Excitement filled the air as the Harry Jerome Indoor Games returned to British Columbia, as athletes graced the Richmond Olympic Oval with a mixture of running, jumping and throwing on Saturday, February 3rd. Co-sponsored by the Richmond Kajaks Track and Field Club and the Achilles International Track & Field Society, this event set the tone for the rest of 2024, with the outdoor season just around the corner. Rust has been busted!
Here are just some highlights from the event:
In the Open 60m hurdles, Iyimi Fagbamiye secured a commanding victory with a time of 8.39 seconds. Meanwhile, Ava Eichhorst of the Vancouver Thunderbirds won the U18 60m hurdles, claiming gold with a time of 9.43 seconds. As for the race without hurdles, Fagbamiye showed his pure speed over 60m, taking third in the Open event with a time of 7.01 seconds, behind second place finisher Adam Sieben who finished the race in 6.92 seconds and Trinity Western standout, Kenny Blackman Jr., who took the win in a time of 6.85 seconds.
Moving onto some longer distances Gavin Esleyer won the U18 Men's 600m with a time of 1:30.17 in a tight finish, with Enidu Gardiya following closely behind in a time of 1:30.18. Sofia Zenone of the Langley Mustangs won the U16 Women's 600m in a time of 1:51.21.
On the field, Gursher Gabri demonstrated his strength with a massive throw of 15.99m to win the U16 Men's shot put, while Damilola Fagbamiye and Talia Phangura emerged victorious in the U16 and U18 Women's shot put events, with marks of 9.48m and 13.78m, respectively. As for the high jump a number of athletes in the Men's U18 event soared to 1.75m, with Justin Smyth taking the win on count back. The same can be said for the women's event where two athletes jumped 1.50m, but Nova Kent-Wedmann took the eventual top spot.
As the pulse of indoor track beat once again in the province, athletes of all ages showcased their talent in anticipation for a great outdoor season ahead!