Malone Fifth in Pan Am Games Long Jump

Chantel Malone is the second BVI athlete to finish in the top five at the Pan Am Games, joining her cousin Tahesia Harrigan-Scott, who did it in 2007 during the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PHOTO: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

Chantel Malone strung her best series together in two years during a competitive Pan American Games Long Jump battle on Friday night at York University in Toronto, and place fifth in the event, after the USA’s Sha’Keela Saunders leaped frogged her to claim the bronze medal with a mark .04 cms, better than Malone's.

Malone, in her frist Pan Am Games, fouled her opening two jumps before she got going. She put herself into the final with a leap of 6.55m matching her 2014 best. The territory’s multiple event national standard bearer followed up with 6.53m before cutting the sand at 6.62, just .05 cms, off her career best, knocking Barbados’ Akela Jones who had lept a personal best 6.60m in her attempt before, to temporarily move into fourth place. Malone let leapt 6.52m to end the competition.

Veteran sprinter Tahesia Harrigan-Scott ran a consistent series but found herself one position out of the final after running 11.18 seconds for fourth in her 100m semifinal heat. Harrigan-Scott ran 11.19 to advance