Fedrick Dacres threw 67.68m to win gold at the Pan American Games on Tuesday. Another Jamaican, Traves Smikle, took silver with 65.02m ahead of the USA’s Reginald Jagers III, with 64.48m.

Dacres Smikle“This was a good one for me because I was feeling a bit of pain in the competition, but I’m glad I could’ve walked away with the gold medal and the record. So I’m thankful,” Dacres told reporters.

Smikle was all smiles after ­claiming a medal at his Pan Am Games debut.
“To come here and finish in the top three, having a silver medal, I’m happy,” Smikle said. “In life, ­nothing is easy. You have to decide for ­yourself what you want, and I decided that I’m not going to give up. I’m going to work hard and revive my career, so to speak.”

Tissanna Hickling won bronze for Jamaica in the ­women’s long jump, with 6.59m with Virgin Islands’ Chantel Malone (6.68m) in first and USA’s Keturah Orji (6.66m). Jamaica’s Chanice Porter jumped 6.44m for seventh.

Discus throwers Shanice Love (59.82m) and Shadae Lawrence (58.99m) were sixth and seventh, respectively, in the women’s ­discus throw final.

The meet continues today.