Jady Emmanuel of St Lucia and Shanoya Douglas of Jamaica lit up Hasely Crawford Stadium on Monday, producing unforgettable performances to secure the coveted 100m/200m sprint double on the final day of the 52nd CARIFTA Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
Emmanuel, already the U17 Girls 100m champion, returned to the track for the 200m final and was once again untouchable, clocking a lifetime best 23.47 seconds in a -0.4 m/s headwind. The performance not only secured her second gold medal of the Games but also set a new St Lucia U18 national record, solidifying her place as the island’s newest sprint star. Keyezra Thomas of The Bahamas finished second in 23.67, with Tyra Fenton of Antigua and Barbuda claiming bronze in 23.68.
In the U20 Girls 200m, Shanoya Douglas capped her own golden double with a sensational victory in 23.02 seconds (-0.3 m/s), comfortably ahead of a photo-finish scramble for the remaining medals. Solé Frederick of Trinidad and Tobago took silver in 23.43, narrowly edging Jamaica’s Sabrina Dockery (23.45) and Bahamas’ Shatalya Dorsett (23.45), who were separated by mere thousandths of a second in a thrilling blanket finish.
The U17 Boys 200m final saw Bahamian quarter-miler Eagan Neely complete an impressive 200m/400m double, storming to gold in 21.22 seconds (+0.2 m/s). He held off a strong challenge from Tiondre Frett of the British Virgin Islands (21.52) and Dahrion Belgrave of Barbados (21.68), showcasing his range and finishing strength in yet another commanding run.
The U20 Boys 200m final brought the curtain down on the event in spectacular fashion, with Barbados’ Jayden Green, Jamaica’s Tyreece Foreman, and Junior Galimore locked in a ferocious sprint to the line. Green edged ahead at the finish to win gold in 20.93 seconds (+0.6 m/s), just ahead of Foreman (20.95) and Galimore (21.01), as the three crossed in quick succession in one of the most tightly contested races of the meet.
With dazzling performances, national records, and razor-thin finishes, Monday’s 200m finals delivered all the excitement fans have come to expect from the CARIFTA Games — and crowned a new crop of sprinting stars poised to shine on bigger stages in the years ahead.