Trinidad And Tobago

Decorated Trinidadian Olympic medalist, Ato Boldon, has admitted his generation was intensely aware of the rivalry between themselves and track and field powerhouse the United States, one of the fiercest in global athletics.

When it comes to the sprint events at the Olympics, there can be little doubt that the Americans have ruled the roost.  In 28 contests so far, beginning in 1896, the United States has claimed an impressive 16 gold medals.

Whenever there has been a fly in that proverbial ointment, so to speak, however, it has more often than not, one way or the other, turned out to be athletes of Caribbean descent.

In total, athletes of Caribbean descent have claimed 6 medals, a list led by Jamaican Usain Bolt’s three straight between 2008-2016.  The first was Trinidad and Tobago’s Hasely Crawford in 1976, followed by wins for Lindford Christie (Great Britain) and Donovan Bailey (Canada), both of whom are of Jamaican descent.

 In total athletes from the Caribbean have found themselves on the podium in 16 of the quadrennial, with the dominant USA failing to make the podium on only three occasions.

The occasions were in 1928 Amsterdam, 1980 Moscow and 1996 Atlanta.

On one of those rare occasions, it was Boldon himself who featured alongside Bailey and

Namibia’s Frankie Fredricks to leave the USA outside of the medal spots, in their home country, no less.

Left in fourth and fifth place the was US pair of Dennis Mitchell and Mike Marsh.  In that regard, Boldon wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“At the time, Dennis Mitchell and I weren’t particularly good friends because Dennis was actually with John Smith (coach) when I got there in 1995,” Boldon said on SportsMax.TV special Olympic series Great Ones.

“At some point, he had a decision to make as to whether he was going to come with me on a trip somewhere or something.  Dennis actually said to him, because Dennis had been number one in the world the year prior, he said something like, ‘why are you wasting time with this young kid?’ I’m number one in the world. I always remembered that.”

The flamboyant Mitchell had finished in third position at the 1992 Olympics and heading into the Atlanta Games had hopes of finishing much higher.

“I remember thinking, I want to beat Dennis on his home soil because he was an American and to me, if we shut out the Americans on home soil, we have done our job,” Boldon said.

“So, even back then that was a real thought for me, not just because of Dennis but because I had a sense of my place in this battle we were to fight.”

Despite being fierce opponents for 100m, following the event, Boldon and Bailey took the opportunity to quickly reflect on the moment.

“He said, ‘never forget where you are from, and I said to him that’s right ‘you never forget where you are from.’ We were very aware that it was us versus them.  The Jamaican and the half-Jamaican, versus Dennis and versus Ezinwa, versus Mike Marsh,” Boldon said.

“I don’t know why we were aware of it, but we were aware of it.  So to me, Donovan saying that to me after was kind of a, ‘I know that you live here now and you attended American university and all that but remember you’re a Trini and it was my sort of echoing the sentiment back to him.”

Thanks to the exploits of Bolt, the US has failed to get a gold medal in the event for three straight Olympics, the longest drought they have faced in the history of the competition.

The stage was set for a showdown of aquatic prowess, with 25 nations from across the Caribbean vying for supremacy. Yet, from the outset, it was clear that the Bahamian team was on a mission — a mission to etch their names into the record books once more.

Led by the indomitable spirit of Head Coach Travano McPhee, the Bahamian contingent unleashed their full potential. With each stroke, each turn, they surged ahead, leaving their competitors trailing in their wake.

Day after day, the Bahamas increased its lead, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind of their dominance in the pool. From the precision of their starts to the power of their finishes, every swimmer embodied the essence of excellence, pushing themselves to their limits and beyond.

As the final day of competition dawned, the tension was palpable. Yet, amidst the nerves, there was an air of confidence among the Bahamian swimmers. They knew that this was their moment, their chance to make history once more.

And make history they did.

With a final surge of speed and determination, the Bahamas clinched their sixth consecutive CARIFTA Aquatics Championship title, sending shockwaves of celebration throughout the nation. Tears of joy mingled with the waters of the pool as the triumphant swimmers embraced, their hearts filled with pride for what they had accomplished.

