MIRAMAR, FLORIDA:

HOLMWOOD Technical's Chrisann Gordon is still basking in the glory of her first individual major success at the junior level, after winning the girl's 400 metres title on Friday's opening day of the Junior Pan Am Championships in Miramar, Florida, to make up for her major disappointment at the IAAF World Youth Championships, where she was favoured to be among the medals, but finished down the track.

It was a smiling Gordon who collected her gold medal on Saturday evening at the awards ceremony.

"I am very happy to know that I was able to come back two weeks later and make up for my mistake at the World Youth Championships by winning the gold and redeeming myself," said Gordon who also stated that she was happy to silence some of those fans who saw her as a choker.

"Many Jamaicans said after Carifta and World Youth that I am a choker but I am happy to know that I have come to Pan Am and achieved my goal and silenced those fans," she continued.

Originally, Gordon was not entered for the event but the management staff was able to get her in after pulling out Anastasia Scott who was entered for the event. Because of this, Gordon had to run out of lane eight in the final, the lane that was given to Scott and she was a bit angry.

"I have never run out of lane eight and I was very angry when I saw I was in that lane, but I was determined to do well and despite being a bit angry, I told myself that nothing was going to stop me from getting the gold medal this time," she continued.

Maybe that was a blessing in disguise for Gordon as her main rival, Diamond Dixon from the United States, the Divison 1 Outdoor NCAA third-place finisher from the University of Kansas did not take the warning from one of the United States coaches that Gordon was a consistent sub-52 seconds runner.

Running like a scared hare out of lane eight, Gordon brought back the memories of the local high school championships several years ago when Camperdown High School's Revoli Campbell running out of the same lane, outsmarted Vere Technical's Inez Turner out of lane four to win the event. Gordon was first on the straightaway, and by the time Dixon could respond, it was too late as the Jamaican raced away to a win in 52.62 seconds, as Dixon had to settle for second in 53.10 seconds.

The Bahamas' Shaunae Miller, the World Youth and World Junior champion in the event, who has been having some keen rivalry with the Jamaican over the past season was at the meet as a spectator as she was not selected by her country for Junior Pan Am duties because of differences between her father who is also her coach and the Federation. Asked if she missed Miller in the event Gordon reply was,"Not really as I will get the chance to meet her again in the near future and although we are rivals she came across to hug me at the end of the race and told me congratulations", said Gordon.

- R.G.