Trinidad and Tobago's Jaenae De Gannes was named winner of the prestigious Austin Sealey Award after three days of pulsating competition at the 51st edition of the Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics in Grenda.

The 17-year-old smashed the girls’ Under-20 long jump record during the morning session of Monday’s final day, and later returned to anchor the twin island republic to a silver medal in the girls’ Under-20 4x400m relay.

Named in honour of Sir Austin Sealy, who started the Carifta Games in 1972, the award is given to the most outstanding athlete of the three-day spectacle.

While there were a number of breathtaking performances, De Gannes topped the pile when she measured 6.50 metres to win gold and establish a new record in the girls’ Under-20 long jump. The effort erased the old mark of 6.48 metres – ironically set in Grenada eight years ago – and positioned her third in the world in the Under-20 category.

She returned later in the evening to partner with Kaori Robley, Saana Frederick and Kaziah Peters to finish second in the girls’ Under-20 4X400m in 3:47.51. The event was won by Jamaica in 3:34.69, with Barbados (3:48.21) in third.

By virtue of winning the Austin Sealy Award, De Gannes joins a long list of outstanding athletes to have won the award, including Usain Bolt, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Yohan Blake, and Kirani James.

Jehue Gordon and Darrel Brown are among the Trinidad and Tobago athletes to have won the award previously.

Meanwhile, Jamaica topped the medal standings with 83 medals comprising 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze, while the Bahamas ended with 34 – nine gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze. Trinidad and Tobago picked up four gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze to finish the championship with 28 medals overall.

Hosts Grenada were the only other team in double digits with 14 medals, logging one gold, six silver and seven bronze.

Brenden Vanderpool of Bahamas and Guadeloupe’s Jackie Henrianne Hyman were in record-breaking form in the boys’ pole vault open and girls’ Under-20 discus finals respectively, as they topped the field event performers on the evening session of the 51^st Carifta Games at Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada on Saturday.

Vanderpool, who was always favoured to retain the title, needed only three jumps to confirm his championship status, as he entered the competition at 4.70m and later cleared 5.10m and the record height of 5.30m –all on his first attempts.

He attempted to go higher at 5.49m but failed. Tyler Cash (4.45m) also of Bahamas was second, with Martinique’s Lucas Ledoux (4.10m) in third.

Meanwhile, Hyman became the first Under-20 girl to go over 55.00 metres in the history of the Games, as she had a winning heave of 55.06m, which bettered the previous record of 54.19m set by Jamaica’s Fiona Richards in 2017.

In fact, Hyman had earlier erased the previous record with her third throw of 54.24m, but she went further on the following attempt to stamp her class on the field. Jamaica’s Dionjah Shaw (50.26m) and Najhada Seymoure (48.82m), were second and third respectively.

Elsewhere in the field, Jamaica’s Shaiquan Dunn and Chad Hendricks produced a one-two finish in the boys’ Under-20 discus final to add to the country’s tally.

The Jamaicans were positioned first and second from the very first throw, with Hendricks leading up to the fifth attempt, which is where Dunn took over the gold medal position.

Dunn’s winning heave of 61.47m came on his sixth and final attempt, but prior to that, he had a 59.66m, which would have also secured the top spot.

Hendricks for his part, had his best throw of 58.73m on the fifth attempt, as he fouled on his final throw, while the bronze went to Antwon Walkin (52.77m) of Turks and Caicos Island.

Another Jamaican duo Richelle Stanley and Dejanae Bruce finished first and third in the girls’ Under-20 triple jump final. Stanley, who missed out on the gold medal at the recently-concluded ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championship, viewed this Carifta Games as a shot at redemption and she duly capitalised.

The St Elizabeth Technical standout achieved the winning leap of 12.58m from her very first jump and was never to be denied from there. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keneisha Shelbourne was second at 12.49m, with Bruce’s 12.20m on her third attempt, good enough for bronze.

The Carifta Games can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

Jamaica’s athletes swept the girls’ and boys’ Under-17 400m races, with the Under-20 events going to Guyana, as action continued on the opening day of the 51^st Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada on Saturday.

Nastassia Fletcher of Jamaica finished tops in the girls’ Under-17 event, as compatriot Nickecoy Bramwell topped the boy’s Under-17 event in a championship record, while the impressive Guyanese duo of Tianna Springer and Malachi Austin were a cut above rivals in the Under-20 events.

Fletcher started the series with a tidy 54.32s-clocking to win the girls’ Under-17 event ahead of the fast-finishing Keyezra Thomas (54.59s) of Bahamas, with Antigua and Barbuda’s Tyra Fenton (54.89s) finishing third.

