Young Bajans shine and advance to finals at Carifta Games

The Kirani James Stadium in St George’s, Grenada, pulsated with the excitement of the Carifta Games 2024. Among the young athletes making their mark were several Barbadian standouts.

Ashlynn Simmons displayed a remarkable come-from-behind performance in the Girls’ Under-20 1500m race. Starting cautiously at the back of the pack, Simmons gradually moved up as the race progressed. She dug deep and secured a well-deserved fourth-place finish, clocking a personal best time of 4:45.86. The Jamaican duo of Rickeisha Simms (4:31.94) and Kaydeen Johnson (4:32.49) dominated the top two spots, while Kaleigh Forde of Trinidad and Tobago secured third place in 4:41.71.

Kiami-Rae Orford showcased her talent in the Girls’ Under-17 High Jump competition. Clearing a height of 1.55m, she shared the fifth-place position. The gold medal went to Jamaica’s Zavien Bernard, who successfully cleared 1.71m on her first attempt. The Barbadian record of 1.85m, set by Akela Jones in 2010, remains unbroken. Alexandria Komolafe from The Bahamas secured the silver medal with the same height but on a countback, while Tenique Vincent of Trinidad and Tobago took home the bronze with a jump of 1.68m.

Jaquan Pilgrim, competing in the Boys’ Under-20 100m, couldn’t quite advance to the finals. He finished the race with a respectable time of 10.99 seconds.

Tia Applewhaite, competing in the Girls’ Under-17 400m race, finished the heats with a time of 59.38 seconds, which wasn’t enough to qualify for the finals.

However, there was good news from the Boys’ Under-17 400m. Aidan Moore secured a spot in the finals by placing third in his heat with a time of 51.03 seconds.

The Girls’ Under-20 400m saw Kadia Rock booked her place in the finals with a fourth-place finish in Heat 2, clocking 55.93 seconds, while Ariel Archer finished fifth in her heat with a time of 57.44 seconds and did not advance.

In the Boys’ Under-20 400m, with four heats taking place, Keiron Haynes (48.80 seconds) and Nikolai Clarke (49.71 seconds) narrowly missed qualifying for the finals, finishing third and fourth in their respective heats.

The Girls’ Under-17 100m prelims witnessed an exciting finish for Aniya Nurse. She clocked 11.82 seconds, securing second place in the fastest heat, just behind Adora Campbell of Jamaica who crossed the line in 11.62 seconds. Nurse will be looking to continue her impressive form in the finals.

Kishawna Niles stole the show in the Girls’ Under-20 100m heats. Running with a tailwind, she dominated her heat with a time of 11.61 seconds, the second-fastest time overall. Jamaica’s Sabrina Dockery currently leads the pack with a time of 11.52 seconds heading into the finals.

The young Barbadian athletes have demonstrated exceptional talent and determination at the Carifta Games 2024. With the finals of several events yet to come, Barbadian fans eagerly await the prospect of further podium finishes.

(CG)