Antigua and Barbuda opened its CARIFTA 2026 campaign with impact, led by Tyra Fenton, who delivered a standout double on Day 1.
Fenton first secured bronze in the Under-17 Girls 400m, clocking a personal best 52.62 seconds, setting the tone early for Antigua and Barbuda’s campaign.
She returned later in the day to produce a dominant performance in the Under-17 Girls 100m final, blazing to GOLD in 11.30 seconds and establishing a new National Youth Record. It was a commanding run, explosive out of the blocks, controlled through the drive phase, with an exciting photo finish to earn top the race.
In the Under-17 Boys 400m final, Geron Henry delivered a strong performance to finish 4th in 48.74 seconds, narrowly missing the podium in a competitive field.
In the Under-20 Girls 400m, Kettia Ambrose showed resilience despite technical difficulties at the start, recovering to place 5th in 55.93 seconds.
The day was also defined by progress across the team, with several athletes recording new personal bests. In the 400m events, Ryan Aiken (49.38), Shaquan Garding (51.93), and Jaeda Pigott (57.65) all registered personal best performances, highlighting the depth within Antigua and Barbuda’s sprint programme.
The momentum carried into the distance events, where Shawn’zee Joseph (4:21.41) and Elite Thomas (4:43.74) both recorded personal bests in the Under-17 Boys 1500m.
Reflecting on the day, Head Coach Jamille Nelson noted, “It was a good day of performances with mostly PBs, 4 finals appearances and 2 medals. Spirits within the camp are still on a high as we celebrate the gold and bronze medal performance from Fenton and look forward to her being the first to cop a gold in all the sprint events if she wins the 200m tomorrow.”
That momentum now carries into Day 2.
From sprint qualification in the 200m in the morning, to relay execution in the afternoon, and field and distance finals in the evening, Antigua and Barbuda enters the second day of competition with confidence and intent.
With strong prospects of more podium finishes and history within reach, Team Antigua and Barbuda is making its presence felt at Carifta 53 in Grenada.