Barbados’ CARIFTA triathlon, aquathlon team announced

Team Barbados is busy preparing for the upcoming 2022 CARIFTA Triathlon, Aquathlon and Mixed Team Relay Championships being held in Bermuda on September 24th and 25th.

The Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes (BFIT) has announced a 13- member team to fly the Bajan flag high at Clearwater Beach in Bermuda for the fourth installment of the Games. Barbados is one of 29 federations invited from the Caribbean region to compete for the first time after a two-year hiatus from the Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last CARIFTA Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships was held in 2019 in Jamaica when Team Barbados was second overall. President Darren Treasure explained that the national athletes were eager to get back out into competition.

The CARIFTA Championships will see three events taking place over the two-day event. The triathlon (swim, bike, and run) the aquathlon (swim and run), and the mixed team relay championships, with the athletes divided into four age-group categories, 11-12, 13-15, 16-19, and 20-21. This year, the team will consist of many new faces who will be getting their first taste of triathlon and aquathlon at the Caribbean level. Making their debut will be Zajara Layne, Ali Banfield, Hailey Banfield, Laila McIntyre, and Zindzele Renwick-Williams all competing in the 11-12 age group: and Judah Hall-Fox in the 13-15 age group.

Some familiar faces will be returning to the Championships in the 13-15 category, such as young veterans Luke McIntyre (double gold medallist at the last CARIFTA), Cain Banfield and Daniel Lashley who also had strong performances in the last CARIFTA Championships. Additionally, Fynn Armstrong, a first-place finisher in the under-17 3000m at the 2022 Track & Field CARIFTA Games, is team captain and will be looking to use his strength in the run to propel him to a medal. In the 16-19 category Barbados will be represented by Isis Gaskin, Niel Skinner and Eric Lashley, all of whom will be competing in their fourth CARIFTA championships.

Team managers Cary Banfield and Garth McIntyre will be accompanied by several parents and supporters to bring the total contingent to 31.

“Although we have a relatively young team this year, we are expecting some very strong performances from many of our athletes. They have been training hard for this event and are looking forward to competing against the best in the Caribbean,” Banfield said.

BFIT thanked the sponsors who agreed to assist their talented athletes in reaching their goal of representing Barbados at these games. Sponsorship will not only assist in outfitting the team with uniforms, but also help offset some of the travel expenses for each athlete. Platinum sponsors: Chefette Restaurants Limited, Lucozade Energy Drink, Eric Hassell Shipping. Gold Sponsors: Amir’s Chicken, iMart Pharmacy, Frosteez Ice-Cream, CyberFit 2.0. (PR)