in his bag. He had the presence to ask if the driving range was out of bounds. It wasn’t, which allowed him to go back in a straight line from the flag until he was on the range among the equipment trucks. After getting free relief from them, he still faced a blind shot over the dunes to a hole littered by pot bunkers. He hit 3-iron just short of a bunker near the green, pitched over it to about 7 feet and made what he considers the most important putt of the day to escape with bogey. And then came the finishing kick like Phelps, the go-ahead jumper like Jordan. Spieth hit 6-iron to the 14th that landed in front of the flag and came within inches of an ace, leading to a short birdie putt to regain the lead. On the par-5 15th, he rolled in a 50-foot eagle putt and playfully barked at caddie Michael Greller to pick it out of the cup. “Go get that,” he said, pointing to the hole. And he wasn’t done. Spieth rolled in a 30-foot putt across the 16th green for a twoshot lead, and he kept that margin by pouring in a 7-foot putt to match birdies with Kuchar. The final putt for par was a tap-in, as easy a shot as he had all day. “To follow that bogey on 13 with great golf shots and great putts, and play the final five holes in 5-under par, I was just very happy for him and very impressed to watch all that guts, determination and skill,” Jack Nicklaus posted on Facebook. Spieth and Jack Nicklaus are the only players to win three different majors at age 23. “This is a dream come true for me,” Spieth said, gazing at his name on the silver claret jug. “Absolutely a dream come true.” For so much of Sunday, it felt like a recurring nightmare. Just 15 months ago, Spieth lost a five-shot lead on the back nine at the Masters, coming un-

JORDAN SPIETH holds the trophy after winning the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England, yesterday. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson) done with a quadruple-bogey 7 on the 12th hole. It was more of a slow bleed at Royal Birkdale, with three bogeys on the opening four holes and four putts inside 8 feet that he missed on the front nine to fall into a tie with Kuchar. “I put a lot of pressure on myself unfortunately, and not on purpose, before the round today, just thinking this is the best opportunity that I’ve had since the ‘16 Masters,” he said. “And if it weren’t to go my way today, then all I’m going to be questioned about and thought about and murmured about is in comparison to that. And that adds a lot of pressure to me. “Closing today was extremely important for the way I look at myself.” Zach Johnson, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler were among

those who waited by the 18th to watch Spieth capture yet another major. Johnson won at St Andrews two years ago, when Spieth missed the playoff by one shot in his bid for the calendar Grand Slam. Spieth drank wine from the jug that year, which he was told was bad luck for anyone wanting to possess the trophy one day. From the driving range to the claret jug, Spieth put himself in hallowed territory just four days before his 24th birthday. Gene Sarazen in 1923 was the only other player with three majors before turning 24. Spieth won for the third time this year, moved to No. 2 in the world and already has 11 victories on the PGA Tour. Li Haotong of China shot a 63 and finished third at 6-under 274.

By TIM BOOTH Associated Press

USAIN BOLT WINS 100M IN HIS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CAPSULES LAST DIAMOND LEAGUE RACE MONACO (AP) — In the last Diamond League race of his glittering career, Usain Bolt held on to win the 100 metres at the Herculis track meet on Friday. The eight-time Olympic champion was under pressure from Isiah Young of the United States in the last 30 metres but used his famed finish to win in 9.95 seconds at Stade Louis II in Monaco. Young clocked 9.98. Akani Simbine of South Africa was third in 10.02. Bolt is retiring after the world championships in London next month. Last month, he won at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in 10.06 after a slow start. He got away better this time, but was made to work hard by Young. “It’s always good to get a win. My time is going down at the right time,” the Jamaican said, looking ahead to the worlds. “Everything is coming together.” He was given a rousing ovation and expects to sorely miss that close bond with the crowd when his running days are over. “I’m always here for the fans, and of course I will miss the vibe around the track. Mixed emotions always, happy for my career, sad that it is ending,” he said. “I’m planning to chill after London with my family, but I’m not sure what will be my next plan after this season.” Young was happy enough to have pushed Bolt hard and is confident he can challenge in London, where he will run in the 200. “I was so close to Bolt at the end of his great career. Couple of days ago I was told I will run the 200 in London, so this sub 10 is great preparation for that,” he said. “I need to execute well and then I can attack a medal in that event.” Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa won the 400 in 43.73, and countrywoman Caster Semenya pulled clear in the last 50 metres

