Aniya Nurse etched her name in Barbadian athletics history, securing the island’s first medal at the 2024 Carifta Games held at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada. In a thrilling display of speed, Nurse clocked a new personal best of 11.76 seconds to claim the bronze medal in the Girls’ Under-17 100m dash.
Running out of lane number 7, Nurse delivered a strong performance. She later expressed her elation, highlighting a perfect start and flawless execution that not only earned her a podium finish but also a personal best time.
Kishawna Niles narrowly missed out on a medal in the Girls’ Under-20 100m. Niles crossed the finish line in a commendable 11.66 seconds, but a slight dip too early proved costly as she was edged out by Geolyna Dowdye of Antigua and Barbuda (11.64 seconds). Jamaica dominated the event, with Sabrina Dockery taking gold (11.26 seconds) and Theianna Lee Terrelonge securing silver (11.32 seconds).
The Carifta Games witnessed another historic moment in the Boys’ Under-17 100m. Jamaica’s Nyron Wade sped to victory in 10.43 seconds, while Cayman Islands’ Devonte Howell triumphed in the Boys’ Under-20 100m with a time of 10.15 seconds.
In the Boys’ Under-17 400m final, Barbados’ Aidan Moore had a good showing running out of lane 8. Moore started cleanly and maintained a strong position until the 200m mark when the eventual winner, Jamaica’s Nickecoy Bramwell, surged past him. Bramwell not only achieved victory but also shattered Usain Bolt’s long-standing record (47.33 seconds set in 2002) with a phenomenal time of 47.27 seconds. Moore finished the race in a commendable fifth place, clocking a personal best time of 49.35 seconds.
The Girls’ Under-18 400m race saw Tianna Springer from Guyana outshine the Jamaican pack. Springer stormed through the center of the track to secure gold in a personal best time of 52.31 seconds. Jamaica’s Abigail Campbell (52.85 seconds) and Shanque Williams (53.03 seconds) followed closely behind to claim silver and bronze respectively. Barbados’ Kadia Rock started well but faded in the latter stages, finishing seventh with a time of 55.67 seconds.
The Boys’ Under-20 400m final delivered another exciting finish. Malachi Austin of Guyana displayed exceptional closing speed, overtaking Jamaica’s Marcinho Rose in the final 70 meters to clinch gold in 46.45 seconds. Rose settled for silver with a time of 46.59 seconds, while Joshiem Sylvester from Grenada secured bronze in 46.93 seconds.
(CG)
