Sprinter Kyron McMaster is the territory’s newest recipient of an Order of the British Empire honour from King Charles III for his contributions to sports in the Virgin Islands.
At 21, Mr. McMaster won the VI’s first Commonwealth Games medal after winning the 400-meter hurdles at the Gold Coast 2018 Games in Australia.
The victory came in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, which in September 2017 devastated the territory, destroying athletic training facilities and claiming the life of Mr. McMaster’s coach and mentor, Xavier “Dag” Samuels.
Since then, Mr. McMaster has won the Diamond League twice, earned another Commonwealth gold at the Birmingham 2022 Games, and scored a silver medal at the World Track and Field Championships in Budapest in 2023 — the VI’s first medal at the event.
Additionally, he finished as a fourth-place finalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where despite the Covid-19 restrictions that had hampered his training, he achieved a VI national record time of 47.08 in his event.
Congratulations
Governor John Rankin offered his congratulations.
“I am delighted that this award has been made in recognition of Kyron’s outstanding achievements and unparalleled service to the Virgin Islands,” he said.
“With his two Commonwealth gold medals and world champion silver medal, Kyron has placed BVI on the sporting map across the world and given cause for national celebration even in some of the most challenging times in the aftermath of the 2017 hurricane.”
At home
On his visits home to the VI, Mr. McMaster supports young athletes and works with the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports to promote investment in sports, according to government.
“Off the track, Kyron continues to inspire, using his own experience to motivate young students and athletes,” Mr. Rankin said.