JAMAICA’s Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win the 100m race at the IAAF Diamond League Athletics meeting at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on Friday. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) to win the 800 in a worldleading time this year of 1 minute, 55.27 seconds. “It was a fantastic race, a very fast pace,” Semenya said. “It was one of the hardest races I’ve had.” She set a personal best. Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi was second followed by Ajee Wilson of the US. Van Niekerk was some way short of the world-record 43.03 he set when winning the Olympics last year. Isaac Makwala was second and Botswana countryman Baboloki Thebe third. Hellen Obiri of Kenya also set a world-leading 8:23.14 in the women’s 3,000. Countrywoman Beatrice Chepkoech was five seconds behind. Olympic silver medallist Evan Jager also got a year’s best time, easily winning the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:01.29, less than one second behind his personal best. Still, the American was six seconds clear of Kenyan runner Jairus Kipchoge Birech. “We are keeping our options open for the best possible tactical plan for the worlds,” Jager said. “But

one thing is clear: I’m going for gold.” Piotr Lisek of Poland won the men’s pole vault with multiple world and Olympic medallist Renaud Lavillenie down in fifth, while Thomas Roehler of Germany won the javelin. In the men’s 800, not part of the Diamond League schedule in this race, Emmanuel Korir of Kenya set a world-leading time of 1:43.10, shaving .63 seconds off his personal best. Nijel Amos of Botswana set the previous best time two weeks ago in London. Competing as an authorised neutral athlete in the wake of Russia’s doping scandal, Mariya Lasitskene won the women’s high jump at 2.05. In the women’s 4x100 relay, a non-Diamond League event, US sprinter English Gardner fell when passing the baton and appeared to twist her ankle. Gardner, a member of the gold medal-winning relay team that beat Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, was taken off on a stretcher and could be a doubt for the worlds.

DODGERS 5, BRAVES 4 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw left after two innings with lower back tightness that is sending him to the disabled list, and the Los Angeles Dodgers overcame a blown save by Kenley Jansen to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Sunday on Logan Forsythe’s bases-loaded single in the 10th. Kershaw, unbeaten in 15 consecutive starts, came out after 21 pitches. He was headed for scans and declined to compare his current situation with last year, when he was out 2 ½ months with a herniated disk in his back.

later.

NATIONALS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 3 PHOENIX (AP) — Stephen Strasburg left with a 5-0 lead after the second inning, when he walked the No. 8 and No. 9 batters. He is 10-3 with a 3.25 ERA. Strasburg said his early departure was a precaution. He described the problem as slight “achiness” in his forearm. Strasburg said he wants to “nip it in the bud” so he’s available to the team in the crucial stages of the late season.

ATHLETICS 3, METS 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Matt Chapman quickly atoned got getting picked off at third base by hitting a tiebreaking home run in the seventh Rafael Montero (1-7). Rookie Daniel Gossett (2-5) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings, and Santiago Casilla worked the ninth for his 16th save, ending New York’s four-game winning streak.

CUBS 5, CARDINALS 3 CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Jose Quintana won again and Chicago beat St. Louis to move into a virtual tie for first in the NL Central. Kyle Schwarber also connected as the Cubs won for the eighth time in nine games since the All-Star break. The World Series champions improved to 5146, just a few percentage points ahead of Milwaukee after the Brewers (53-48) lost 6-3 at Philadelphia.

REDS 6, MARLINS 3 CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett, Eugenio Suarez and Tucker Barnhart homered, and Billy Hamilton had three hits and stole a pair of bases to increase his major league-leading total to 43. Cincinnati finished a 2-8 homestand in which they allowed 23 homers and 72 runs. Rookie right-hander Sal Romano (2-2) made his fourth and longest big league start, allowing one run and three hits over six innings.

YANKEES 6, MARINERS 4 SEATTLE (AP) — New York won a series for the first time in six weeks when Aroldis Chapman struck out Ben Gamel with a runner on to preserve the Yankees’ third win in four games against Seattle this weekend. The Yankees had been 0-8-2 in series since sweeping Baltimore on June 9-11. After Seattle overcame a 3-0 deficit with a four-run fourth inning against Caleb Smith, Brett Gardner hit a tying, bases-loaded single in the sixth and Clint Frazier followed with a two-run double off former Yankee James Pazos (2-3).

ORIOLES 9, ASTROS 7 BALTIMORE (AP) — Zach Britton pitched a hitless ninth tp set an American League record by converting his 55th consecutive save opportunity. Britton broke the AL mark held by Tom Gordon, who notched 54 straight saves with Boston from 1998-99. Britton started his run on October 1, 2015, added 47 in a row last season and is 6 for 6 this year. The major league record of 84 is held by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers from 2002-04.

