The 2024 CARIFTA Games officially launched into competition on Saturday morning at Grenada’s iconic Kirani James Athletic Stadium, with the first gold medal of the regional track and field showcase going to Saint Lucia’s rising star Destinee Cenac. Cenac delivered a standout performance in the women’s high jump event, clearing a winning best height of 1.72 meters to claim the top spot on the podium. Jamaica’s Stefvanco Henry and Barbados’ Shania Mottley both matched a height of 1.69 meters, with Henry taking silver and Mottley securing bronze for Barbados to open the medal count.
Across the opening day’s semifinal action on the track, Caribbean athletes faced a mixed set of outcomes in their quests to advance to final rounds. In the Under 17 Girls’ 400-meter competition, Barbados’ Jahzara Inniss crossed the line in fourth place with a time of 57.79 seconds in the first semifinal, a result that saw her eliminated from contention. Her compatriot Savannah Thorne matched that fourth-place finish in the second semifinal, but her faster time of 57.20 seconds earned her a spot in the day’s later final.
For the Under 17 Boys’ 400-meter semis, Barbados’ Taje Coward also picked up a fourth-place finish in the opening heat with a time of 49.58 seconds, which was fast enough to secure his place in the final. His teammate Jalino Hamlett, however, saw his competition end before it truly began after a false start resulted in an immediate disqualification. In the Under 20 women’s 400-meter semis, Barbadian athlete Krystal Bentham was a late scratch from the event, unable to start her race. Kadia Rock put on a confident performance for Barbados in the second semifinal, taking second place with a time of 54.85 seconds to punch her ticket to the final.
In the Under 20 men’s 400-meter competition, Barbados’ Shamari Greenige-Lewis clocked a solid time of 46.49 seconds to take second in the first semifinal, earning him the fourth-fastest overall qualifying time for the final. Aidan Moore took third in the second semifinal with 47.27 seconds, but that mark was not enough to advance. Saint Lucia’s Joaqwan Alexander finished fifth in the first semifinal with 47.94 seconds and also missed out on a final spot.
In additional field event action, Barbados’ Jahzaria Ward placed 12th in the Under 17 Girls’ Shot Put with a top throw of 10.84 meters, while compatriot Ajalah Cumberbatch earned an eighth-place finish in the Under 17 Boys’ Javelin with a best throw of 45.11 meters. Saint Lucia’s Naya Jules turned in a strong fifth-place performance in the Under 20 Girls’ Javelin, recording a top throw of 41.59 meters.
Sprinters also took to the track for 100-meter semifinals, with more mixed results for the Barbados delegation. In the Under 17 Boys’ 100-meter, Josiah Gill clocked 10.68 seconds to secure his spot in the final, while his teammate Asher Branford finished with 11.14 seconds and was eliminated. Neither of Barbados’ Under 17 Girls’ sprinters advanced, with Gia Greenidge recording 12.24 seconds and Taylor-Rai Wiggins finishing at 12.33 seconds.
For the Under 20 Women’s 100-meter semis, Barbados earned two spots in the final: Aniya Nurse qualified as the second-fastest overall athlete with a time of 11.42 seconds, while her teammate Semara Olton secured the final qualifying spot with a time of 11.86 seconds. It was a different outcome for the Under 20 men’s sprinters, as Dahrion Belgrave (10.56 seconds) and Shamri Addison (10.57 seconds) both missed the cut to advance.