The 50th Carifta Games was held in Nassau, Bahamas at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium April 8 – 10, 2023. Much of the meet took place in wet weather conditions that presented some challenges for a number of athletes. While the meet delivered some high-quality performances, there was general consensus that the officiating was below par, especially for such an established Championship.
Twenty-two countries participated in the 2023 edition of the Carifta Games. Of note, every country secured a medal of some colour. Jamaica was the highest placed team with 78 medals, while Haiti was the lowest placed team with 2 bronze medals.
Jamaica tops the medal standings
Predictably, Jamaica topped the medal table for an unprecedented thirty-seventh time, with a grand haul of 78 medals that included 40 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze. Relative to 2022, when Jamaica hosted these Games, Jamaica’s medal tally of 78 was 14 short of the 92 medals tallied in 2022. However, this should be viewed within the context of repeated disqualifications, withdrawals from events, injuries suffered at the Games and the fact that for precautionary and other reasons, several of Jamaica’s premier athletes did not make themselves available to compete at the Carifta Trials for selection to the team. Nevertheless, it was an all-round dominant display by Jamaica.
The Bahamas finished the Games behind Jamaica with 46 medals that included 10 gold, 13 silver and 23 bronze. Overall, the Bahamas ended the Games with a total of 32 medals fewer than Jamaica.
The twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was third on the medal table, garnering a total of 31 medals that included 9 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze.
St. Kitts was fourth on the medal table with a total of 11 medals that included 5 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze.
Guyana rounded out the top five on the medal table with a total of 8 medals that include 3 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze.
Other countries secured medals
The US Virgin Island (USVI), Barbados, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Belize rounded out the top ten, respectively. Overall, the USVI secured a total medal haul of 3 gold. Barbados secured 10 medals that included 2 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze. Grenada secured a total of 10 medals that included 2 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze. Guadeloupe secured 8 medals that included 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze, while Belize secured a total medal haul of 2 gold.
Cayman Island (2 gold), St. Lucia (1 gold), Antigua (1 gold), Dominica (1 gold), Bermuda (4 silver), Martinique (3 silver), British Virgin Island (3 silver), St, Vincent (2 silver), French Guiana (1 silver), Curacao (1 silver), Turks and Caicos (3 bronze) and Haiti (2 bronze), respectively, rounded out the participating nations.
Disappointments and Shocks
Jamaica suffered its first and most significant casualty of the Games, when Bouwahjgie (“Doctor Speed”) Nkrumie pulled up in the heats of the Under-20 100m. Nkrumie, who led for most of the way, came to an almost sudden stop, some thirty metres from the finish-line. That ill-fated occurrence came just ten days after the Jamaica and Kingston College standout posted 9.99 at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boy’s and Girl’s Championship. However, preliminary examinations have indicated that it was a grade one strain and not a tear. Nkrumie is expected to fully recover from this injury.
In the semifinals of the 100m, DeAndre Daley false-started to end all hopes of Jamaica medaling in the Under-20 Boy’s final. Between Nkrumie’s injury and Daley’s false-start, Jamaica failed to secure a single medal in the Under-20 Boy’s 100m final that was won by Davonte Howell of the Bahamas in 10.30 (+1.9). What would have been a sure quinella for Jamaica, vapourized into nothingness.
Alana Reid’s surprised withdrawal from the 200m was another setback for Jamaica. It appeared that having seen what had happened to Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, the management team acted out of an abundance of caution to protect her and hence her withdrawal from the 200m.
Jamaica’s Under-17 4 x 100m relay teams were disqualified, having won their respective finals. The decision seemed to have been taken based on zone and lane violations for the boys and girls, respectively. However, the most bizarre and ridiculous occurrence that took place involved that of the Under-20 Boy’s 110m Hurdles final; the Jamaican pair of Demario Prince and Shaquane Gordon were retroactively disqualified for having false-started, notwithstanding the field being given a green card for the alleged violation.
Other Notable Performances
Jaydon Hibbert of Jamaica won the Under-20 Boy’s Triple Jump with a leap of 16.11m (-0.3), while Laquan Ellis of Bahamas and Trevon Hamer of Guyana were second and third, with leaps of 14.92m (- 0.7) and 14.89m (-1.3), respectively.