In the medal standings, the Bahamas reigned supreme, topping the table with 34 gold, 39 silver, and 28 bronze for a total of 101 medals. Trinidad & Tobago followed with 24 gold, 15 silver, and 17 bronze for 56 total medals, securing second place. The Cayman Islands claimed the third spot with 18 gold, 13 silver, and 19 bronze, accumulating 50 total medals. Jamaica, with 18 gold, 12 silver, and 15 bronze, earned a total of 45 medals, securing the fourth position. Barbados rounded out the top five teams with 15 gold, 15 silver, and 7 bronze, totaling 47 medals.

Speaking to the Nassau Guardian in the aftermath of their historic win, Coach McPhee expressed his gratitude to his team and the Bahamian people. "This is our house, and we were able to hold it down," he declared, his voice ringing with emotion. "I'm proud to be a part of this team, and I'm very proud of everyone who contributed to this sixth straight win. We're not done yet... next year, we're going for seven straight."

And with that vow hanging in the air, the Bahamian swimmers basked in the glory of their triumph, knowing that they had not only made history but had also etched their names into the hearts of a nation. For in the waters of the Betty Kelly-Henning Swim Complex, the spirit of the Bahamas soared to new heights, a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the unbreakable bond of a team united in pursuit of greatness.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m champion missed three anti-doping tests on June 23, 2018, February 23, 2019, and April 19, 2019, which amounted to an anti-doping violation for which she has been sanctioned.

 In addition to the ban, Ahye is being required to forfeit any titles, ranking points as well and prize and appearance money she would have won during the period. The World Athletics Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) explained that all competitive results that Ahye returned between April 19, 2019, and August 30, 2019, should be disqualified.

What this effectively means is that the silver medal Ahye won on August 7, 2019, at the Pan Am Games will be stripped.

She will also have to return prize money won in women’s 200-metre “B” race she won at the Spitzen Leichtathletik track meet in Switzerland on July 9, and at a few IAAF Diamond League races.

Meanwhile, according to media in Trinidad, Ahye’s attorney, Howard Jacobs, claimed she was tested 10 times during the period when she missed the tests and did not return an adverse finding.

However, according to the AIU: "We do not consider such arguments provide a sufficient reason to do other than the rule that the sanction of suspension should start to run from the date of the third missed test, namely 19 April, 2019."

Bernard, who entered the Games in superb form after clearing 1.83m to win gold at the recently-concluded ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, couldn’t replicate that clearance, but did enough to finish tops in the end.

After failing first time at 1.55m, the 15-year-old Bernard got into rhythm and had first time clearance at 1.60m, 1.65m, 1.68m, with the winning leap coming first time at 1.71m. She later failed in her attempt at 1.74m.

“I am extremely happy because this is my first time representing the national team. It’s a bit disappointing that I didn’t go higher, but I had to pull myself together because I knew my team needed this. The other competitors pushed me a little, but I am used to this, and I actually expected myself to win this event,” Bernard, who attends Hydel High said after the victory.

The Jamaican faced stiffed competition from silver medallist Alexandria Komolafe (1.71m), who cleared all the heights on her first attempt and seemed well on her way to victory, before she clipped the bar first time at 1.71m, which opened the door for Bernard to snatch victory.

Tenique Vincent of Trinidad and Tobago was third with a clearance at 1.68m.

The Carifta Games are being broadcast live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

Perennial second-place finishers to Jamaica, the Bahamians collected 46 medals – 10 gold, 13 silver and 23 bronze –on home soil last year, which was 32 less than Jamaica’s 78 medal haul, that included 40 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze.

Despite that, Archer is confident that the 77-strong Bahamian team will deliver strong performances in the “Spice Isle” at Kirani James Stadium.

“Jamaica has hell on their hands as well as Trinidad and Barbados and everybody else,” Archer told Nassau Guardian recently.

“I’m pumped about it because we have some wonderful talent, new and old,” he added.

Head Coach Caudell McNab also expressed confidence about the prospects for his Bahamian team, as expectations are high that they will perform at a high level at the Easter Weekend spectacle.

“I expect them to do well. We will be strong, and we will show all the other countries that we have worked hard, and we are there to win. I expect that most of the countries, because the meet is in the Eastern Caribbean, will field bigger teams than when we hosted it last year because of proximity. It will not make a difference and I expect us to do well in the competition,” McNab declared.

“Experience and the fact that some of the athletes are new to this level gives a good mix. The camaraderie is very good, even if they did not know each other in the past, it makes it very interesting. One of the things that impressed me most is that we have so many pre-qualifiers and at the trials, most of them met the standards again and it shows that they are at the peak and should do extremely well,” he added.

