分类： sports

### A Historic Weekend for Saint Lucian Track and Field: Records Tumble and Titles Pile Up

The small Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia is celebrating a watershed moment for its athletics program, after a single weekend of elite collegiate competition across the United States delivered an unprecedented haul of achievements: three new senior national records, two fresh junior national marks, three school records, and three conference championship titles.

The standout performance came at the close of the North American collegiate outdoor season, where Saint Lucian competitors turned both the National Junior College Championships and NCAA Division I conference title meets into stages for record-breaking success. Headlining the group was Lauralyn Clifford, a graduate transfer competing for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Roadrunners, who extended her incredible 2024 form by rewriting the Saint Lucian women’s hammer throw record for the fourth time this season.

Competing at Norma Knobel Hunt Stadium in Denton, Texas, at the American Outdoor Conference Championships, Clifford launched the hammer 60.72 meters to claim the conference title. The mark not only broke her own previous national record, but also established a new UTSA school record, and met the entry standard for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. During the championship series, Clifford recorded three of the longest throws of her professional career, hitting the 60-meter barrier three separate times – a milestone she had spent years working toward.

“It’s been the best season of my career at UTSA,” Clifford told reporters after her win. “Every new record gives me more confidence and reminds me that I haven’t hit my ceiling yet. This progress doesn’t happen by accident, it’s the result of all the early mornings and extra reps, and it just pushes me to keep getting better. Breaking 60 meters three times in one weekend was surreal, and it’s got me really excited for what’s coming next.”

Freshman Jasmine Stiede of Wichita State University pulled off one of the weekend’s biggest upsets in the women’s 800-meter run. After clocking 2:09.48 in the preliminary round – the seventh-fastest 800m in Wichita State history, a time that would have won silver at the 2026 CARIFTA Games – Stiede went on to win the conference final in 2:13.89. The time broke the 28-year-old Saint Lucian junior national record previously held by Augustina Charles, who ran 2:15.10 hand-timed back in 1996. For her dominant debut season, Stiede was also named American Conference Freshman of the Year.

In the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Clemson University’s Khailan Vitalis – a seasoned national record holder – once again shaved time off his own senior national mark. Competing at the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park, Vitalis first broke his own record in preliminaries, running 13.64 seconds to hit the sub-13.70 mark for the first time in his career. In the final, held after a lengthy weather delay on a rain-soaked track, Vitalis ran 13.59 seconds to finish fifth overall, earning a spot in the all-time top 10 for Clemson University men’s hurdles with his updated national record.

The third new senior national record of the weekend came from 19-year-old Denzel Phillips, a rising star at Jamaica College. Competing at the PUMA Meet #2 in Kingston, Phillips became the new Saint Lucian senior men’s shot put champion, throwing the 16lb shot 15.63m to take second place and break Akeem Herbert’s 22-year-old record of 14.57m. The result adds the outdoor shot put record to Phillips’ growing collection of national throwing titles, following on from his multiple medal wins at previous CARIFTA Games.

At the National Junior College Championships hosted in Hobbs, New Mexico, Garden City Community College sophomore Naya Jules turned in an elite all-around performance to earn double All-American honors. Jules broke her own national junior record in the women’s heptathlon, scoring 4559 points over two days of competition to finish fourth overall – a score that would have secured silver at last month’s CARIFTA Games. The performance also set a new Garden City school record, on top of a second school record she set in the javelin, where she threw 44.73m to finish fourth. Jules also added an 11th-place finish in the pole vault to her weekend results.

Rounding out the impressive haul, Jenneil Jacobie claimed her second consecutive Southland Conference high jump title, clearing 1.76m to take gold, while Michael Joseph finished sixth overall in the men’s 400-meter run at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship to cap off a historic weekend for Saint Lucian track and field.

The unprecedented wave of records caps what has already been a breakout year for Saint Lucian athletics, with young athletes continuing to post career-best and national-best results at the highest levels of collegiate competition across North America.

Motor sport enthusiasts across Barbados and beyond are gearing up for an unmissable day of automotive excitement this Saturday, as the fifth annual Auto & Rally Show returns to Bushy Park in the parish of St. Philip. A staple opening event on the Caribbean motor sport calendar, this year’s showcase promises fresh attractions and behind-the-scenes access that will delight casual fans and dedicated followers alike, serving as the official curtain-raiser for two of the region’s most anticipated annual motor sport weekends.

