Jamaican sprinter Usian Bolt led the way for the Caribbean with three gold medals in the 100, 200 and 4 x 100-metre relay at the 15th IAAF World Championships that wrapped up in Beijing, China on Sunday.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also helped the Jamaica team win a total of 12 medals, including seven gold, when she took first in the 100-metre dash.
Eight other Caribbean nations, who are part of the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Region, had finalists in Beijing and took home four medals. Two other Caribbean-born athletes competed for Great Britain.
The Bahamas’ Shaune Miller won a silver medal in the women’s 400-metres, while teammate Jeffrey Gibson won the bronze in the 400-metre hurdles. Bermuda’s Troy Smith was 10th in the long jump.
Delano Williams, originally from the Turks and Caicos, earned a bronze medal on Great Britain’s 4 x 400-metre relay team with a second leg carry.
Anguilla-born Shara Proctor, who competed on Tortola in the past and has family ties here, won the silver medal for Great Britain with a British National Record jump of 7.07 metres.
Antigua and Barbuda’s 4 x 100-metre relay team of Cavaughn Walsh, Daniel Bailey — both of whom competed in the VI before — along with Jared Jarvis and Miguel Francis ran a national record time of 38.01 seconds in the prelims and 38.61 seconds to finish sixth in the final.
The St. Lucia duo of Jenelle Scheppers and Laverne Spencer competed in the high jump with Ms. Scheppers finishing seventh and Ms. Spencer in 12th.
In a strong 400-metre field, Grenada’s Kirani James placed third with a season’s best of 43.78 seconds.
Trinidad and Tobago Men’s 4 x 400-metre relay team of Renny Quow, LaLonde Gordon, Deon Lendore and Machel Cedeno won the silver medal with a national record time of 3 minutes and 58.20 seconds.
The T&T women’s 4 x 100-metre relay team of Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas and Semoy Hackett — who replaced Khalife St. Fort on the anchor in the final — grabbed bronze with a national record time of 42.01 seconds.
Cleopatra Borel was 12th in the women’s shot put.
Athletes finishing in the top eight won cash prizes, including $60,000 for a gold medal ($80,00 for relays) to $4,000 for an eighth-place finish.
“Our regional athletes, as part of NACAC rose to the occasion at the World Championships, not only as finalists but obtaining many semifinals berth,” BVI Athletics Association President Dean Greenaway said. “These are the best athletes across the globe and our athletes held their own, not only in the sprints but in the field events and the decathlon.”
{fcomment}