RANGERS 6, RAYS 5 ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) — Rougned Odor homered twice, including back-to-back drives with Carlos Gomez in the eighth inning, and Texas completed a three-game sweep. Odor’s two-run drive off Brad Boxberger (2-2) tied the score, and Gomez put the Rangers ahead 6-5 two pitches

INDIANS 8, BLUE JAYS 1 CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber (8-3) struck out a season-high 14 in 7 2/3 innings, and Cleveland finished a threegame sweep. Kluber allowed five hits, including Kevin Pillar’s home run, and reached double figures in strikeouts for the ninth time in 16 starts. Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in the sixth and had three RBIs. Brandon Guyer’s three-run double was the key hit in the first, when Cleveland took a 4-0 lead against J.A. Happ (3-7).

PHILLIES 6, BREWERS 3 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Williams hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fourth off Junior Guerra (1-4). Jerad Eickhoff (2-7) allowed three hits in six innings and Howie Kendrick had two hits and two RBIs. Luis Garcia pitched a perfect ninth for his first save this season. The Phillies have won consecutive series for the first time since late April.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, July 24, 2017, PAGE 7

Chris Froome wins 4th Tour de France title By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AND JEROME PUGMIRE Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Riding a bright yellow bike to match his shiny leader’s jersey, defending champion Chris Froome won his fourth and most challenging Tour de France title yesterday. The 32-year-old Kenyanborn British rider finished 54 seconds ahead of Colombian Rigoberto Uran overall, the smallest margin of his wins. This was the third straight win for the Team Sky rider. His first in 2013 came the year after former teammate Bradley Wiggins sparked off an era of British dominance. His margin of victory over Colombian Nairo Quintana in 2013 was by more than four minutes. Quintana pushed him much harder in 2015, finishing only 1:12 back, but Froome beat Frenchman Romain Bardet by 4:05 last year. Bardet was third this time. Froome looked emotional as he lifted the race winner’s bouquet of flowers,

his eyes seemingly watering. Then, smiling broadly, he gave a thumbs-up to the crowd before going to pick up his young son and walking back onto the podium with him in his arms. Then, switching to an admirably improving French, Froome addressed the Parisian crowd. Bardet placed 2 minutes, 20 seconds behind him. But he denied Spaniard Mikel Landa — Froome’s teammate — a podium spot by just one second. Italian Fabio Aru, who briefly led the race, finished fifth, 3:05 behind. As per tradition, the 21st stage was reserved for sprinters and mostly a procession for Froome and the other overall leaders. Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen won it in a dash to the line, edging German rider Andre Greipel and Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen. Moments later, Froome and the rest of the peloton crossed the line after eight laps of an eye-catching circuit around the city’s landmarks, finishing as usual on

ally with two-time champion Alberto Contador, the Spanish veteran, as if they were on a sight-seeding ride. Right in front of them, Frenchman Warren Barguil — wearing the best climber’s red-and-white polka dot jersey — swapped race anecdotes with Australian Michael Matthews, wearing the green jersey awarded for the Tour’s top sprinter. Matthews became the third Australian to win the green jersey, all this decade, following Robbie McEwen and Baden Cooke. Froome’s teammates wore a yellow stripe on the back of their Team Sky shirts. They allowed themselves a flute of champagne, chinking glasses with leader Froome, as they casually rolled through the streets under cloudy skies beside cheering fans packing the roads into Paris. Everyone was in high spirits, happy to complete a gruelling race that saw Australian Richie Porte, one of the pre-race favourites, and Froome’s teammate Geraint Thomas both crash out.

TOUR de France winner Chris Froome, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, holds his son Kellan on the podium after the 21st and last stage of the Tour de France yesterday. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) the famed Champs-Elysees. Froome now needs only one more title to match the Tour record of five shared by Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddie Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain. “It’s a huge honour to be talked about in the same sentence as those guys,” Froome said. “Lots of respect for them.” Froome sealed it on Sat-

urday, finishing third in the time trial in Marseille where he put more time into Uran and Bardet, who dropped from second to third. After more than three weeks of stressful racing, it was a relaxed atmosphere as riders set out from Montgeron in the Essone suburb south of Paris to the evening finish 103 kilometres (64 miles) away. Froome chatted casu-

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Some sun with a shower in the area

Partly cloudy

Periods of clouds and sunshine

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Sunshine with a t‑storm in spots

Mostly sunny

High: 92°

Low: 82°

High: 92° Low: 82°

High: 91° Low: 82°

AccuWeather RealFeel

102° F

89° F

102°-90° F

102°-89° F

102°-91° F

102°-93° F

almanac

ABACO

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 80° F/27° C

E S

WEST PALM BEACH

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 78° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 80° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 82° F/28° C

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

9:08 a.m. 9:36 p.m.

3.1 3.7

3:12 a.m. ‑0.3 3:17 p.m. ‑0.4

Tuesday

10:00 a.m. 10:25 p.m.

3.1 3.6

4:02 a.m. ‑0.3 4:09 p.m. ‑0.3

Wednesday 10:52 a.m. 11:14 p.m.

