Twenty-six years after Obadele Thompson stood on an Olympic podium in Sydney, the Thompson name is going global in ultramarine, gold and black once again.
This time, it will be through his son Amir who was named to Barbados’ squad for the 2026 World Athletics Under-20 Championships from August 5 to 9 in Eugene, Oregon.
Back in 2000, Obadele Thompson took bronze in the 100m at the Sydney Olympics, finishing behind Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon.
Fast forward to present day and Amir headlines the group of 16 athletes making the journey to Eugene which also includes several names known to local track and field enthusiasts. He has a personal best 20.37 seconds in the 200 metres.
Jahkye Brewster, Jayden Walcott, Aidan Moore, Nyah Clarke and Zachary Wall all featured in the Under-18 team sent to the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships earlier this month, while Jayden Green, Rashad Gibson, Shamari Greenidge-Lewis and Aniya Nurse came through the Under-23 side at that same meet.
Combermere School shot putter Jayden Walcott set a CARIFTA record with an 18.41 metre throw in Grenada, then went even further at the NACAC Under-18 Championships launching the implement 21.82m to smash the meet’s Under-18 record and rank among the world’s leading throwers in his age group.
Jahkye Brewster has been the standout sprinter among Barbados’ Under-20 boys all year and lowered his 100m personal best to 10.56 seconds.
Nadal Seale, Aidan Moore, Brewster and Shamari Greenidge-Lewis made up the Under-20 boys’ 4x400m relay quartet that delivered one of the signature moments of this year’s CARIFTA Games, running 3:05.49 minutes to win gold and break a 13-year-old meet record.
Kadia Rock took silver in the Under-20 girls 400m at CARIFTA this year in a personal best 53.52 seconds. At the NACAC Under-23 Championships, she finished second in the Under-23 Women’s 400m final with a time of 51.92 seconds, breaking Sada Williams’ national junior record of 52.07 set in 2016.
Ashlyn Simmons, a two-time CARIFTA gold medalist this year in the Under-20 girls’ 800m and 1500m will also be in Eugene.
Jayden Green failed to defend his Under-20 200m title at CARIFTA but clocked a wind-assisted 20.17 seconds to win the Under-23 boys’ 200m at NACAC. He placed second in his heat of the 200m prelims and lowered his personal best with a new time of 20.42 seconds, following his 20.46 from the Barbados Grand Prix on July 4.
Running the operations in Eugene will be team manager Renee Layne. Ramon Armstrong is head coach with Alwyn Babb as assistant coach. Shonelle Trotman will serve as physiotherapist. (NM)
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