At the 2026 CARIFTA Games, young Grenadian middle-distance runner Annalisa Brown delivered a career-defining performance that etched her name into her country’s regional athletics record books, claiming silver in the Under-17 Girls 800 metres to secure a historic milestone. With this result, Brown became the first Under-17 female athlete from Grenada to earn medals in both the 800m and 1,500m events at a single edition of the Caribbean’s premier youth track and field competition, a feat not achieved by a Grenadian competitor of the same age group since Daniella Abraham’s 1999 performance in Fort-de-France, Martinique.
Brown crossed the finish line at the 800m event with a time of 2:14.40, marking a new personal best for the rising star. This clocking also stands as the second-fastest 800m time recorded by any female Grenadian athlete in the 2026 competitive season, demonstrating the significant progress Brown has made since her last appearance at the games. Her silver medal marks an upgrade from the bronze medal she claimed in the same division at the 2024 CARIFTA Games, which were hosted on her home track in Grenada. Gold in the 2026 Under-17 800m went to Guyana’s Olivia Solomon.
With this latest podium finish, Brown’s total CARIFTA medal count over her Under-17 career has risen to three, a tally that underscores her consistent competitiveness across multiple distances and multiple years of regional youth competition. A student at Boca Secondary School, Brown trains with the local Finishline Sports Club under the guidance of head coach Ronald Charles. In a post-race reflection, Charles opened up about the grueling multi-event schedule his young athlete navigated throughout the 2026 championships.
“I’m very pleased with Anna,” Charles said. “It’s not the time we were hoping to get, but she participated in the 4×100m, the 1500m, and the rounds of the 800m. When we assessed her, she did mention slight discomfort, so the legs were a bit tired.” Even with the accumulated fatigue and physical strain of a packed competition schedule, Charles emphasized that Brown’s ability to hit a new personal best and secure an individual silver medal was a remarkable outcome.
“Against that backdrop, achieving a new personal best and winning an individual medal on the track is a good look for us,” he added. Looking ahead, Brown is already scheduled to make her next competitive appearance at the 2026 Classic Lighting Communal Invitational, which will run from 25 to 26 April at Grenada’s Kirani James Athletic Stadium, where she will look to build on her historic CARIFTA Games success.