Bramwell then followed suit, as he successfully defended his boys’ Under-17 title. The smooth striding athlete had the field beaten from 200m out, but pushed himself to stop the clock in 47.27s, which lowered Usain Bolt’s 47.33s Championship Record set in 2002.

Kemron Mathlyn (47.96s) of Grenda and Eagan Neely (48.16s) of the Bahamas were the runners-up.

Meanwhile, Springer the Under-17 champion from last year, produced a breathtaking performance to top the girls’ Under-20 final in personal best 52.31s. She closed well to better the Jamaican pair of Abigail Campbell (52.85s) and Shaquane Williams (53.03s).

Austin, a Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist, then brought the curtains down on the series, as he also produced a late charge to win in a new personal best 46.35s. He denied Jamaica’s Marcinho Rose (46.59s), with Joshiem Sylvester (46.93s) of Grenada in third.

The Carifta Games can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

Jamaica’s athletes registered a clean sweep of the boys’ and girls’ Under-17 and Under-20 1,500m titles, as they continued their impressive start to the 51^st edition of the Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada on Saturday.

The Jamaicans enjoyed one-two finishes in the girls’ Under-17 and Under-20 races, with another one-two finish coming in the boys’ Under-20 race, while boys’ Under-17 event produced a one-three finish.

Dallia Fairweather and Alikay Reynolds got things going in the girls’ Under-17 event where they utilised strategy to outclass their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts, who tried to stick with them.

At the end, Fairweather won in 4:45.86, ahead of Reynolds (4:46.14), with Trinidad and Tobago’s Shian Lewis (4:48.58) taking bronze.

Patience was also proved rewarding for Jamaica’s Shemar Green in the boys’ Under-17 event, as he timed his race to perfection to cut down longtime leader Wyndel Beyde of Aruba in the stretch run. Green won in 4:11.91, with Beyde (4:12.80) staying on for second ahead of another Jamaican Sekani Brown (4:15.21).

In the girls’ Under-20 event, Rickeisha Simms, also produced a later burst to win gold in 4:31.94 and add to her title won in 2022. Her compatriot Kaydeen Johnson, who led for most of the way was second in 4:32.49, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaleigh Forde (4:41.71) was third.

The Jamaican sweep was completed by Kemario Bygrave, who ensured that he completes his final year of the competition with a gold. He stopped the clock in 3:58.10, ahead of compatriot Jaquan Coke (3:58.38), with Bermuda’s Jake Brislane (3:58.83) taking bronze.

The Carifta Games can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

Jamaica’s Jamelia Young copped the country’s second medal of the 51^st edition of the Carifta Games, as she topped rivals in the girls’ Under-17 shot put final at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada on Saturday.

Young, who is more known for her discus prowess, achieved a winning heave of 14.25m on her fourth attempt, which represents a significant improvement on the 13.33m she threw when winning at the trials.

The 16-year-old Clarendon College standout won ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Peyton Winter (14.21m) and Terrell McCoy (14.11m) of the Bahamas.

Jamaica heads the medal standing with two gold medals so far, as Zavien Bernard also topped the girls’ Under-17 high jump final.

Antigua and Barbuda have one gold courtesy of Maleik Francis’s record-breaking win in the boys’ Under-17 javelin throw, while Trinidad and Tobago (one silver and one bronze), Bahamas (one silver and one bronze), St Kitts and Nevis (one silver) and Grenada (one bronze), also secured medals in the opening session.

The evening session is scheduled to begin with the Opening Ceremony at 1:30pm Jamaica time.

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

Despite the absence of a synthetic track to aid in their preparations, Barbados Head coach Ramon Armstrong believes his athletes are ready enough to give a good account of themselves at the 51^st edition of the Carifta Games in Grenada.

In fact, Armstrong has exuded confidence that the 31-member team –one of the largest to be fielded by Barbados in recent years – could equal or even surpass last year’s performances in the Bahamas where they collected two gold, six silver and two bronze in their 10-medal haul.

The three-day Easter weekend spectacle is scheduled to begin on Saturday and end on Monday at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium, and Barbados is certainly aiming to make their presence felt in the ‘Spice Isle’.

 “All of the students and the management are very excited. This has been long in coming. The students worked hard this season having to run on grass, not having a proper surface to train on, so to be here is a big accomplishment and a big achievement for them and they are excited, and we are also excited for them,” Armstrong told the media ahead of the team’s departure on Tuesday.

“Goals and expectations are like all the other teams. Everybody is looking to go and perform their best and either repeat what they would have done or better it…and to get as many medals as they can.

