Port of Spain, Trinidad — For the first time in years, the aura surrounding Jamaica’s dominance at the Carifta Games appears to be flickering.
Saturday’s opening day of the 52nd edition, held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, closed with Jamaica in the lead—barely. Their 19-medal tally (7 gold) places them ahead of the Bahamas (12 medals, 6 gold), but well behind their own historical pace.
Jamaica, who arrived with an 84-member squad and expectations of a 38th consecutive title, found themselves challenged—not by a single rival, but by an increasingly competitive field of Caribbean nations refusing to play second fiddle.
Sprints Save the Day
With uncharacteristic missteps in the 400m and middle-distance events, Jamaican pride was salvaged by their traditional stronghold: the sprints.
- Jamal Stephenson exploded onto the scene with a blistering 10.24s to capture the U20 Boys 100m title, marking a personal best and signaling the arrival of a new face in Jamaican sprinting.
- Shanoya Douglas, last year’s 200m champion, delivered again—this time in the U20 100m—after her teammate Sabrina Dockery was controversially disqualified for a false start.
- Michael Graham also rose to the occasion, securing gold in the U17 Boys 100m with 10.53s.
But even those wins weren’t enough to silence the growing whispers: Is the Jamaican dynasty losing its grip?
A Wider Caribbean Pushes Back
Beyond the gold medals, what’s shifting is the regional balance of power. The Bahamas are no longer content with runner-up status and are now matching Jamaica gold-for-gold. Trinidad and Tobago, emboldened by a home crowd, are climbing steadily. Even smaller contingents—like St. Lucia and Antigua—have tasted gold.
Jady Emmanuel of St. Lucia stole the U17 Girls 100m in 11.50s, outpacing Jamaica’s Adora Campbell, while Antigua’s Geolyna Dowdye snagged silver in the U20 100m—moments that would’ve seemed unlikely just a few years ago.
New Names, New Narratives
Elsewhere, Taj-Mikel Phillips etched his name into Carifta history by smashing the U17 triple jump record. Joseph Salmon delivered in the discus throw, and Sabrina Atkinson held her ground in the U20 triple jump despite a fierce challenge from Trinidad’s Keneisha Shelbourne.
Yet, these moments feel more contested than commanding.
Is This the Turning Point?
In Grenada last year, Jamaica sprinted out the gates with 26 medals on Day One. Today, they stand at 19—still in front, but no longer untouchable.
Sunday’s events will test whether Jamaica’s grip on regional track and field is slipping—or if what we’re seeing is simply the start of a new generation learning how to respond under pressure.
Either way, the rest of the Caribbean is no longer waiting politely for second place.
