Barbados secured two gold medals as Mihael Sobers and Christian Vanderpool covered themselves in glory at the 2026 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships yesterday at the Stade Georges Gratiant Lamentin in Martinique.
In the day’s first session, Heidi Stoute earned the first silver medal in the Girls’ 15-17 800 metres with her time of 9.27.49 minutes while Sobers won the Boys’ 13-14 1 500m in 17.29.23 minutes.
Vanderpool triumphed in an exciting 11-12 Boys’ 200-metre breaststroke event. Vanderpool, who was the fastest seed, lived up to his ranking, controlling the entire race and never looking like he was in any trouble. He touched the wall in 2:46.27 minutes.
Meanwhile, Heidi Stoute captured silver in the 13-17 Girls’ 800 metres freestyle, finishing behind Reagan Uszenski of the United States Virgin Islands.
The race started with Stoute on the back foot as Uszenski and a few others got the better start, but she soon established herself as one of the main contenders, jumping to second place after the first 100 metres.
Lap after lap of the pool, Stoute looked to have secured second place with her USVI rival slowly pulling away.
At the 650-metre mark, Stoute was behind by about 15 seconds and had a lot of work to do. However, she put on a late push to close the gap to just seven seconds, but it was enough.
Uszenski finished first in 9:20.15 minutes, with the Barbadian second in 9:27.49. Third place went the way of Antigua’s Madison MacMillan (9:32.77). (PR/EZS)
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