Barbados is set to make history at this year’s CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships, preparing to dispatch the largest delegation the island nation has ever sent to the regional competition. A total of 31 gymnasts will travel to Nassau, Bahamas, for the four-day tournament running November 13 to 16, with leadership optimistic the expanded roster will deliver a historic medal haul that builds on years of strong performances.
Sheldene Pinder, president of the Barbados Amateur Gymnastics Association (BAGA), shared her confidence in the team during an official media launch hosted at the Barbados Football Association’s Technical Centre over the weekend. The federation has built consistent success at the CARIFTA event since its inaugural staging in 2025, when Barbados claimed 18 medals to open the competition’s history. Last year’s tournament in Trinidad saw a 20-member Barbadian squad take home 17 medals – split between two gold, nine silver and six bronze – good enough for a third-place finish overall. Against larger competing nations such as Jamaica and Trinidad, which operate between 19 and 20 gymnastics clubs that afford them deeper talent pools, Pinder noted that the 2025 third-place finish was a remarkable showing of competitiveness for BAGA’s small, growing federation.
This cycle, the national squad brings several new milestones. For the first time ever, gymnasts from Barbados’ Anomaly Dance Academy have earned selection to the national team, joining long-time program contributor Flip Gym Barbados to round out the roster. A total of 11 athletes will also make their CARIFTA debut at the Bahamas event, bringing a mix of young emerging talent and seasoned competitors to the competition floor.
Pinder said she has been thoroughly impressed by the team’s preparation in the lead-up to the championships. “When I saw the trials and I saw the progression from April to July, I was really impressed with the amount of work that these athletes have actually put in,” she shared. “I am optimistic that our athletes are going to show up in the Bahamas and do well.”
While Pinder declined to name an exact medal target, she projected that the team will match or surpass last year’s 17-medal haul, building on the momentum of consistent improvement across all age and skill divisions. The roster is split across seven competitive levels, ranging from young 7 to 8-year-old rookies to elite 14 to 18-year-old senior competitors. Beyond this year’s competition, BAGA has outlined long-term goals for the growth of artistic gymnastics across Barbados, with plans to bid to host the CARIFTA Championships in the near future. Pinder emphasized that hosting the prestigious regional event would provide critical local opportunities for Barbadian gymnasts to showcase their skills and accelerate the development of the sport on the island.
“CARIFTA is a strong brand and that is where our athletes will start to showcase their talents,” Pinder said, noting that sustained development of the sport relies on creating consistent high-level competitive opportunities for local talent.
The full 2026 delegation includes 31 competitors across age and skill divisions: Level 1 (7-8) features Charlotte Hassell, Jasmine Hassell, Ava Gittens, Nova Gittens (all Flip Gym Barbados) and Ava Letren (Anomaly Dance Academy); Ariana Heallis (Flip Gym Barbados) competes in Level 2 (7-8), with Danielle Lovell (Flip Gym Barbados) in Level 2 (9-10). Level 3 (10-12) is represented by Zaila Alleyne, Adalynn Reece, Davina Lovell, Sanai Gill and Kaija Harper, all from Flip Gym Barbados. In Level 4 (7-10), Shauna Francis, Freya-Rose Hunte, Mishka Mapp and Khaleesi Marshall (Flip Gym Barbados) are joined by Naila Johnson (Anomaly Dance Academy). Level 4 (11-14) includes Sya Franklyn, Dominique Thompson, Tiana Thompson, Thaliyah Dowrich (Flip Gym Barbados) and Janai Harvey (Anomaly Dance Academy). Level 6 (13-16) features Mariah Gill, Anika Watkins, Juliette Sonny, Amber Haynes and Kira Virassammy from Flip Gym Barbados, while Level 7 (14-18) is represented by Jorja Bayley, Za’Nyah Bostic-White, Cyrina Walcott-Lloyd and Daniella Small, all from Flip Gym Barbados.
The team will be supported by a full complement of officials and staff: Charmaine Walcott serves as Team Manager, with Amanda Bayley as Assistant Team Manager; Christina Gill is the Safeguarding Officer; Alison Jackson leads the coaching staff as Head Coach, assisted by Jelani Brice, Darius Fields and Ericka Griffith. Marita Marshall serves as Head Physiotherapist, with Alicia Olton as Assistant Physiotherapist, and Lyneisha Ince and Nathan Goddard-McCarthy handle media operations for the delegation.