3.1 3.4

4:51 a.m. ‑0.2 5:02 p.m. 0.0

Thursday

11:44 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.0 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:39 a.m. ‑0.1 5:54 p.m. 0.2

Friday

12:03 a.m. 12:37 p.m.

3.1 2.9

6:27 a.m. 6:48 p.m.

0.1 0.5

Saturday

12:52 a.m. 1:30 p.m.

2.9 2.8

7:15 a.m. 7:44 p.m.

0.3 0.8

Sunday

1:43 a.m. 2:25 p.m.

2.7 2.8

8:05 a.m. 8:43 p.m.

0.5 1.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:34 a.m. 7:59 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

7:46 a.m. 9:10 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Jul. 30

Aug. 7

Aug. 14

Aug. 21

CAT ISLAND

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

6‑12 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 93° F/34° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 74° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.04” Year to date ............................................... 15.68” Normal year to date ................................... 18.19”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

Britain’s Mark Cavendish, a 30-time Tour stage winner, and Marcel Kittel — winner of five stages this year — pulled out injured after crashes. As the slow-moving peloton passed near where Frenchman Yoann Offredo grew up, a television camera moved alongside, asking what it was like to be riding so close to home. Barring a crash, Froome was virtually assured of winning. The route to another victory continued to unfurl before him without mishap — although he did have to change bikes at one stage. Barguil had a brief hiccup, needing to catch up after a puncture, but generally the peloton took in the sights. Some might say Froome did not shine too brightly because he didn’t win a stage, but neither did American Greg Lemond when clinching his third and final Tour in 1990. For Froome, consistency and a dogged ability to respond when put under pressure were the keys to his latest success.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:

WINDS S at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F

PAGE 8, Monday, July 24, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

GOLDEN MOMENT: Members of the Bahamas’ gold-medal winning 4x200 metre mixed relay team - Shaquiel Higgs, Denvaughn Whymns, Kayvon Stubbs and Tylar Lightbourne - with their medals won yesterday on the final day of the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

‘Positive reviews after very successful games’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

fter six days of intense competition, Local Organising Committee chairman Romell Knowles was happy that the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games turned out to be the best ever. “I would like to thank the hardworking team that I had behind me in putting on these very successful games,” he said. “The reviews from the CGF (Commonwealth Games Federation) have all been very positive. “And the athletes and officials from the various countries said these games are definitely in the right place at the right time. So that makes me feel very good.” More than $6.7 million was spent on hosting more than 1,100 athletes and officials from 64 countries in nine different disciplines at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Clifton Heritage Park and Malcolm Park beach soccer complex. At the end of the competition last night, the Bahamas moved up on the medal chart from 20 to 17 with a total of one gold, two silver and 10 bronze for the island nation’s best showing ever. England finished as the cream of the crop with 23 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze for 51 medals. Australia was second with 14 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze for 39 medals and New Zealand got third with 31 medals, inclusive of eight gold, 14 silver and nine bronze. Knowles, who serves as the chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said it was a very exhausting exercise, but the way they were able to host the games made it all worthwhile. “When you look at the benefits of the games for these young athletes from the Bahamas, who pride in these games in not having won a medal from 2002, to now more medals that we count, it’s so gratifying,” Knowles said. “We also have another story developing in a young athlete, who some nine months ago was homeless, but became a medallist at these games, has given me goose bumps and to say that the whole ride was worth it.” Knowles said the Bahamas

CLOSING CEREMONY: Scenes from the closing ceremony of the 6th Commonwealth Youth Games at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium last night. Olympic Committee decided to go after the games when St Lucia pulled out over a year ago because of the lack of finances because they wanted to inspire the young athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 who got to participate.

“I’m very grateful to these athletes for the time and energy they put into their training for the games,” said Knowles, the secretary general of the BOC. “We wanted to host these games to measure our successes.

Judo, obviously, passed with flying colours and athletics, swimming and beach soccer all made their presence felt. We know that boxing has some work to do along with one or two others, but we are right there.”

From winning no medals to winning 13 medals, Knowles said everybody who was involved from the organising to the participating and even the spectating, should be proud of what was accomplished in the Bahamas. “We have a lot of national pride. The team that I worked with did extremely well,” he said. “We showed the international community that we are capable of hosting multiple sport games with this being the first time in 50 years that the Commonwealth Games was held in Jamaica. “We gave a good account of ourselves. We gave them firstclass transportation, the venues were par excellent and the competition was top of the line.” With this being a very busy 2017 here in the Bahamas, Knowles said the BOC will look at hosting more multiple events in the future, but it will be up to the international bodies who will take the opportunity to come to the Bahamas to continue what has been produced here this week.