The 2026 Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Track and Field Championships kicked off on July 4 at St. Kitts’ iconic Kim Collins Athletics Stadium in Basseterre, and history was already made on opening day for Antigua and Barbuda. Shot put athlete Christopher Johnson delivered a standout performance, securing the Caribbean nation’s first medal of the championships with a silver-medal winning throw of 16.31 metres.
Johnson is one of 16 talented athletes representing Antigua and Barbuda at this year’s two-day competition, selected by the Antigua and Barbuda Athletic Association (ABAA) to compete across a full slate of track and field disciplines. The national roster splits into five female competitors and 11 male athletes, who will contest events ranging from short sprints, middle-distance races and hurdles to relay races, long and high jumps, throwing events including shot put and javelin throughout the championship.
Heading up the Antigua and Barbuda delegation is head coach Heather Samuel-Daley, supported by assistant coaches Kesswin Anthony and Daniel Bailey, who have prepared the team for the regional showdown. Following Johnson’s historic opening-day achievement, the ABAA issued an official statement congratulating the athlete on his work, confirming that his silver medal marks Antigua and Barbuda’s first podium finish of the 2026 championships.