The 52nd CARIFTA Games prepare to kick off this Saturday at Trinidad and Tobago’s Hasely Crawford Stadium. For decades, Jamaica has reigned supreme at the prestigious junior athletics championships, but this year, a determined Bahamian team, led by standouts Zion Miller and Joshua Williams, believes they have the firepower to make history.
The Bahamian team is led by Zion Miller, the Under-20 400m sensation who blazed to victory at the Bahamas CARIFTA Trials in early April with a scorching 46.79 seconds.
Miller, no stranger to high-pressure races, exudes confidence as he prepares to face Jamaica’s formidable sprinters.
“It’s feeling great—especially mentally,” Miller told local media as quoted by Sportsmax.
“Physically, everyone’s ready, prepared to go to war over those big three days. This is one of the fastest squads I’ve ever been a part of in my track career, so everyone’s coming to get that gold for us.”
While Miller leads the charge on the track, Joshua Williams is the Bahamas’ golden hope in the field events. Reigning CARIFTA long jump (7.03m) and high jump (2.00m) champion aims for another double victory after last year’s Grenada success.
“We just go out there to do our best,” Williams said.
“My ambition is to medal again—hopefully win again, double again, and come out with the goods. I feel good right now, getting my jump together—high jump and long jump. Just trying to put it all together for the competition on Sunday.”
Williams’ exceptional jumping skills and composure under pressure are crucial to the Bahamas’ hopes of defeating Jamaica at CARIFTA.
Jamaica’s dominance at CARIFTA is legendary, but the Bahamas has assembled one of its strongest teams in years. With sprinters, jumpers, and middle-distance runners all peaking perfectly, anticipation builds for what promises to be an epic showdown.