A flurry of medals and a meet record on the final day of the CARIFTA Games boosted Barbados to its best finish and highest medal count since the regional junior track and field festival was held in St George’s, Grenada, in 2016.
The meet returned to the Spice Isle in 2026, and Barbados amassed 17 medals, including six golds, finishing fourth overall and capping the Easter weekend with a new Under-20 Boys’ 4x400m record.
After a quiet morning session, the gold rush began with Jayden Walcott. Beneath intermittent showers, the towering Combermerian threw 18.41m in his Under-20 Boys’ Shot Put debut to kickstart the evening’s action. His second-best throw would also have won the competition over Jamaica’s discus throw champion, Joseph Salmon.
On the track, Ashlyn Simmons earned her second gold medal of the meet. The Alexandra schoolgirl, 1 500m champion in the Under-17 division three years ago, had already won the Under-20 1 500m earlier in the weekend. She added a second title, finishing the 800m in 2:09.07. The icing on the cake was a 2:10.50 silver medal for teammate Danya Skeete.
The McIntyre family got its second medal of the meet through Luke McIntyre in the Under-20 Boys’ 5 000m run. After watching his sister take a fine silver medal in the Girls’ Open 3 000m on Sunday, the 17-year-old Harrisonian ran the event in a personal-best 15:42.51, spurred on by the cheers of the travelling faithful along the home straight.
A blistering Jalino Hamlett anchor leg saw Barbados grab bronze in the Boys’ Under-17 4x400m. Hamlett flew past Trinidad & Tobago’s Michal Paul on the final leg, leading Khalil Bryan, Taje Coward, and Jakio Devonish in a 3:19.90 podium run.
Not to be outdone, the Under-20 girls ran 3:40.68 to secure bronze. Kanedra Morgan, Ashlyn Simmons, and Danya Skeete set things up for Kadia Rock, and the 400m silver medallist split 51.20 seconds to guide Barbados past Trinidad & Tobago. Aaron Massiah added a bronze medal, clearing 15.26m in the penultimate event, Boys’ Under-20 triple jump.
Indubitably, the event of the meet for Barbados was the senior mile relay. The quartet of Nadal Seale, Aidan Moore, Jahkye Brewster, and Shamari Greenige-Lewis battled to a time of 3:05.49, claiming gold and lowering the Games record, which had stood since 2013.
The boys and girls of the Broken Trident ended with six gold medals, the most since they had that many in 2016. Their 17 medals, also the most since 2016, included three silvers and eight bronze. The team has brought home double-figure medals in seven out of the past eight years, but this was the best performance in recent memory.
Barbados has expressed an interest in hosting the CARIFTA Games at a rebuilt National Stadium in 2028. No decision has yet been made as to the 2027 hosts, but wherever the Games are kept next year, Barbados will be keen to maintain its momentum. (TF)
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