Building on the momentum of four successful previous editions, the 2024 show brings a host of new elements to the table: freshly tuned competition vehicles, rising star rookie drivers, and eye-catching new livery designs that give each entry a distinct on-track personality. In total, more than 120 rally cars are registered to compete across the two upcoming flagship events – Sunday’s First Citizens King of the Hill (KotH) challenge, followed by BCIC Rally Barbados the subsequent weekend. Of this field, 16 international entries are making their Barbados debut, bringing global competitive experience to the island’s iconic circuit.

Running from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the showcase offers far more than just static displays of speed machines. For the first time, attendees will get an exclusive, up-close opportunity to meet every competing driver and team ahead of the main races, putting faces to the names that have dominated regional motor sport headlines for months. The car lineup itself spans more than six decades of automotive engineering, ranging from a well-preserved classic 1960s Saab 96 that helped define early rally racing to cutting-edge modern competition vehicles like the Porsche 992 Rally GT, built for peak performance on mixed terrain.

Beyond the rally competition entries, top local automotive importers including BYD, CAR, Inchcape and Megapower will also set up displays featuring their latest consumer vehicle lineups. A unique interactive perk for attendees is the chance to test drive select models right on the northern half of Bushy Park’s circuit, giving guests a hands-on taste of new automotive technology in a controlled environment.

Organized by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC), the event adds a range of practical and engaging extras for attendees. The BRC’s on-site tent will distribute free copies of the event’s comprehensive 36-page Official Programme, packed with competitor background profiles, event history, and the full provisional entry list for both upcoming rallies. Later in the day, the tent will also serve as the official pick-up point for competitor race numbers for the First Citizens King of the Hill. The event’s main stage, relocated this year to a central spot in the display area for better visibility, will host live interviews with competing drivers and special motor sport guests throughout the afternoon. Dozens more competitors will be on hand at team sponsor tents across the grounds, ready to chat with fans, sign autographs, and share insights into their upcoming race strategies.

Sponsor tents featuring participating drivers include spots for Automotive Art (with Edward Corbin and Dane Skeete), Bushy Park (Mark, Stuart and Zane Maloney), Cargo BGI/Do Henrique Tequila (Logan Watson), Chefette (Barry Mayers), Fun Miles (Kyle Gill and Natya Soodeen), Rentokil (Ireland’s Mick Smith) and Subzero (Nigel Reece). In a special community-focused addition to this year’s event, British driver Rob Swann will join the Ocean Acres stand to raise awareness for the shelter’s rescue dog adoption program, encouraging attendees to consider giving a homeless animal a forever home.

The global bodybuilding community is mourning the loss of one of its most iconic and enduring figures, Albert “The Ageless One” Beckles, the Barbadian pro who passed away at the age of 95. Leading tributes to the trailblazing athlete is Dr. Alfred Sparman, president of the Barbados Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, who lauded Beckles as a transformative pioneer who put his home nation on the international bodybuilding map.\n\nBeckles’ decades-long professional career remains unmatched in its longevity and consistency, a feat that earned him his famous nickname “The Ageless One”. Over the course of his career, he earned 13 coveted invitations to compete at the Mr. Olympia, the sport’s most prestigious annual competition, and remained a ranked elite competitor well into his 60s, a level of sustained achievement rarely seen in bodybuilding.\n\nHis collection of professional titles is extensive: among his major wins are the 1981 IFBB Grand Prix New England, the 1982 Night of Champions, the 1982 IFBB World Pro Championships, the 1984 Canada Pro Cup, the 1984 World Grand Prix, and a second World Pro Championship title later that same year. One of his most high-profile career highlights came in 1985, when he claimed the second-place spot at the Mr. Olympia, cementing his status as one of the world’s top bodybuilders.\n\nIn an official statement shared following the news of Beckles’ passing, Sparman honored the legend’s lasting impact on the sport. “The bodybuilding fraternity in Barbados and across the world mourns the passing of legendary Barbadian bodybuilder Albert Beckles,” he said. “On behalf of the Barbados Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, I extend sincere condolences to his family, friends, and the entire international bodybuilding community.”\n\nSparman emphasized that Beckles’ legacy extends far beyond his competition results. “Albert Beckles was a true pioneer whose discipline, excellence, and achievements helped place Barbados on the global bodybuilding stage. His remarkable career inspired a generation of athletes throughout the Caribbean and beyond, and his contribution to the sport will never be forgotten,” Sparman added.\n\nThroughout his decades in the spotlight, Beckles represented Barbados with unwavering pride, dignity, and distinction, growing into a global symbol of perseverance and exceptional longevity in professional sport. “So we have lost not only a great athlete, but also a man whose legacy will continue to motivate future champions for years to come,” Sparman said. “May he rest in peace and may God bless his soul.”

