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"In The Medal Hunt for Sydney 2000"
(25 November, 1999) - When Dominic Johnson won the pole vault at last June's Central American and Caribbean Games, he did backflips on the mat, looking for all the world like a gleeful child. Understandable, given that he had broken the meet record for that event, become the first St. Lucian man to medal at that level, AND set the stage for his Most Outstanding Male trophy later that same evening. Last weekend Dominc came home for the first time since what he described as "probably the best meet" of his life.
Consider this: Dominic, at 24 years of age, has represented St. Lucia at every level, including the Olympic Games (1996). In 1999 alone, apart from the CAC Games, he has been to the Pan-Am Championships in Canada and the World Championships in Spain. His best jump this year was 5.61m, an automatic qualifying mark for next year's Olympic Games. All of that time, Dominic was competing on a shoulder which eventually needed surgery.
"When I start jumping again next March, I'll jump better than ever," he says. "I think I can make five eighty, and that would get me in the hunt for a medal in Sydney." At the World Champs, when Dominic was among the top twenty, a vault of 5.8m earned the bronze medal. In December, when he returns to his training base in Arizona, he'll begin an aggressive rehabilitation regimen, which will prepare him for his goal of clearing nearly six metres.
In Sydney, Dominic says that he expects to be "one of the youngest athletes in the field." The University of Arizona graduate has a long career ahead of him, after years of working to get where he is. He's hoping to do well at the Olympics, which would give him the perfect platform to get into the lucrative European track and field circuit. In the short term, though, he's looking forward to getting young St. Lucian athletes interested in the vault.
Those plans may materialise next year, when Dominic returns to St. Lucia, in part so as to prepare a pole vault team for the CARIFTA junior championships in Grenada. Early in the year 2000, Dominic is also hoping to launch an Internet web-site, which will let St. Lucians monitor their overseas-based athletes in various disciplines. Additionally, the site will give American colleges and universities better access to St. Lucian athletes for recruiting purposes.
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India-West Indies draw
Port of Spain, Trinidad - The first "Test" between the West Indies and India "A" teams ended in a tame draw after the visitors batted the entire fourth and final day at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad yesterday. India, with a deficit of 63 runs on first innings, finished on 283 for six when play was called off with four overs left. Mohammed Kaif was unbeaten on 54, sharing an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 43 runs with Harvinder Singh Sodhi, who made 19 not out.
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Scoreboard India-West Indies
Port of Spain, Trinidad - Scoreboard on the fourth and final day of the first "Test" of the two-match cricket series between the India "A" team and the West Indies "A" team at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad yesterday.
India A 1st Innings 226
West Indies A 289
India A 2nd innings (overnight 54-1):
G.Khoda c Gayle b Mais 19
S.Sriram lbw b McLean 0
J.Martin c Hinds b McLean 75
J.Arun Kumar b Mais 48
H.Kanitkar c wkp Phillip b Gayle 30
M.Kaif not out 54
S.Dighe c Gayle b Lewis 29
H.Singh Sodhi not out 19
Extras (lb2, nb7) 9
Total (for 6 wickets) 283
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-59, 3-130, 4-155, 5-195, 6-240.
Bowling: McLean 16-2-34-2 (nb5), Prince 17-4-43-0, Mais 14-2-48-2 (nb1), Lewis 29-2-91-1 (nb1), Hinds 11-3-29-0, Adams 7-3-13-0, Gayle 8-2-20-1, Ganga 2-1-3-0.
Result: Match drawn.
2nd Test: Guyana, November 30-December 3.
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Star-studded line-up for St Lucia Open
Castries - A star-studded line-up of tennis players will participate in this year's St Lucia Open which begins this week at the St Lucia Racquet Club at Odyssey Resort. Organisers revealed yesterday that the Open will officially get underway Friday with amateur and pro tennis events. However, as of yesterday and until Thursday, local tennis players will get the opportunity to receive coaching clinics from former world-rated players such as Australia's Roy Emerson and Ross Case and Romania's Ilie Nastase.
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Ballantyne wins again
St George's, Grenada - Top distance runner Pamenos Ballantyne successfully defended his Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States half marathon title in Grenada Sunday.
The Vincentian athlete posted his fastest time of the year over the distance to complete the 13-mile event in one hour seven minutes 49 seconds.He was more than two minutes ahead of St Lucian champion Victor Ledger, in 1.09:33, and Curtis Cox of Trinidad and Tobago, in 1.11:32.
Male:
1. Pamenos Ballantyne (St. Vincent) 1.07:49
2. Victor Ledger (St Lucia)
3. Curtis Cox (Trinidad)
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Charles takes OECS women's title
St George's, Grenada - Nineteen-year-old Abidemi Charles of Guyana took the women's title in 1.27:20, in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States half marathon Sunday. Cyrelene Nero of Trinidad and Tobago was second and Adelaide Carrington of St Vincent and the Grenadines third. About 120 persons participated in the event.
Female:
1. Abidemi Charles (Guyana) 1.27:20
2. Cyrelene Nero (Trinidad)
3. Adelaide Carrington (St. Vincent)
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St Lucia names squad
Castries - Cricket selectors in St Lucia have included three newcomers in a squad of 13 to represent the island in their opening round match against Dominica in the 1999 Windward Islands Cricket series which starts Thursday. Among the newcomers is 15-year-old left arm spinner Gary Mathurin who represented the Windward Islands in this year's West Indies under-15 cricket tournament in Guyana - National youth player Sergio Fedee and Mon Repos batsman Richard Peter are the other new caps. Alton Crafton retained the job as captain of the team despite the return of former Windward Islands middle order batsman John Eugene who missed last year's tournament due to work commitments.
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