The regional junior track and field championship, which will celebrate its 49th edition, was to have taken place from April 3-5 but was moved to July 2-4 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, according to the NACAC president, the decision to push the dates to August stems from the move by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to have external examinations between June 14 and July 16, dates which overlap the previously scheduled dates for the Carifta Games. CXC's decision was forced by adjusted school times across the region caused by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Donna Raynor, President of the Bermuda Athletics Association and Bermuda’s Carifta Games Local Organizing Committee (LOC) said she was ‘floored’ by the decision to move the games to August but indicated that there are several upsides to hosting the games then.
She indicated that by then, member countries should have been able to bring infections under control and that most, if not all, would have had access to the vaccines. The athletes will also have more time to prepare, she said.
Raynor also advised that hotels in the country have also indicated that they will have rooms available to accommodate the visiting teams.
That said, she indicated the safety protocols were being prepared that will be forwarded to the Bermudan government for approval. Those protocols would include that athletes are tested three days prior to arriving in Bermuda. Of course, that could change, depending on what the state of the pandemic is in the weeks leading up to the games, she said.
At this point, she said, no fans would be allowed into the stadium hosting the games but said that also could change depending on the prevailing conditions in the weeks leading up to the Games.
Raynor also indicated that the delay would not necessarily significantly add to the costs of hosting the games, indicating that she only envisions additional expenses in the form of enhanced medical facilities and personnel.
With that in mind, there will either be no opening ceremony or a significantly scaled-down one, in an effort to contain spending.
Sands said that NACAC would lend financial support to offset additional costs associated with the delays.
The president said work was ongoing behind the scenes to help member nations minimize costs associated with travelling to Bermuda. He said NACAC was considering having athletes travel to a centralized location from where they would be flown directly to Bermuda.
Ximena Restrepo was re-elected as a Vice President and will be joined by newly elected Vice Presidents Raul Chapado, Adille Sumariwalla and Jackson Tuwei.
A total of 192 voting members of Congress voted for Coe and three abstained. Under the World Athletics Constitution, this will be Coe’s final term as President.
In 2019, Restrepo, the 1992 Olympic 400m bronze medallist from Colombia, became the first woman to be elected as a World Athletics Vice President.
As part of the widespread reforms adopted by the World Athletics Congress at the end of 2016, World Athletics added minimum gender targets into its constitution to establish parity at all levels in the sport’s governance.
The reforms detailed a requirement to have 13 members of each gender elected to the World Athletics Council at the 2027 Congress. This target has been met four years earlier than the reform roadmap prescribed.
The remaining requirement to be met at the 2027 Congress is the election of two Vice Presidents of each gender.
"I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues and delighted to see that more of the commitments we made during the governance reform process in 2016 have come to fruition with the election of World Athletics’ first gender equal Council four years ahead of schedule," said Coe. "But the job is not done yet and we need to keep pushing for gender parity throughout our representative bodies. The strength of our sport is in its diversity and that should be reflected in our governance at all levels."
The newly elected members of the World Athletics Council are: Yuko Arimori (JPN), Anna Riccardi (ITA), Annette Purvis (NZL), Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR), Nan Wang (CHN), Abby Hoffman (CAN), Nataliia Dobrynska (UKR), Sylvia Barlag (NED), Beatrice Ayikoru (UGA), Willie Banks (USA), Antti Pihlakoski (FIN), Cydonie Mothersill (CAY) and Donna Raynor (BER).
On the 26-strong World Athletics Council, the 13 newly elected members will be joined by six Area Presidents and two members of the Athletes' Commission, one woman and one man, including the Chair.
The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) made the decision at a Council meeting on Thursday night. NACAC President Mike Sands explained that the Covid-19 pandemic was the catalyst for shifting the Carifta dates.
“Time is running out, and the situation is not improving globally. The NACAC family, the Carifta family is affected. We took a decision at Council level to do a survey with membership to determine the best course of action. There were several options for a date change, and we ultimately decided on July 2nd to 4th,” Sands said in a statement released today.
“I’m optimistic but it’s cautious optimism. Obviously, what eventually happens will be dictated by the turn of events. But I’m confident the Games will go on. I’m happy we’ve arrived at a point where we have definitive dates. This is the pre-eminent junior championship meet in the region, and arguably the world. I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy.”
In a letter to Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) president Donna Raynor, yesterday, NACAC General Secretary Keith Joseph officially informed the host country of the decision to shift the Carifta dates.
“The NACAC Council, at its meeting of Thursday 21 January 2021, unanimously approved the convening of the 49th edition of the annual Carifta Games in Bermuda during the period 2 – 4 July 2021, with arrival being on 30 June and departure on 5 July. The NACAC Council also approved the retention of the existing Carifta Games programme of events as well as team quotas,” the letter said.
Covid-19 had forced the cancellation of the 2020 Carifta Games, in Bermuda. The BNAA, however, remained committed to the Games and was preparing to host the 2021 edition between April 3 and 5. Covid, though, remains a challenge, forcing the postponement of the three-day meet.
“We are mindful of the challenges with which your country, organization and all of our Caribbean member federations and their athletes are confronted,” Joseph said in his letter to Raynor, “but are confident of our collective resolve to overcome them as we have so often done in the past with other obstacles.”
Raynor said she is pleased with the decision to postpone Carifta 2021.
“We created a position paper in which we stated that our preference was moving the Games to a later date. That first weekend in July is a good weekend for us. It fits in well with our calendar and our school system. School is out in July. It’s the perfect weekend, and the weather will be great in July, not as cold as in April,” she said.
“Covid is going to dictate what happens but from a preparation standpoint, we will be prepared. As long as Covid allows us, we will be ready to host the Games.”
Joseph expressed his gratitude to Raynor, the BNAA and the Bermuda government.
“NACAC stands ready to work with the BNAA to ensure that Bermuda and all of the Carifta Family enjoy the benefit of another very successful edition of one of the world of athletics’ most exciting spectacles, the annual Carifta Games.”
