While Jamaica once again stamped its authority at the Carifta Games with a commanding finish atop the medal table, the 52nd edition of the championships also served as a celebration of progress and promise for several Caribbean nations — most notably The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago, who delivered standout performances of their own.
The three-day spectacle of junior athletics wrapped up on Easter Monday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad, with Jamaica predictably crowned overall champions for the 39th consecutive time and 47th overall since the competition’s inception in 1972. The island’s young stars bagged 78 medals — 30 gold, 27 silver, and 21 bronze — to continue their regional dominance, albeit falling just shy of last year’s 84-medal haul in Grenada.
But this year’s Games were far from a one-nation affair.
The Bahamas, showcased remarkable improvement, as they soared to second place with 37 medals — nearly doubling their gold medal tally from 2024. They secured 16 golds this time, along with 13 silvers and eight bronzes. Among their most celebrated performances were victories in both boys’ mile relay events, signaling depth and promise in their relay squads.
(from left) Keyezra Thomas of The Bahamas, St Lucia's Jady Emmanuel, and Antigua and Barbuda's Tyra Fenton
Hosts Trinidad and Tobago, cheered on by their home crowd, finished third overall for the second consecutive year. They more than doubled their gold medal count from last year, ending with nine golds, six silvers, and 10 bronze medals for a total of 25. Their performance underscored steady growth and the effectiveness of grassroots athletics development on the twin-island republic.
Meanwhile, other nations also had reasons to celebrate, among them are Grenada, who despite not breaking into the top three, walked away with 13 medals, including two golds, six silver and five bronze. Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia both secured two golds each. Antigua and Barbuda also had one silver and two bronze, while Saint Lucia had a silver and a bronze along side the two gold won by rising sensation Jady Emmanuel.
The Cayman Islands had two gold and a bronze, while the US Virgin Islands also struck gold twice, courtesy of the outstanding Michelle Smith, making the most of their limited contingents.
USVI's Michelle Smith
Barbados, though only managing one gold, still finished with a respectable 14 medals in total, as they also secured five silver and eight bronze. Aruba also entered the winners’ column with a solitary gold, and two silver to round out the top 10 nations.
The vibrant and competitive nature of this year’s Carifta Games was a clear reflection of the region’s rising athletic potential. From Jamaica’s reliable excellence to the marked strides of countries like The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and others, the 2025 edition offered a compelling showcase of the Caribbean’s next generation of track and field stars.