The 2024 Carifta Games will be live on SportsMax from the starting Saturday.

The elections will serve to select the members of the CANOC Executive Committee for the quadrennial period, 2022-2026 following Day 1 of the ninth CANOC workshop.

Samuda, who is president of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) or Joseph, the General Secretary of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee, will replace the incumbent Brian Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago who will be going up against Antigua and Barbuda’s Cliff Williams for the position of CANOC Secretary General.

Meantime, vying for the post of vice-president are John Abramson of the US Virgin Islands and Carson Ebanks of the Cayman Islands.

Edith Cox of the Turks and Caicos is the only candidate for the post of treasurer while Ytannia Wiggins of Barbados, Alain Soreze of Guadeloupe, Bruce Farara of Montserrat and Alan Sharpe of Belize are in the running for executive members.

The nominations commission chaired by Sandra Osborne, SCM, KC, will supervise and manage the voting process to deliver secure results for all Executive Committee elections as well as decisions on selection of the host for the second edition of the Caribbean Games.

The Executive Report on CANOC’s stewardship over the past four years, the report on the Inaugural Caribbean Game and bid presentations for host of the 2025 Caribbean Games, will be the main features on Day 2.

As part of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) commitment to the United Nations Sport for Climate Action (S4CA) Framework and the support to the Olympic Movement to protect our planet, CANOC will be attempting to minimize the use of paper at the workshop and general assembly, offering instead, as many documents as possible in digital format.

Having completed the final phase of their preparations at Complexe Sportif de l’ile des Vannes, ahead of competition, the athletes—Aliyah Abrams, Shakeem McKay, Shafiqua Maloney, Cejhae Green, and Lindon Victor—took time to share their eagerness with Sportsmax’s Alex Jordan.

Guyana’s Abrams, 27, who will contest the women’s 400m, is especially enthusiastic, as she seeks to create history by securing her country’s first ever track and field medal at the Olympic Games. The country’s lone medal to date was earned by boxer Michael Parris at the 1980 Olympic Games in Russia.

“It (the atmosphere) has been great, the weather has been good, and training has been great. This is my third day out and everything is coming together well, so I am excited. It is going great for me; I just want to really hammer throw the rounds and make sure I don’t leave anything off the track essentially. So I just intend on giving it my all and just doing my very best so I can make the final,” said Abrams, who will be making her third-consecutive Olympic Games appearance.

Another quartermiler, Shakeem McKay of Trinidad and Tobago, echoed similar sentiments as he hopes to make a memorable debut at the global multi-sport event. The 21-year-old, along with Jereem Richards, will carry the Twin Island Republic’s flag in the men’s 400m.

“It (being at the Olympic Games) is a dream come true,” he declared.

“I am just taking it day-by-day as it comes; I am not letting it get to my head or anything; I am just here to get the job done. Today (Thursday) was a fairly easy day; we had a couple sprints, accelerations, block starts and so on. So today was really just to prepare for tomorrow when we get on track,” McKay added.

The 100m dash, often regarded as the marquee event of track and field, will see several Caribbean sprinters vying for gold. Antigua and Barbuda’s Cejhae Green is among those that will line up in the men’s event.

Green, 28, is also making his third Olympic Games appearance.

“I am as ready as I can get. If you’re not ready by the time you get to the Olympic Village, then you’re in big trouble. I am feeling really good; actually, today was a really good day. Sometimes training doesn’t go as planned, but today was a good day…coach was happy, and once the coach is happy, I can’t complain,” Green shared.

Maloney, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is one of the Caribbean’s middle distance hopefuls in the women’s 800m. The 25-year-old, who holds her country’s indoor and outdoor national records, is now eager to make her mark, as opposed to her debut outing at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“Honestly, in Tokyo, I was not in a good place mentally, I was lacking experience and just wasn’t aware of what it takes to compete at the top level. Now I have more experience, I have been running for a couple years now, I am now on the professional circuit; and I am a lot more prepared mentally and physically,” Maloney explained.

“I am out here chasing a medal like everybody else; just take it one round at a time and get to the final, but I can’t think about the final until I get past each round. So one round at a time, and when I get to the final, I can think about the medal. It doesn’t matter what you ran before you came here; it is about what you do here, so you have to show up and compete,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Grenada’s Victor, will contest the decathlon, a grueling two-day event that tests an athlete’s versatility and endurance across ten disciplines.