“This is a fresh year, no pressure to anyone, but as I said we’re looking to improve on our performances and hopefully, once we focus on that and we produce well, then medals will come, but we’re not going to give a specific number,” he added.

Armstrong, delighted by the number of athletes on the team, expressed pleasure with the way in which track and field has bounced back since being hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I think this is really our rebirth after Covid. You know Covid would have put a stop to a lot of training, and we lost some athletes during that time, so we’re now on the rise again. We know it would have taken a while so we’re glad to see that the numbers are gradually increasing again,” he stated.

On that note, Armstrong explained that the early trip to Grenada was to assist in upping the tempo where readiness is concerned, as well as to get athletes acclimatized to the conditions.

“Pretty much we’ve just been doing recovery and that’s why we’re leaving early. We have them together and we’ll go down and we’ll get to train on the track, on the surface that they’re going to compete on to make sure that they’re prepared for what is to come,” Armstrong said.

He also pointed to the Under-20 athletes as the team’s strong point, especially given that they have another year in the class.

“We might have been weakened this year, but interestingly enough, those Under-20s really stepped up to the plate and is one of the largest groups this year and most of them have another year or two in Under-20, so it speaks well for the future,” Armstrong ended.

The Carifta Games will be live on SportsMax.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) President Drumeco Archer issued a strong warning to defending champions Jamaica and others to brace themselves for a stout challenge from the Bahamians at this weekend’s 51st edition of the Carifta Games in Grenada.

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 Bahamas Athletic Associations named a 76-member team for this year's 51st edition of the Carifta Games, scheduled for March 30 to April 1, in Grenada.

Headlining the team are Kamera Strachan and Brenden Vanderpool, both of whom will be aiming to defend their javelin and pole vault titles respectively. The team was selected following three days of fierce competition at the trials at the Thomas A. Robinson track and field stadium last week.

Caudell McNabb will serve as head coach to the team, with James Rolle, Laquel Harrris, Alexis Roberts, Branson Rolle and Kenny Moxey, his assistants at the Easter weekend showpiece.

The under-17 girls are Alexis Roberts (200m, 400m), Keyezra Thomas (200m, 400m, high jump), Jade Knowles (800m, 1500m), Madison Moss (100m hurdles), Darvinique Dean (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles), Jasmine Thompson (400m hurdles), J’Kaiyah Rolle (long Jump), Zoé Adderley (triple Jump), Alexandria Komolafe (high jump), Terrell McCoy (discus, shot putt), Dior-Rae Scott (javelin), Kamera Strachan (javelin), Khylee Wallace (relay pool), Kianna Henchell (relay pool) and Rizpah Thompson (relay pool).

The under-17 boys are Ishmael Rolle (100m, 200m), Everette Fraser (100m, 200m), Eagan Neely (400m — pending fitness), Jayden Moss (800m), Jahcario Wilson (110m hurdles, 400m hurdles), Tieano Ferguson (400m hurdles), Terrin Beckles (long jump), Devon Davis (triple jump), Carlin Archer (triple jump), Joshua Williams (long jump, high jump), Claudius Burrows (high jump), Perry McPhee (discus), Jaylen Stuart (shot putt), Wyatt Cartwright (javelin), Ethan North (javelin), Kion Burrows (relay pool), Shavano Nixon (relay pool), Branden Mackey (relay pool) and Lamorn Moxey (relay pool).

The under-20 girls consists of Shayann Demeritte (100m), Shatalya Dorsett (100m), Nya Wright (200m), Nia Richards (200m, 100m hurdles), Jasmine Mackey (800m), Erin Barr (1500m), Akaree Roberts (800m, 1500m), Koi Adderley (long jump, high jump), Kaielle Gray (high jump), Bayli Major (triple jump), Lanaisha Lubin (long jump, triple jump), Annae Mackey (discus, shot putt), Cailyn Johnson (discus, shot putt), Taysha Stubbs (javelin), Vanessa Sawyer (javelin), Anaiah Rolle (pole vault), Jade Ferguson (pole vault), Aaliyah Evans (heptathlon), Tamia Taylor (relay pool) and Shania Adderley (relay pool).

The under-20 boys will be represented by Carlos Brown (100m), Jeremiah Adderley (100m), Zion Shepherd (400m), Tahj Brown (110m hurdles), Robert Stuart (110m hurdles), Morgan Moss (400m hurdles), Berkeley Munnings (400m hurdles), Rollie Hanna (triple jump), William McKinney (triple jump), Shamar Davis (high jump), Bernard Kemp (high jump), Robert Deal III (discus), Kaden Cartwright (javelin), Brenden Vanderpool (pole vault), Tyler Cash (pole vault), Kenny Moxey Jr. (octathlon), Marco Carey (octathlon), Jonathan Harris (relay pool), Nijae McBride (relay pool), Zion Miller (relay pool), Javano Bridgewater (relay pool) and Aiden Kelly (relay pool).

