World Youth champion Arantxa King leapt to Carifta Games silver in Guadeloupe on Saturday in the Under-20 long jump ? despite failing to meet her personal best by almost three feet.

Competing in her first major event since the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, where an attack of big-stage nerves saw the 16-year old eliminated in her qualifying heat ? King?s first jump in the Stade Rene Serge Nabajoth of 6.07 metres proved to be her best effort as she overstepped the board on four of her six attempts.

That opening leap was 10 centimetres shy of the 6.17 metres set by Anguilla?s Shara Proctor, forcing the young Bermudian ? who was competing in the Under-20 division for the first time ? to settle for second place in a competition she is used to dominating.

King, however, was the only medal success on a Saturday littered with near-misses.

Taijuan Talbot was just over three seconds off bronze medal pace in the Under-20 Boys? 1500 metres, as he came fourth in a time of four minutes, 13.92 seconds.

Aaron Evans and Matthew Spring arrived fourth and fifth respectively in the Under-17 Boys? 1500 metres, with Evans recording a time of 4:12.81 and Spring 4:14.82.

And competing in the Under-17 Girls? 400 metres, Nandi Woods finished fifth in 1:02.24 ? some three seconds off a bronze medal.

Elsewhere, Eulannae Douglas came 17th out of a field of 27 in the Under-17 Girls? 100 metres in 12.48 seconds while Harold Houston finished 10th in the Under-17 Boys? equivalent in 11.19 seconds.

Alixis Armstrong, meanwhile, finished second to last in the Under-17 1500 metres in a time of 5:09.02.

By press time last night, the results from yesterday?s events were not available while repeated attempts to contact the Bermuda squad on the French colony were unsuccessful.

Douglas and Jessica Richardson were due to compete in the Under-17 Girls? 200 metres yesterday while Taylor Ashley-Bean and Armstrong were registered to take part in the Under-17 Girls? 800 metres competition.

Richardson will have run in the 100 metres event for her age group category while Spring was scheduled to compete in the Under-17 Boys? 3,000 metres.

Today, meanwhile, Kristin Heyliger and Allison Outerbridge will take part in the Under-17 Girls? high jump and triple jump while another serious medal hope, Latroya Darrell, will carry the nation?s hopes in the Under-20 Girls? high jump and triple jump.

King is also expected to turn out in the latter event.

Kijaun Wilkinson will also be busy in both jumping disciplines in the Under-20 Boys? category while Ashley Berry is set to run in the Under-17 Girls? 1500 and 3,000 metres.