Conferred with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) earlier this year, Lindon, 31, is hoping to make his country proud on this his third Olympic Games appearance.

“I have to compete and be a good ambassador for my country first and foremost. Once I compete hard, compete well, and do what I need to, I think Grenada will be proud, and a medal would be a cherry on top of that,” Victor stated.

With the stage set and the athletes ready, the world will be watching as these talented individuals strive for Olympic glory.

Jamaica’s Deandre Daley cruised to victory in semi-final one to lead the men’s qualifiers with his 10.34s. Japan’s Naoki Nishioka (10.43s) also progressed.

Another Jamaican and medal favourite, Gary Card, was beaten into third in semi-final two, but his 10.39s was good enough for one of the fastest non-automatic qualifying spots. The race was won by Thailand’s Puripol Boonson (10.30s), ahead of South African Bradley Nkoana (10.30s). Carlos Brown Jr (10.63s) of the Bahamas missed out.

The other finalists are Bayanda Walaza (10.33s) of South Africa, Teddy Wilson (10.35s) of Great Britain, and China’s Jinxian He (10.36s).

On the women’s side, Kishawna Niles of Barbados easily progressed from semi-final one, which she topped in 11.39s ahead of Great Britain’s Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, who was also timed at 11.39s. Dominican Republic’s Liranyi Alonso (11.89s) finished down the track and missed out.

Jamaica’s Olympian Alana Reid expectedly topped semi-final two in 11.44s, ahead of Nigerian Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan (11.56s).

British Virgin Islands Olympian Adaejah Hodge (11.59s) booked her spot in the final as she placed second in the third semi-final behind Germany’s Chelsea Kadiri, who won in 11.52s. Puerto Rico’s Frances Colon (11.74s) was fourth but failed to secure one of the fastest non-automatic spots.

The 100m finals are scheduled for 6:30pm Jamaica time on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Lebron James of Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica’s Addison Alickson James both failed to progress to the men’s javelin finals. Lebron James threw a best of 62.67m for 13^th and Addison James mustered 60.58m for 15^th in Group A.

In the female qualifiers, Jamaica’s quartet of Charokee Young, Ashley Williams, Junelle Bromfield, and Roneisha McGregor placed third in heat three in 3:29.03, behind Poland and France, who clocked 3:27.11 and 3:28.06.

Earlier, Cuba (3:31.56) and Dominican Republic (3:40.93) placed third and seventh, respectively, in heat two.

Ireland headlined the team’s that progressed, as they clocked a National Record 3:24.38 in qualifying. United States (3:24.76), Great Britain (3:24.89), Italy (3:26.28), Norway (3:26.89), Poland (3:27.11), and Canada (3:27.17), also booked their spots in the final, as well as for this summer’s Paris Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, it was more of the same on the male side of action, as Trinidad and Tobago’s quartet of Asa Guevara, Timothy Frederick, Shakeem McKay, and Jereem Richards, clocking 3:04.15 for third in heat one, where Japan (3:00.98) and Germany (3:01.25) secured the coveted spots.

United States initially won the heat, but they were later disqualified for an infringement.

Jamaica’s Malik James-King, Zandrion Barnes, Assinie Wilson, and Demish Gaye, clocked 3:02.46 for third, behind Belgium (3:00.09) and Nigeria (3:01.70). Guyana (3:09.91) was eighth in that heat.

The Bahamas (3:07.45) placed sixth in heat three, which was won by Italy (3:01.68), ahead of the fast-finishing Great Britain (3:02.10).

In the last heat, Barbados (3:03.72) and Dominican Republic (3:08.15), placed third and sixth, respectively, as Botswana (2:59.73) and South Africa (2:59.76) took the top spots.

Despite missing out on this occasion, the teams will have another shot at Olympic qualification in Round 2 action on Sunday.

Crooks' impressive swim highlighted a strong showing for Caribbean swimmers, who competed fiercely across various heats at the Paris La Defense Arena, albeit with less fortune. The Cayman Islands swimmer’s advancement is a significant achievement, making him the sole Caribbean athlete to move forward in this event.

Elsewhere in the competition, veteran swimmer Dylan Carter from Trinidad and Tobago in Heat 8, finished with a time of 22.18 seconds, not enough to advance him to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, several Caribbean swimmers made their Olympic debuts with commendable performances. Troy Nisbett of St Kitts and Nevis competed in Heat 2, finishing fifth with a time of 28.71 seconds. Dominica's Warren Adam Lawrence took to the pool in Heat 4, clocking 24.67 seconds to finish sixth.

