The Barbados Wushu Team brought home three gold medals and one silver medal from the biennial Pan American Wushu Championships (PAWC) and First Pan American Open Tournament, hosted by the USA at the Santa Clara Convention Centre in San Jose, California over the Labor Day weekend.
Over 1,000 athletes from 12 countries competed in their disciplines over two days. For the first time an open tournament was included for both contemporary and traditional forms of Taolu alongside Sanda (Chinese Kickboxing).
Barbados Wushu Tai Chi Federation (BWTF) Secretary General Michele Gibson led the team of three, which included Gracie Newsam-Cadogan and Martin Carnegie. Newsam-Cadogan took gold with 8.1 in 42 Taijiquan and Silver in 32 Taiji straight-sword with another 8.1. Carnegie, a first time athlete at Pan Am level, did exceptionally well. He scored a high 8.18 in 24 Yang Taijiquan for gold and took a second gold in Taijishan with Yang 18 fan form at 7.92.
Wushu, as this Chinese martial art is known, includes both traditional and contemporary disciplines of Taolu (forms) and Sanda (kickboxing). For the forms, most would be familiar with Tai Chi, which attracts many to the sport for health and well being. The Barbados team comprised two Taolu athletes competing in a first open hand form and a second “weapon” form for two events each.
Barbados will now be preparing for the next events of 2025 in Cancun Mexico and hope to be fielding a larger team at that time. A federation representative noted that participation is financially challenging but they are grateful for the support of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) OA and the willingness of athletes to support their own participation as far as possible.
The Championships were held in conjunction with the 14th Pan American Wushu Federation (PAWF) Congress and Championship. Team Leader Michele Gibson was the official delegate at the Congress, which brought together 12 countries with representatives present in person and three remotely.
BWTF sought to be elected to the board of PAWF for the next four-year term, 2024-2028. The team succeeded, with Mrs. Newsam-Cadogan serving as the BWTF representative on the Board to promote the development of Wushu in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.
Ms Gibson stated: “In 1984, when Gracie Newsam-Cadogan selected Wu Shu Kwan as her sport of choice as a young student with the late notable attorney at law Carl Crichlow, founder of both Wushu Shu Kwan and Taekwondo in the early 70s, little did she know that three decades later she would be sitting on the Pan American Board to carry forward the Sport.”
Mrs Newsam-Cadogan is also one of the senior coaches with BWTF, and has participated in competitions since 1995 at world level.
Barbados, along with the USA, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil founded the Pan American Wushu Federation in 1995. All member countries are also members of the International Wushu Federation.
