High jumper Sakari Famous will lead Bermuda’s quest for medals at this weekend’s Carifta Games in Curaçao, where the island will be represented by 20 athletes and four officials.

The team will be met in Miami tomorrow by college pair Suresh Black, the sprinter, and shot and discus thrower Tiara DeRosa. Also accompanying the team will be Bermuda National Athletics Association president Donna Raynor, Norbert Simons and Freddie Evans, who has been requested to act as a Games official and will leave today.

“We are looking forward to a successful competition and even though we have several ‘newbies’ we are very excited with this team and find it to be well rounded,” Raynor said.

“Of course, we have high expectations for Sakari Famous, who has been a medallist at each Carifta she has attended. Tiara DeRosa has been putting in some good throws while at university and should be ready for the competition as she has been competing over the past several months and her throws have been steadily increasing.

“I believe we will have several surprises with this team as well. I surely will be looking forward to the boys under-18 4x100 metres relay as I have seen the boys in the last two meets and their relay baton exchanges are looking pretty good. I have no doubt these athletes will give Bermuda 100 per cent and represent themselves and Bermuda very well.”

Head coach Devon Bean, who will also be the sprint coach, is excited about the prospects of the young team.

“We have quite a few young team, most of our athletes make up the under-18 age group and in that group most of them are 15,16 so most of them have another year or two in that age group,” said Bean, the director of athletics for the BNAA.

“It’s an inexperienced team, but a very competitive team. Sakari has proven herself time and time again, but she has to prove herself again this year and isn’t guaranteed a medal. I’m not going to name names so as to put pressure on anyone, but I think we can come out of there with about four medals.

“For the first time in a long time we’re putting out an under-18 4x100 and 4x400 [metres] relay team together.”

Famous, who had a jump of 1.70 metres during a Bermuda Pacers-hosted track meet on Saturday, brought home Bermuda’s only medal from Grenada last year, with a bronze-winning leap of 1.77 metres. Rohaan Simons, the jump coach, is careful not to put too much pressure on the 17-year-old Famous, but admits she has the potential to medal again.

“Sakari has had a stop-and- start season, illness and injuries and projects at school that’s kind of kept her away, so she hasn’t had as much training, and jumps, as I would have liked her to have,” Simons said. “But she’s not going to make any excuses.She’s looking to put her best foot forward. She had a good jump the other day and jumped 1.75 [metres] in training.

“I’m not concerned about the inconsistency, she’s a big-day player and doesn’t let the emotion of the event get to her. If it lines up in the stars, hopefully she jumps well enough to make herself proud. She’s already made the country and her family proud.”

Bermuda will have three other high jumpers, Kevin Miller and Elisha Darrell in the under-20s and Inshannae Smith who will compete against Famous in the under-18 age group. Smith is also a member of the Bermuda netball team that will compete in Scotland next month.

“Inshannae is still learning the sport, so this is strictly for improvement and experience,” Simons said of her inclusion. “This is to get her feet wet and to help improve her through competition.”

The Bermuda team will depart at 8.52am tomorrow.

Team: Under-18 girls: Telilah Wears (200m), Lyndsey Palmer (3,000m), Sakari Famous (high jump), Inshannae Smith (high jump), Zekiah Lewis (long jump)

Under-20 girls: Tiara DeRosa (shot, discus), Brianna Mendes (300 metres)

Under-18 boys: Deneo Brangman (400m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Johndell Cumberbarch (3,000m, 1,500m), Aaron Jacobs (800m), Quincy Kuzyk (3,000m), Ryan Outerbridge (1,500m), Suresh Black (200m, 4x100, 4x400m), Lejuan Matthews (400m, 4x100m), Clevonte Lodge (200m, 4x100m 4x400m), Mycal Dill (4x100m, long jump).

Under-20 boys: Kevin Miller (high jump), Elisha Darrell (high jump, long jump), Stephan Dill (100m), Isaiah Bell-Phillips (800m).

Officials: Devon Bean (head coach), Rohaan Simons (jumps coach), Gina Evans (manager, middle distance coach), Terry Lynn Paynter (throwing coach).