NB: The Carifta Games will be live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App. 

Edwin Allen High’s Theianna Lee Terrelonge and former St Elizabeth Technical runner Javorne Dunkley headline Jamaica’s 79-member team to represent the island at the 51st Carifta Games to be held at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada from March 30 to April 1.

The team, which was released by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) on Friday, is expected to be bolstered by the top eligible Jamaican women’s Heptathlon and men’s Decathlon finishers from the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which is scheduled for March 19-23 at the National Stadium.

With this another talented team selected from the Carifta Trials held two weeks ago, Jamaica will be aiming to defend their title and, by extension, secure a 38th straight win at the three-day championships.

Jamaica with a total of 78 medals –40 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze –topped the medals standings at last year’s 50th edition of the meet held in the Bahamas.

NB: The Easter Weekend spectacle will be streamed live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

Jamaica’s team –Female Under-17: Natrece East, Poshannalee Blake, Shannia Campbell, Nastassia Fletcher, Tresha-Lee Sutherland, Britannia Bailey, Kevongaye Fowler, Alikay Reynolds, Dallia Fairweather, Malayia Duncan, Angel Robinson, Alyssa Carty, Sashana Johnson, Zavien Bernard, Jaeda Robinson, Jamelia Young, Jessica Thompson, Jessica Thompson and Zoelle Jamel

Female Under- 20: Theianna Lee Terrelonge, Sabrina Dockery, Shanoya Douglas, Abigail Campbell, Shanque Williams, Monique Stewart, Kitania Headley, Rickeisha Simms, Kaydeen Johnson, Ashara Frater, Habiba Harris, Briana Campbell, Kelly Ann Carr, Aaliyah Mullings, Rohanna Sudlow, Richelle Stanley, Rasheda Samuels, Deijanae Bruce, Dionjah Shaw, Najhada Seymoure and Kimeka Smith.

Male Under -17: Nyrone Wade, Malike Nugent, Oshane Jervis, Byron Walker, Nickecoy Bramwell, Paul Henry, Keandre Kelly, Alejandro Palmer, Shemar Green, Sekani Brown, Michael Dwyer, Robert Miller, Francisco Williams, Rodeeki Walters, Amani Phillips, Patrick Brown, Zachary Merchant, Kamari Kennedy and Javontae Smith

Male Under- 20: Javorne Dunkley, Raheem Pinnock, Gary Card, Jonah-Ramaldo Smythe, Marcinho Rose, Javaughn Pinnock, Kemario Bygrave, Yoshane Bowen, Jaquan Coke, Shaquane Gordon, Daniel Beckford, Shamer Blake, Princewell Martin, Rickoy Hunter, Jevontae Grant, Romaine Lewis, Shaiquan Dunn, Chad Hendricks, Rajay Hemmings and Brandon Fletcher.

Management team: David Wilson (Chef de Mission), Corinne Clarke (Manager), Courtney Lewis (Assistant Manager), David Riley (Technical Leader)

Coaches: Michael Dyke, Michael Carr, Leford Grant, Milton Sergeant, Damion Reid, Maurice Wignall, Camile Ennis

BermudAir is in the final stages of arranging a charter flight to Grenada for the 2024 Carifta Games.

The airline is working with the Bermuda National Athletic Association on the charter for athletes who have qualified to represent the island at the March 31 to April 1 event.

Adam Scott, the founder and chief executive of BermudAir, said: "BermudAir is delighted to help support the BNAA with ensuring Bermuda's athletes and families can travel efficiently to Grenada. We congratulate all our local competitors on qualifying for Carifta, and wish them the very best as they represent the island."

BermudAir has operated two similar charters for sports teams previously. They were for football clubs based in the Caribbean travelling from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Barbados to compete in Bermuda.

A spokeswoman for BermudAir added: “The BermudAir team is finding that local and overseas sports teams are inquiring about charters since they provide a travel option that typically saves time, while also avoiding the expense of an overnight hotel stay in transit and additional ground transportation fees.

“Charter requests typically involve a group of at least 30 travelling to a destination not easily reached on commercial flights and often requiring an overnight stay.

“Charters also allow the group to travel together and bond as a team while using a flight dedicated solely to them.”

The 51st edition of the Carifta Games will be broadcast live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.