Matthew Wright and Jack Kirby get down to business in Paris

Barbados’ 2024 Olympic campaign is now officially under way. The first two Bajan athletes are scheduled to compete in the men’s triathlon and swimming on Tuesday morning, July 30. 

At Pont Alexandre III, starting at 2:00 a.m., Tuesday Caribbean time, Matthew Wright is set to begin the men’s individual triathlon. He is the second triathlete to represent Barbados at this level, following in the footsteps of 2016 Olympian, Jason Wilson.

Shortly after the conclusion of the triathlon, Jack Kirby will swim in the heats of the men’s 100m freestyle. Heat 1 of the 100 free starts at 5:15 a.m. Caribbean time. Kirby is in Heat 5, scheduled for 5:26 a.m. 

The 24-year-old Barbadian star will be in Lane 4, along with fellow Caribbean athletes Javier Nunez of the Dominican Republic, and Lamar Taylor of The Bahamas. His entry time of 49.31 is the third fastest time among athletes from the English-speaking Caribbean, behind only Jordan Crooks of the Cayman Islands and Trinidad & Tobago’s Dylan Carter.

Kirby was Barbados’ male flagbearer at last week’s opening ceremony. 

He told Barbados TODAY that after an arduous qualifying period, and just hours before his event, he was just beginning to come to grips with the fact that he was in Paris.

“I can’t really put into words how I felt when I qualified a month early for the Olympics,” he explained. “So much planning, so much effort that goes into it. I still don’t think I’ve really had a moment, like, yeah I’ve qualified for Olympics. As we got closer it began to hit me a little harder. But it’s still overwhelming just to be here.”

Meanwhile, Wright, 32, qualified for his first Olympic triathlon in May. He is used to the limelight, having been a CARIFTA champion as a teenager. He suggested that his experience as a distance runner at the CARIFTA Games laid the foundation for his success as a triathlete.

Jack Kirby was Barbados’ male flagbearer at last week’s opening ceremony.

“CARIFTA was a massive time of life,” he recalled. “I could get on the track, enjoy proper success, people calling my parents’ house, congratulating me on winning the gold medal. I was on the front page of the paper at home. 

“It makes you feel like a super professional, all the countries, the Trinis, the Jamaicans, all the drums beating. It really blew my mind as a kid, 14, 15 years old. Like, this stuff is cool. And that whole next training year, after my first meet, I was so motivated. I went home and did hill sprints and so on, and I went on to win Under-17 gold.”

Wright won seven medals at the regional junior championships, including a second gold medal in the Under-20 1500m in 2011. He said he had never lost his love for athletics. Rather, he told Barbados TODAY, between injuries and the realisation that becoming a world-class distance runner was a long shot, he decided to turn to triathlon.

That sport, too, held its challenges. Having to train three times as much as he had for running, Wright was also plagued by misfortune. On the brink of qualification for Tokyo 2020, he sustained an injury, and then the pandemic struck.

Perseverance has been his watchword, however. Wright won his first triathlon medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2023.

The culture of the discipline has changed remarkably since Wright started. He noted that the support system for the younger generation is something to be treasured. 

A 35-member team will represent Barbados at home for the 2024 CARIFTA Championships. Barbados will host August 17-18. 

Wright told Barbados TODAY he hoped that the opportunities for youth competition, plus seeing him make it to the biggest stage in the world would serve to amplify the growing buzz around the sport.

In the days leading up to Barbados’ opening event at Paris 2024, Wright was busy trying out shoes at his training base in Wales. He pointed out that his first goal was to complete the three-event course, something that eluded Wilson in 2016. 

However, Wright insisted that he was in the best shape of his life, and that he was looking forward to putting together his best race ever. All things being equal, he projected a spot in the top 20. Good weather was in the forecast, and Wright was brimming with great expectations. (TF)