 In Heat 5, Alex Joachim from St Vincent and the Grenadines made his debut with a time of 23.59 seconds, finishing fifth, while Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders secured third place in the same heat with a time of 22.14 seconds.

Despite their valiant efforts, the overall rankings saw Nisbett placing 69th, Lawrence 52nd, Joachim 45th, Schreuders 26th, and Carter 29th. While they did not advance to the next round, their participation and performances demonstrated the talent of Caribbean swimmers on the Olympic stage.

Distin, who set the NCAA’s leading mark and national indoor record last month, got the better of Trinidad and Tobago and Texas Longhorns jumper Tyra Gittens.  The Jamaican jumper equalled her best of 1.92 metres to win the event, with Gittens recording a season best of 1.89m to earn the silver medal.  Third place went to South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn who recorded a mark of 1.86m.

Elsewhere, University of South Carolina’s Davonte Burnett claimed the men’s 60m title with a new personal best of 6.50.  The Jamaican finished ahead of Indiana’s Rikkol Brathwaite, who was second in 6.52, with Tennessee’s Favour Ashe third in 6.55.

In other events, Wayne Lawrence of Iowa finished 7^th in the men’s 400m, an event won by North Carolina’s Randolph Ross and Texas Tech’s Vashaun Vascianna finished just outside the medal places in the men’s 60 MH, which was won by Florida State’s Trey Cunningham.

Lafond jumped a national record of 14.60 to advance, the second-longest jump of the qualifying round behind the 14.77 done by Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela who is the gold medal favourite.

Liadagmis Povea of Cuba qualified in 5^th with a jump of 14.50.  Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts, a silver medalist at the 2019 Doha World Championships, needed only one jump to qualify in 6^thplace.

To qualify for the final automatically an athlete needs to jump 14.40 and Ricketts did 14.43 on her 1^st attempt.

Kimberley Williams of Jamaica was the last Caribbean athlete to qualify for the final, jumping 14.30 to finish 9^th.

Women’s Shot Put – Trinidad and Tobago’s Warren claims spot in final

 The women’s shot put only saw one Caribbean athlete advance to the final, Trinidad & Tobago’s Portious Warren.  Warren threw a personal best 18.75 to finish 9^th and advance to the 12-competitor final.

Jamaicans Danniel Thomas-Dodd and Lloydrica Cameron both missed out on a place in the final.

Thomas-Dodd, a silver medalist at the 2019 World Championships, finished 13^th with a distance of 18.37, one spot outside a place in the final.

Cameron finished 21^st in qualifying with a distance of 17.43.

Caribbean teams were also involved in the heats of the mixed 4x400m relay.

The Dominican Republic qualified for the final after finishing 2^nd in heat 1 with a time of 3:12.74.

The 2^nd heat saw the Jamaican team qualify for the final after a 3^rd place finish.

The team comprising of Sean Bailey, Junelle Bromfield, Stacey Ann Williams, and Karayme Bartley ran 3:11.76.

Women’s 400mh – Jamaica’s Russell advances but mishaps for Nugent, Whyte

 The women’s 400 Hurdles saw four Caribbean women advance to the semi-finals and two suffering unfortunate mishaps.

Jamaica’s Janieve Russell advanced to the semi-finals after finishing second in heat 2 with a composed 54.81 clocking.

Russell’s Jamaican teammate, Leah Nugent, originally finished second in heat 3 but was later disqualified due to lane infringement.

  Gianna Woodruff of Panama originally finished third in heat 3 but was upgraded to second after Nugent’s disqualification and subsequently advanced to the semis.

Ronda Whyte of Jamaica lined up in heat four and was expected to comfortably advance but it was not to be as she, unfortunately, committed a false start.

Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados finished second in heat 4 with a time of 55.69 to advance.

Zurian Hechavarria of Cuba finished fifth in heat 5 and advanced to the semi-finals as one of the fastest losers.

Women’s discus – Jamaica’s Lawrence, Cuba’s Perez advance to final

 The women’s discus saw Shadae Lawrence of Jamaica and Yaime Perez of Cuba advance to the final.

