Day one of the 52nd Carifta Games opened with high intensity and unexpected turns, as perennial powerhouse Jamaica began their title defense with a modest lead—securing 19 medals and holding off a surging Bahamas team at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The Jamaicans, who have dominated Carifta for decades, entered this year’s edition with an 84-member squad and eyes set on clinching their 38th consecutive title. However, Saturday’s performances signaled a slower-than-usual start compared to previous outings. At this stage in 2024, Jamaica had already racked up 26 medals. This year, they trail that figure by seven, suggesting a more competitive atmosphere among regional rivals.
The Bahamas made their presence felt early, trailing Jamaica with 12 medals—six of them gold—while host nation Trinidad and Tobago followed with five, including two golds. Smaller nations like St Lucia, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda also made their mark, each notching at least one gold, proving that talent across the Caribbean is becoming increasingly decentralized.
Despite shaky results in the 400m and 1500m events earlier in the day, Jamaica’s sprint unit reignited the charge. Jamal Stephenson blazed to a personal best of 10.24 seconds to win the Under-20 boys 100m title, while Shanoya Douglas—already a Carifta name—backed up her 200m crown from 2024 with an assertive win in the Under-20 girls 100m, clocking 11.26 seconds.
The Under-17 boys 100m final was another Jamaican highlight, with Michael Graham taking top honors in 10.53 seconds. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Defending Under-20 girls 100m champion Sabrina Dockery was disqualified due to a false start, and both Jamaican entrants in the Under-20 boys 400m pulled up mid-race.
St Lucia’s Jady Emmanuel stunned the field in the Under-17 girls 100m, taking gold with a personal best of 11.50 seconds, ahead of Jamaica’s Adora Campbell who had to settle for silver once again.
In the field events, Jamaica’s standout performance came from Phillips, who shattered the Under-17 triple jump meet record with a wind-aided leap of 15.58m—his legal jump of 15.26m also eclipsing the previous record. Meanwhile, Joseph Salmon delivered gold in the Under-20 boys discus throw, hurling 56.82m to keep Jamaica’s medal count afloat.
With the pressure mounting and medals now harder to come by, all eyes turn to day two. The Bahamas are closing in, and the rest of the region is proving they’re no longer just background players in the Caribbean’s track and field narrative. Jamaica’s dominance may still be intact, but the margin for error is thinning—and fast.
