CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC):

Jamaica's athletes accentuated their regional dominance with a sweep of all 200 metres and three of the four 1600-metre relay titles, in a riveting climax to the 38th Carifta Games last night.

In striding to an awesome 25th consecutive medal-topping display at the regional meet, the Jamaicans gathered 67 medals - 39 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze - to finish the four-day meet, way ahead of Trinidad and Tobago with nine gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze (more to follow).

Jamaica's half-lap victories included an Under-17 record run by Jahzeel Murphy in 20.97 seconds.

Shericka Jackson won the Girls' U-17 200 in 23.62, while World Youth and Junior medallist Nickel Ashmeade won the Under-20 boys 200 in 20.56, in a stirring duel with compatriot Ramone McKenzie, who clocked 20.60 for second. Jura Levy took the girls' event in 23.20.

Earlier in the afternoon, regional junior middle-distance superstars Gavyn Nero and Natoya Goule each remarkably recorded their 10th Carifta Games gold medal triumphs.

Double victories

Competing in the senior 800-metre events, Trinidad and Tobago's Nero stopped the clock at one minute 51.75 seconds to win the Under-20 boys' title, shortly after Jamaican Goule had landed the girls' U-20 two-lap event in 2:09.27 at the George Odlum Stadium.

Both were completing double victories after capturing the 1500-metre gold last Friday evening.

Nero collared the front-running Bermudian Aaron Evans (1:52.54) entering the home stretch and stayed clear to the finish. Kadeem Smith of St Kitts and Nevis was third 1:54.45.

As an Under-17, Nero had won two 3,000-metre titles and gold medals at 800 and 1500 metres and since moving up to the senior (U-20) division, he has taken the 800/1500-metre double three years in a row.

Goule dominated her event and won ahead of her Jamaican team-mate Ristananna Tracey (2:10.08).

Also dominant from her U-17 days, Goule has now copped five 1500m and five 800m Carifta Games gold medals.

Kemoy Campbell recovered from his second-place finish in the 1,500m to smash the championship record in the boys' open 5,000 metres. The Jamaican covered the distance in 14:40.67, finishing ahead of St Vincent and the Grenadines' Delohnni Samuel (15:42.51) and Barbadian Mathew Wright (15:45.44).

Outclassed

Jamaicans Chris-Ann Gordon and Waquar DaCosta took the U-17 800-metre titles.

Gordon (2:11.43) beat the Barbadian pair of Shani Adams (2:13.22) and Sonia Gaskin (2:13.80) in the girls' event and DaCosta (1:55.70) won the boys' equivalent over Barbadians Antonio Mascoll (1:56.32) and Jerrad Mason (1:57.13).

Overseas-based Barbadian Kierre Beckles, last year's Austin Sealy award winner, outclassed her rivals in the U-20 girls' 100-metre hurdles, clocking a fine wind-assisted (2.6mps) 13.31 as she came home a lonely winner, chased by Bahamian Ivanique Kemp (13.78) and Jamaican Kaymarie Jones (13.95).

The junior sprint hurdles titles both went to Jamaicans, Keenan Davis taking the girls event in 14.15 seconds over Barbadian Sade Greenidge (14.20) and Stefan Fennell landing the U-17 boys' gold in a fast 13.00 seconds, an automatic qualifying time for the World Juniors.

Medal Table

Tabulate under: Country, G=Gold, S=Silver, B=Bronze; Total