Lawrence threw 62.27 to finish 11^th in qualifying.  Perez, the gold medalist at the 2019 Doha World Championships, threw 63.18 to finish seventh in qualifying.

Denia Caballero of Cuba was the only other Caribbean woman in qualifying, throwing 57.96 to finish 23^rd overall in qualifying.

No Caribbean men advanced past the heats in the men’s 800 metres.

Women’s sprint hurdles – Jamaica’s Tapper runs personal best

 The women’s sprint hurdles heats were largely successful for Caribbean athletes.

Haiti’s Mulern Jean was the only Caribbean woman that failed to advance past the first round after finishing fifth in heat 2 in 12.99.

  Heat 3 saw both Yanique Thompson of Jamaica and Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas advancing to the semi-finals, with Thompson running 12.74 to finish second and Charlton finishing fourth in 12.84.

Heat 4 also saw two Caribbean women advance as Brittany Anderson ran 12.67 to win and Pedrya Seymour of the Bahamas ran 13.04 to finish fourth.

Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran 12.41, the fastest time in the heats, to win heat 5 ahead of Megan Tapper of Jamaica, who ran a personal best 12.53 for 2^nd.

The GCF Federation Court will be responsible for determining disputes that may arise during the Games such as disciplinary, anti-doping, eligibility, safeguarding and selection disputes.

If a case arises, Sport Resolutions will appoint a three-person panel to determine the case. The Federation Court is comprised of members of Sport Resolutions’ highly regarded International Panel from fourteen Commonwealth countries (Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, Guyana, India, Kenya, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Saint Lucia, Scotland, and Trinidad and Tobago), who will provide a wide range of relevant skill-set and experience.

Dr Crowne’s advocacy in representing Caribbean athletes in contravention of the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) code and other sports-related disputes has earned him a sterling reputation. The New City Chambers attorney will bring that experience to the GCF Federation Court.

“As a member of Sport Resolutions' International Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators, it was a genuine privilege to have been invited to sit on the Federation Court for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. I look forward to helping resolve disputes as they may arise," Dr Crowne told Sportsmax.TV on Wednesday.

The SR-administered Federation Court will be operating primarily remotely, and be active from July 20, 2022, to  August 10, 2022.

Sport Resolutions’ Pro Bono Service will also be providing specialist sports law support to the Birmingham Law Society which is offering a free legal advice service to Commonwealth Games participants who need legal advice during the Games.

Leading the qualifiers was the Excelsior quartet of Ryeem Walker, Damor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green, which clocked a brisk 40.62 seconds to top their heat.

They will be joined by local rivals Kingston College (41.30s), St Jago (41.35s), St George’s College (41.42s), Calabar High (41.70s) and Jamaica College (41.73s), and Wolmer’s Boys (41.84s). The other two lanes in the medal event will be occupied by Washington DC-based Archbishop John Carroll (41.49s) and Virginia-based West Springfield (41.77s).

Meanwhile, the High School Boys International final, also scheduled for Saturday, will see six Jamaican schools going up against those from Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines and The Bahamas, respectively.

St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) headlines that field, after they posted the fastest qualifying time of 42.26s, followed by Cornwall College (42.53s) and the Bahamian school Queens College (42.61s). St Benedict’s, of out the twin island republic, and Munro College, both clocked 42.83s, while St Vincent Grammar (43.11s), Petersfield (43.14s), St Catherine (43.26s) and Vere Technical (43.55s), are the other qualifiers.

The Bahamian won ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Asa Guevara, who finished in 32.78s and Barbadian Jonathan Jones (33.02s).

Though some ways off his 31.52s personal best in the event, Gardiner, has signalled that he is much stronger and better on return from last year’s injury, and is no doubt looking forward to repeating his 400m at this summer’s Olympic Games.

Last month, the 28-year-old clocked a world-leading 31.78s to win the men’s 300m at the Carolina Invitational indoor meet at the University of South Carolina. That time was the second fastest ever indoors, trialing his own 31.56s done at the same venue in 2022.

Gardiner, who is also the 2019 World Championships 400m gold medallist, was on his way to another undefeated season last year, but pulled up with an injury in the semifinals at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

While heartbroken by the injury at the time, Gardiner promised not to give up and his recent performances reaffirms his determination to defend his 400m title in Paris with a clean bill of health.

The participation of the Jamaican team at the Relay Festival follows a sports study tour by the Minister of Sport and Community Development for Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Shamfa Cudjoe, and a team of officials. 