Sunday’s Barbados Football Association Premier League matchday went down in the history books not just for a mind-blowing collective total of 32 goals across three fixtures, but for a dramatic late winner that has put defending champions Weymouth Wales firmly in the driver’s seat for another league crown.

On a night where two early games delivered a staggering 31 goals, it was Kemar Headley’s 91st-minute strike that emerged as the most consequential of the day. Facing off against a stubborn UWI Blackbirds side in the evening’s main fixture at the Wildey AstroTurf, the table-topping Weymouth Wales struggled to break through a compact defense for 90 minutes, continuing a season-long trend of dropped points against lower-ranked opposition that has kept their title race far tighter than many expected. The UWI Blackbirds even had a golden opportunity to snatch all three points themselves in the second half, but Rojae Collins sent his shot wide of the post, letting the defending champions off the hook.

For the fourth match in a row, Weymouth Wales needed a late goal to secure victory, and Headley stepped up when it mattered most. The versatile senior star reacted fastest to a loose ball from a late free kick, slotting home the winner to spark wild celebrations among the Weymouth Wales camp. The 1-0 result pushed the defending champions to 37 points, opening up a four-point lead over second-place Paradise, who hold one game in hand on the leaders. Third-place Kickstart Rush sit on 33 points having played one more match than Paradise, while Brittons Hill United round out the top four on 32 points, setting up a tense four-way fight for the title that will go down to the final two rounds of fixtures.

A delighted Weymouth Wales head coach Asquith Howell praised his side’s ability to grind out a result against a tough opponent, and warned that his squad will need to keep fighting to the final whistle to retain their crown. “It will go down to the wire and we just keep telling the players that we have to push if we want to win another championship and we want to play in the CFU Club Championship again,” Howell told reporters. He reserved special praise for match-winner Headley, who has stepped up all season to play multiple positions for the club, from center back to right back, before being pushed into an attacking role for the decisive fixture. “Kemar is a senior player in this team. This season we asked him to play several positions, but he went forward today in an attacking role and he came through for Wales. He’s phenomenal especially when representing Wales, and he loves to win,” Howell added.

The drama of the late winner almost overshadowed one of the most incredible goal-scoring displays ever seen in any top-flight football league. In the day’s opening fixture, Kickstart Rush recorded the biggest winning margin in Barbados Premier League history with a 23-0 demolition of already relegated St Andrew Lions, who played the entire match three players short after a series of late absences. The already outmatched Lions conceded 10 goals before halftime, with another 13 added in the second half as the Kickstart Rush attack ran riot.

National under-17 prospect Jamarco Johnson led the rout with an eight-goal haul, announcing himself as one of the country’s most promising young talents with a clinical performance against the struggling Lions. Romario Drakes added four goals of his own, while Jadon Cave, Trekyle Alleyne-Callender and Ethan Squires each scored twice. Nathan Skeete, Carl Hinkson, Caleb Went and Je-Dane Griffith also found the back of the net, with one additional goal coming from a St Andrew Lions own goal. Kickstart Rush head coach Renaldo Gilkes said his side stayed focused despite the lopsided matchup, as they target a second top-three finish in three seasons and remain in the hunt for a shock title win.

“Yeah, it was a record breaking evening for the fellas, I mean, who doesn’t like to score goals, right? We’re going to try to take this title challenge all the way down to the final day and we have two more games left against formidable opponents in Wales and Paradise,” Gilkes said. “We intend to go back to the training ground, focus on some details and will definitely give it our best going into the final days.”

In the day’s second fixture, last year’s runners-up Brittons Hill kept their title hopes alive with an 8-0 thrashing of another already relegated side Wotton, led by a seven-goal masterclass from St Vincent and the Grenadines international Kirtney Franklin. T’shane Lorde added the only other goal for Brittons Hill, and the result pushed Franklin to the top of the league’s goal-scoring charts with 18 goals for the season. Brittons Hill manager Fabian Wharton said his side will focus only on winning their remaining two fixtures against Paradise and Ellerton, and let the results fall as they may in the tight title race.

“It’s very tight among the four of us at the top, so we just have to do what we have to do and then see how it goes,” Wharton said. Premier League action continues on Tuesday, with second-place Paradise facing off against Ellerton, followed by a matchup between Bagatelle and Eyre’s Meat Shop Pride of Gall Hill as the title race enters its final stretch.