Alana Reid of Jamaica posted 11.17 to win the Under-20 Girl’s 100m final ahead of team-mate Alexis James, who copped the silver medal in 11.53. Sanaa Federick of Trinidad and Tobago was third in 11.65. The wind reading was -1.0m/s.
Smith-Band and Frederick take 200m honours
Malik Smith-Band of Jamaica produced a sensational time in the Under-20 Boy’s 200 final, posting a personal best of 20.69 to win the gold medal. His team-mate Javourne Dunkley was second in a personal best of 20.88, while Adam Musgrave of the Bahamas was third in a personal best of 20.96. The wind reading was +1.5m/s.
In the absence of Alana Reid of Jamaica, Sanaa Frederick of Trinidad and Tobago won the Under-20 Girl’s 200m in 23.60, while Kenyatta Grate of the British Virgin Island and Amari Pratt of the Bahamas, were second and third in times of 24.11 and 24.17, respectively.
Dennis and Russell crowned 400m champions
The Under-20 Boy’s 400m was won by Jasauna Dennis of Jamaica in a respectable time of 46.43, ahead of team-mate, Delano Kennedy, who posted 46.50 for second. Amal Glasgow of St. Vincent was third in 47.18.
The Under-20 Girl’s 400m was won by Rickiann Russell of Jamaica in a smart time of 51.84. Jovanya Valcourt and Lacarthea Cooper of the Bahamas were second and third in 52.12 and 53.12, respectively.
Kobe dominates
Kobe Lawrence of Jamaica won the Under-20 Boy’s Discus with a throw of 60.27m, while his team-mate, Shaiquan Dunn, threw 57.28m for the silver medal. Antwon Watkin of the Turks and Caicos Island was third in a distance of 52.25m. Lawrence also won the Shot Put event in 18.55m, ahead of team-mate, Shaiquan Dunn, who threw a distance of 17.65m and Antwon Watkin of Turks and Caicos Island, who threw a distance of 15.24m.
Ainsley Campbell of Jamaica won the Under-20 Boys 1500m in a time of 4:05:54, while Kahzi Sealy of Bermuda and Seon Booker of Guyana were second and third in 4:06:34 and 4:08:38, respectively.
Jamaica dominates the relays
Amidst controversial circumstances having to do with the Bahamian starters, Jamaica displayed a dominant performance in the Under-20 Boy’s 4 x 100m, when DeAndre Daley pulled off an absolute stunner on the anchor leg to make up a three-meter deficit and got the better of Bahamas. The Jamaican quartet of Dunkley, Gordon, Prince and Daley posted 39.68 for the victory. The Bahamas was second in 39.78, while Trinidad & Tobago was third in 40.83.
The Jamaican quartet of Ulette, Reid, James and Baker posted 44.01, to take top honors in the Under-20 Girl’s 4 x 100m. Trinidad & Tobago and Bahamas were second and third, posting times of 45.35 and 45.55, respectively.
Jamaica swept all the 4 x 400m Relay finals for the Under-17s and Under-20s. In the Under-20 Boys, the quartet of Dennis, Clarke, Kennedy and Smith-Band posted 3:07:68 for the win, while the quartet of Bennett, Bramwell, Gayle and Sharpe posted 3:19:04 to take top honors in the Under-17 Boys 4 x 400m.
In the Under-20 Girl’s 4 x 400, the quartet of Beckford, Russell, Powell and Campbell posted 3:33:35 to win the event for Jamaica, while the Under 17 Girls posted 3:43:43 to win their event.
The Austin Sealy Winner
Roshawn Clarke of Jamaica won the Austin Sealy Award for best performer. Clarke won the Under-20 Boy’s 400m Hurdles in 49.92, the second fastest time ever posted at the Carifta Games, before teaming up with Jasauna Dennis, Delano Kennedy and Malik Smith-Band to win the 4 x 400m in a time of 3:07:68.
Grenada won the bid and will be hosting the 51st edition of the Carifta Games schedule for March 30 – April 1, 2024.
Henley E. Taylor
Freelance Sportswriter
Edited by: Raymond Byfield
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