Minister Cudjoe and members of her delegation had met with Minister Grange, a technical team from the Ministry and its agencies, representatives from the Jamaica Athletics Administration Association (JAAA), ISSA, the University of Technology (Utech), GC Foster College of Sport and Physical Education, and the Ministry of Education and Youth. They also visited four high schools and a primary school. 

Minister Grange said, “It is expected that this bilateral cooperation between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will bear much fruit for both our countries.” 

The Jamaicans will be competing in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays at the festival.  Barbados and Guyana are the other countries that have been invited to send teams to participate in the Relay Festival. 

The exchange activities are also being celebrated as part of the 60^th Anniversary of Independence of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. 

The delegation will return to Jamaica on Friday, February 10, 2023.

The election of officers took place after the conclusion of the 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Ms. Henderson won by a margin of 24 votes to 10 over the other contender Rowena Williams, with 70 percent of the vote.

“Thank you to the general council for entrusting me in leading the TTOC and taking on this new mantle. I am stoked and thrilled in demonstrating my leadership abilities to carry the organization into the new world of sport, innovation and commercialism,” she said.

“It would be remiss of me not to mention my predecessor, Mr. Brian Lewis, for his unstinting dedication and commitment to the TTOC/TTCGA/TTSBGA. Nothing has gone unnoticed. Thanks also to everyone who supported me throughout my sporting and other careers leading to this occasion. I look forward to working with each and every one of you, especially the new Executive Board” she added.

President Henderson has contributed significantly to sports governance, athlete welfare, strategic planning and sports mediation.

As Chair of Women in Sport Commission, she has been a key proponent for the continued push for Education in Sport in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ms. Henderson has a demonstrated history of working in sports management, being the first female on the executive board of the NAAA’s leaving a line of female executive members who contributed to its progress and has been an integral member and very instrumental in several aspects of development at the TTOC.

She is also the current Chairperson of the Trinidad and Tobago Marathon Committee where she has been responsible for the final decision-making on event coordination, developing race portals, social media upkeep, website coordination and private sector fundraising.

Ms. Henderson, who attained both an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTATT), has four decades of proven leadership at both Colfire and Angostura, where she left a legacy of health and wellness in their respective industries.

President Henderson will also serve as President of the Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association (TTCGA) and the Trinidad and Tobago Sand and Beach Games Association (TTSBGA).

She is also on the Bowerman Watch List. The Bowerman is an annual track and field award that is the highest accolade given to the year's best student-athlete in American collegiate track and field by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

She believes the accolades are the fruits of hard work.

“Winning Athlete of the Year and staying on the Bowerman Watch List has been rewarding. It’s been a product of hard work and it's exciting, it’s motivating. It makes me want to continue to work hard. I am very honoured, I’m very grateful and I can’t wait to see what I can produce for the rest of the season,” she said.

The Trinidadian multi-event athlete recorded one of the best performances in collegiate history two weeks ago when she won the NCAA championship in the pentathlon and high jump and was third in the long jump to score 26 points.

The 26-point performance is the third-most all-time at an NCAA Championship meet where she also became the first woman to win national championships in the pentathlon and high jump in the same meet.

Gittens also set a collegiate record in the pentathlon with a winning score of 4,746 setting school records in the pentathlon, high jump (1.93m/6-4) and long jump (6.68m/21-11).

She also scored 23 points at the SEC Championships winning the high jump and long jump titles, while finishing sixth in the pentathlon.

She received the Cliff Harper Award for being the top point scorer.

She said self-belief enabled her turnaround from finishing sixth at the SEC Championships to breaking the collegiate pentathlon record two weeks later.

“I was very proud of myself! I trusted myself, I took a chance, and I had confidence in myself,” she said.

“I was not surprised though. Knowing how my training and my season has been going I knew I was going to have a good meet. I’m happy with how I executed everything I wanted to. I’m happy I was in control of my emotions and I’m happy I trusted myself enough to take a chance. It’s a great way to end the indoor season.”

The USTFCCCA also named Gittens National Field Athlete of the Year.

Reid, who was a part of Jamaica’s relay team at the Paris Olympic Games, was always favoured as the class of the field, and she justified that favouritism with a storming run to earn Jamaica’s first medal of the five-day championships.

The 19-year-old’s win in 11.17s in a race that saw the Caribbean region dominate was a redemption of sorts, as she has upgraded her 200m bronze medal from the 2022 championships and once again underscored her status as one of the brightest young talents in Jamaican athletics.

