Dear Editor,
As I stepped out of the taxi last Saturday, immediately my senses were flooded with the sights, smells and sounds of Champs. Everywhere I looked all I could see was a kaleidoscope of colours representing the hundreds of schools participating in Champs.
I rushed to the ticket office, then joined the sea of people who slowly made their way into the stadium. Once we got past the first set of security guards, we were bombarded with offers of fans and noise makers from the numerous sponsors. We eventually reached gate 10 and, finally, we were inside the stadium.
My body was covered with goose pimples as we searched eagerly for somewhere to sit. We breathed a sigh of relief when we spotted the perfect place. All this time, there were sounds of vendors, horns, screams, and vuvuzelas which made it hard for us to communicate, but we did not care. This was the final day of Champs 2014 and we were going to have a blast.
The day started with the favourites Edwin Allen leading for the girls and Calabar leading the boys' tally. The first race we saw was the Boys' Class One 400m finals. The crowd went wild as Calabar's Javon Francis demolished Usain Bolt's old record of 45.35 sec to set a new Champs record of 45.00 sec flat.
The 200m for Class Two boys was on track and the entire place went quiet. Kingston College supporters eagerly came to their feet as we were all sure Jevaughn Matherson was going to take it. As Jevaughn crossed the finish line in first place it seemed as if every single KC supporter was jumping and waving and dancing up a storm. I was beside myself with excitement. All the other 200m races were exciting, but this one was doubly so.
The scores were read and Edwin Allen and Calabar were still leading, and KC had gained some ground on JC. The flags started coming out again and the crowd got even louder. The drums went off and we started dancing. We danced for around 20 minutes before taking a rest.
The evening went on in the same fashion and then it was time for the relays. All I can say is wow! I swear my heart is still pounding from watching the relays. They were fast and furious. They were exciting and frightening to watch as we all held our breath in hope that no one would drop the baton. Luckily no one did, but unfortunately someone did false-start and my heart broke for the Jamaica College team. Two of the most exciting relays, in my opinion, were the medley relays which KC and Edwin Allen won in record times.
The final relays, the 4x400, were the last events, and boy were they worth waiting for! Those relays were the perfect ending to a fabulous week of events. In the end, Calabar and Edwin Allen emerged victorious. And, while I was over the moon that Edwin Allen won, I was a little bit sad that KC didn't. I must congratulate Calabar, however, for a well deserved win. They performed extremely well and won convincingly. Kudos, of course, to Kingston College for remaining true to their motto. You fought hard all the way to the end and you never once gave up. I will forever remain a KC fan.
Edwin Allen are true champions. They came back from last year's defeat and won in style. Hats off to all the athletes who participated in this year's events. Thank you for entertaining us and representing your schools so admirably.
All in all, it was a fantastic Champs and I can hardly wait for next year.
Kenisha Williams
blog: kennykk.weebly.com
Champs was fantastic!
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As I stepped out of the taxi last Saturday, immediately my senses were flooded with the sights, smells and sounds of Champs. Everywhere I looked all I could see was a kaleidoscope of colours representing the hundreds of schools participating in Champs.
I rushed to the ticket office, then joined the sea of people who slowly made their way into the stadium. Once we got past the first set of security guards, we were bombarded with offers of fans and noise makers from the numerous sponsors. We eventually reached gate 10 and, finally, we were inside the stadium.
My body was covered with goose pimples as we searched eagerly for somewhere to sit. We breathed a sigh of relief when we spotted the perfect place. All this time, there were sounds of vendors, horns, screams, and vuvuzelas which made it hard for us to communicate, but we did not care. This was the final day of Champs 2014 and we were going to have a blast.
The day started with the favourites Edwin Allen leading for the girls and Calabar leading the boys' tally. The first race we saw was the Boys' Class One 400m finals. The crowd went wild as Calabar's Javon Francis demolished Usain Bolt's old record of 45.35 sec to set a new Champs record of 45.00 sec flat.
The 200m for Class Two boys was on track and the entire place went quiet. Kingston College supporters eagerly came to their feet as we were all sure Jevaughn Matherson was going to take it. As Jevaughn crossed the finish line in first place it seemed as if every single KC supporter was jumping and waving and dancing up a storm. I was beside myself with excitement. All the other 200m races were exciting, but this one was doubly so.
The scores were read and Edwin Allen and Calabar were still leading, and KC had gained some ground on JC. The flags started coming out again and the crowd got even louder. The drums went off and we started dancing. We danced for around 20 minutes before taking a rest.
The evening went on in the same fashion and then it was time for the relays. All I can say is wow! I swear my heart is still pounding from watching the relays. They were fast and furious. They were exciting and frightening to watch as we all held our breath in hope that no one would drop the baton. Luckily no one did, but unfortunately someone did false-start and my heart broke for the Jamaica College team. Two of the most exciting relays, in my opinion, were the medley relays which KC and Edwin Allen won in record times.
The final relays, the 4x400, were the last events, and boy were they worth waiting for! Those relays were the perfect ending to a fabulous week of events. In the end, Calabar and Edwin Allen emerged victorious. And, while I was over the moon that Edwin Allen won, I was a little bit sad that KC didn't. I must congratulate Calabar, however, for a well deserved win. They performed extremely well and won convincingly. Kudos, of course, to Kingston College for remaining true to their motto. You fought hard all the way to the end and you never once gave up. I will forever remain a KC fan.
Edwin Allen are true champions. They came back from last year's defeat and won in style. Hats off to all the athletes who participated in this year's events. Thank you for entertaining us and representing your schools so admirably.
All in all, it was a fantastic Champs and I can hardly wait for next year.
Kenisha Williams
blog: kennykk.weebly.com
Champs was fantastic!
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