Latest update September 18th, 2026 10:25 AM
Golden start, silent Sunday for Guyana at CARIFTA Games
…Guyana eyes 800m, 4x400m relay gold on final day
Guyana will look to close the CARIFTA Games with more gold medals in Grenada (photo compliments: Run It)
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s promising start to the 53rd CARIFTA Games in St. George’s, Grenada, lost momentum on Sunday, as the team endured a medal drought on Day Two after an impressive five-medal haul on the opening day.
Olivia Solomon had a sensational run to win her Heat in the U17 girls 800m at the CARIFTA Games (Shaconeil Burnette photo)
Buoyed by three gold medals in the U20 men’s (Malachi Austin) and women’s 400m (Tianna Springer) events, along with a dominant Mixed 4x400m relay performance, Guyana had also collected a silver and a bronze to sit among the early leaders.
However, despite several spirited efforts on Sunday at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium, the podium remained out of reach.
The day was not without encouraging signs, particularly in the middle-distance events, where several athletes booked spots in today’s finals.
In the Boys U17 800m, Bryson Anderson advanced after finishing third in Section Three with a time of 2:00.70s.
He will be joined in the spotlight by Olivia Solomon, who produced a confident run to win Section One of the Girls Under-17 800m in 2:13.39s, booking her place in the final.
Jermaine Shepherd narrowly missed out on qualification in the Boys U17 800m, finishing fourth in Section Two with a time of 2:01.24s, just outside the advancing positions.
Meanwhile, Javon Roberts delivered one of the standout performances of the day for Guyana, executing a tactical race in challenging rainy conditions to storm into the Boys U20 800m final.
Roberts clocked 1:53.73s to finish strongly in Section Two and will be a serious contender for a medal. However, compatriot Kaidon Persaud was unable to progress, placing eighth in Section One with a time of 1:57.57s.
In sprint relay action, Guyana’s Boys U17 4x100m team of Omari Welch, Malique Kendall, Jarel Campbell and Jumeel Cornette finished sixth in the final, clocking 43.25s.
The Bahamas claimed gold in 41.36s, followed by Trinidad and Tobago (41.56s) and Barbados (42.25s).
Attention now turns to the day in St George’s, where Guyana will be aiming to reignite its medal charge.
Anderson, Solomon, and Roberts will all be in action in their respective 800m finals, carrying the nation’s hopes in the middle-distance events.
Additionally, Omari Welch is set to compete in the Boys U17 long jump final, providing another opportunity for Guyana to break its Day Two drought.
The relays are also expected to be a major focus. With Malachi Austin in the lineup, Guyana will be targeting gold in the U20 men’s 4x400m relay, while Tianna Springer is poised to lead the charge in the U20 women’s 4x400m final.
After a quiet second day, Guyana will be eager to finish strong and convert its finalist appearances into podium success as the championships conclude.
Javon Roberts celebrates after winning his pre-lims in the Men’s U20 800m at the CARIFTA Games (Shaconeil Burnette photo)
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