Layla Haynes from Barbados qualifies for World Junior Championships

Barbados: Layla Haynes from Barbados has qualified for the World Junior Championships at the Barbados National Athletic Championships which was concluded on Sunday night.

Haynes clocked 2:07.06 minutes to win the 800m finals which was faster than the World Juniors’ qualifying time of 2:09.00 minutes for that event.

The Under-20 championships (World Juniors) are expected to take place in Lima, Peru from August 27-31. Alexandra school girl Ashlyn Simmons set a blistering pace in the race while Haynes sat back in the first lap and accelerated in the final 250 metres to leave Simmons in second place in a time of 2:16.83 minutes.

In addition to that, Ice skating under the Barbados banner, Priyanka Sharma 17, put on a golden performance at the Ice Arena Friendship Cup 2024 in Puebla, Mexico.

Skating in the senior division, Sharma delivered an almost flawless routine to come away with the gold medal. This was her second international gold medal after her first international victory at the Latin American Inter Club Skating Competition in Lima, Peru.

Skating since she was three years old, the Barbadian citizen who lives in Canada is working towards qualifying for the 2024 winter Olympics.

Priyanka’s father, Raj Sharma, who is President of the Barbados Ice Skating Association (BISA), has been working to fulfill the criteria for Barbados to be recognised as part of the International Skating Union (ISU). This recognition would allow Priyanka and other Barbadian skaters following in her footsteps to be eligible to compete at the Olympic Games.

In March, the BISA spearheaded a four-day development camp in Costa Rica when six Barbadian skaters ages seven to 14, successfully made the transition from rollerblades to ice.

Earlier on Wednesday 12th June, the National Sports Council staged the first ever National Primary School Triathlon Showcase!

Several schools from across the island were invited to participate in the event which asked the young athletes to swim, cycle and run. From all reports the event was enjoyed by the athletes, even those who were competing in a triathlon for the first time.

St. Gabriel’s School came out on top with victories in both the boys and girls relays, while the boys from that school took the top five spots in the races.