Barbados team shines at Whitsuntide Games in Grenada

Barbados: For the second year, Proformers Track Club competed in the Whitsuntide Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada.

The club took a contingent of 30 athletes with the aim of giving their athletes and especially the younger ones in the under-nine and under-11 categories the opportunity to compete outside of Barbados.

The group returned home excited and happy, after gaining some needed experience as well as eight medals, new friends and a better understanding of competition.

Ten year-old Kayleigh Hart was outstanding winning two gold medals in the under-11 girls’ division when she raced home first in the 100m in 14.21 seconds and first in the 200m with a personal best time of 29.71 seconds.

Neriah Carter got the bronze in the 100m and Nyah Gooden did likewise in the 200m. The three under-11 athletes attend Good Shepherd Primary School and they along with Diamond Hunt who also attended the games were members of the victorious Good Shepherd School’s under-11 girls’ relay team at the 2024 National Primary Schools Athletic Championship as well as team (NPSAC).

Kiami-Rae Orford who made her first appearance at the CARIFTA Games this year won the women’s open high jump with a leap of 1.58 metres to give the team another gold medal, while Shamyra Scantlebury won the silver medal in the under-15 girls’ hurdles.

Competing in the girls’ 200m race, Tuwana McClean did a personal best time to clinch second place in that event. The sole medal from the boys came from Dominic Downes who also did a personal best time of 15.30 seconds in the boys’ 110-metre hurdles to win the bronze medal.

Christopher Alleyne was on track for a podium finish when he made it to the finals with a personal best time of 11.68 seconds in the boys’ under-15 division, but a hamstring injury prevented him from competing in the finals of the event.

Although missing out on a medal in the under-20 Boys’ division, Reginaldo Spencer did season’s best times of 11.03 seconds in the 100m and 22.82 seconds in the 200m races but unfortunately, he did not make it to the finals.

Coach Randy Gooden was pleased with the group’s performance but noted that they experienced one major challenge when the games went from a two day event to a one day event.

“However, one major drawback was the switch from a two-day to a one-day format, which made for an extremely long day for the athletes, coaches, and parents, with activities starting at 8:30 a.m. and concluding after 10:30 p.m.”