Another young Olympian, Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands, closed fast to cop silver in 11.27s, while Barbadian Kishawna Niles took home the bronze in 11.37s.

Reid's gold medal was the culmination of a series of strong performances from the preliminary rounds, as she consistently demonstrated her composure under pressure and established herself as the athlete to beat.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Deandre Daley (10.33s) and Gary Card (10.44s) were beaten into fourth and sixth, respectively, in the men’s 100m final.

That race was won by South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza (10.19s), ahead of Thailand’s Puripol Boonson (10.22s) and another South African, Bradley Nkoana (10.26s).

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago’s Janae De Gannes placed eighth in the women’s long jump final after mustering a best leap of 6.09m. Australia’s Delta Amidzovski (6.58m), American Sophia Beckmon (6.54m) and Poland’s Julia Adamczyk (6.34m) were the medal winners.

No Caribbean athlete made the men’s 400m final, as Jamaica’s Kemario Bygrave (47.56s) was fourth in semi-final one, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Jaden Clement failed to finish.

It was more of the same in semi-final two as Puerto Rico’s Jarell Cruz (47.26s) placed fourth, while Guyana’s Malachi Austin failed to finish.

Jamaica’s Shanque Williams, the Caribbean’s lone women’s semi-finalist, also missed out, as she placed seventh in her semi-final in 54.47s.

Elsewhere in the field, Brenden Vanderpool of the Bahamas, failed to progress to the men’s pole vault final after he placed 14^th in Group A qualifying with a best clearance of 4.80m.

For Jamaica, discus throwers Samantha Hall and Fedrick Dacres, both claimed bronze in their respective events, while Dominican Republic proved too good for rivals in the 4x400m mixed relay.

Hall, who competed at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary, claimed her first medal at the senior level, with a throw of 59.14m. She placed behind the Brazilian pair of Izabela Rodrigues, who won gold with a throw of 59.63m, and Andressa Oliveira (59.29m).

Another Jamaican Adrienne Adams was eighth in the event with a best mark of 55.55m.

On the men’s side, Dacres secured Jamaica's third bronze when he launched the instrument to a mark of 61.25m. Chile’s Lucas Nervi (63.39m), and Colombia’s Mauricio Alexander Ortega (61.86m), were first and second. Kai Chang, the other Jamaican in the event, was sixth at 59.96m.

Domincan Republic added a sixth gold medal to go with their four silver and 10 bronze, with victory in the 4X400m Mixed relay final. Their quartet, which included World Champion Marileidy Paulino, won in 3:16.05, ahead of Brazil (3:18.55) and United States (3:19.41).

Elsewhere on the track, Liranyi Arislayne Alonso of Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago's Reyare Mary Thomas, clocked identical times of 11.69s for second and third in semi-final one of the women’s 100m. Both, along with winner Cecilia Tamayo (11.66s) of Mexico, secured a spot in the final.

Guyana’s Keliza Smith (11.78s) and Jamaica’s Mickaell Moodie (11.86s), who also contested that semi-final, were sixth and seventh respectively.

Jasmine Abrams of Guyana won semi-final two in 11.60s, with Brazil’s Ana De Jesus (11.64s) and Cuba’s Yarima Garcia (11.65s), in second and third respectively.

On the men's side, Guyana’s Emanuel Archibald (10.35s) and Odaine McPherson (10.37s), produced contrasting performances in semi-final one, but did enough to secure their respective spots in the final. Archibald was third and McPherson, who advanced to the final as a non-automatic qualifier, was fourth.

They joined Jose Alnardo Gonzales (10.30s) of Dominican Republic, who won ahead of Brazil's Felipe Bardi (10.33s). Hakeem Huggins of St Kitts and Nevis was seventh in 10.54s.

Jamaica's Jevaughn Whyte and Samson Colebrooke of the Bahamas were fourth and seventh in semi-final two, clocking 10.52s and 10.62s, respectively, as both failed to make the final cut.

Cuba’s Shainer Rengifo was the lone Caribbean athlete to progress from semi-final three, which he won in 10.36s.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams secured her spot in the women’s 400m final after she place second in semi-final one in 51.82s. Chile’s Martina Weil won the event in 51.47s, with Ecuador’s Nicole Caicedo (52.32s) third.