Gittens made first-time clearances at 1.78 and 1.83. The Trinidad and Tobago athlete twice knocked down the bar at 1.86, before successfully negotiating the height on her third attempt. And at 1.89, she again went over the bar the third time around.

McKay emerged victorious in the boys’ Under-20 half-lap final in 21.38 seconds, well inside the 21.92 Carifta Games qualifying time. He also bettered the 21.40 World U20 Championship and 21.62 Pan Am Juniors standards.

Ahye opens the T&T campaign in the women’s 60 metres heats. With a season’s best of 7.19 seconds, the 29-year-old sprint star is seeded 14th in an overall field of 49. Poland’s Ewa Swoboda is the world leader at 6.99 and favourite for gold. American Marybeth Sant-Price (7.04) and Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (7.05) are also key contenders for the global title.

Another Trinidad and Tobago track star, Michelle-Lee Ahye finished seventh in the women’s 60 metres final, yesterday. Ahye got to the line in a season’s best 7.11 seconds.

Richards paid homage to his deceased friend and Trinidad and Tobago teammate Deon Lendore with a scintillating run in the men’s 400 metres final, “The Dream” stopping the clock at 45 seconds flat to become the country’s first-ever gold medallist at the global indoor meet.

In a media release, yesterday, the National Association of Athletics Administrations of T&T (NAAATT) listed the 43 athletes and 12 officials who will be in Jamaica for the Easter weekend meet. A notable omission is talented sprinter/long jumper Janae De Gannes.