Juma Mouchette, Bermuda’s lead coach at the Carifta Games, is expecting the island’s team to win medals at Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada this weekend.

Bermuda secured two silver medals last year when the action took place in Trinidad & Tobago, with Cameron Adkins getting on the podium in the under-17 boys 1,500 metres and Tatiana Sousa doing the same in the under-17 girls javelin.

While Adkins is not part of the squad in Grenada, Mouchette, a three-times Carifta bronze medal-winner in the 1,500 and 5,000 metres, believes that Sousa and a few others are capable of stepping up to the plate.

“Realistically, I would say we’ll get at least two medals,” Mouchette told The Royal Gazette.

“I would back Tatiana to get on the podium again as a returning medal-winner and I would say Gianluca Bortoli is the other one to really look out for.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on the others but Tatiana can handle it and I know Luca can handle it.

“Hopefully Tatiana can do one better, stepping up into the U20 category. It’s not always easy stepping into a new age group, but she’s fearless, she’s had a really good season so far and looking forward to competing.

Mouchette , who is coaching the Carifta squad with Terry-Lyn Paynter, already works with Bortoli siblings, Gianluca and Elena, and Riana Robinson at Bermuda Pacers Track Club.

“I was able to get the distance runners together and we had a couple of training sessions together,” he said.

“Nazir Johnson and Brooklyn Myers came over and joined the camp the last two weeks, so I was able to have a look at them and see where they were at.

“I’m happy to say that they look really fit and they’re ready for competition. As the distance coach, luckily I was able to have three of them qualified who train with me year round.

“Last year, Luca Bortoli qualified, but he just missed out because we had Sanchez Smith who came in and ran a faster time than him. So it was a disappointing year for him, but he went back to the drawing board, buckled down and has run an amazing PB this year in the 5,000 metres.

“He qualified with 15:59 and that time is good enough to get him on the podium. Luca is really focused this year and he’s looking forward to really getting out there and competing.

“Then there’s his younger sister, Elena, who had an amazing PB in the 1,500 to make the qualifying standard. For her going out there as a 13-year-old, she’s only an M3, it’s all about experience for her.

“It’s an opportunity for her to understand what it’s like to run at a high-level competition. Hopefully, she goes out there and enjoys it.

“Riana’s returning from last year. She tripped up in the 1,500 in Trinidad and she’s coming back with a vengeance and is hoping to put her best foot forward.”

Miles Outerbridge, Zydon Lightbourne-Furbert and Arima Turner are heading into Carifta on the back of amazing performances for Montverde Academy.

Outerbridge, who is running the 100 and 200 metres, has been in brilliant form. He clocked a then indoor personal best of 21.34 sec to win the Adidas Track Nationals 200-metre qualifier on the opening day of the Virginia Showcase on January 16.

The 17-year-old further cut his time in the 200 to 21.14 to finish third overall at the New Balance Nationals Indoor, in Boston, Massachusetts, last month. Having come close to a medal in the under-20 boys 200 in Trinidad, the sprinter appears to be destined for the podium this time around.

“Myles is looking to get on the podium,” Mouchette said.

“Then Zydon with another PB this year, he ran 48 seconds as an under-17 in the 400. Hopefully, he can do something and he might be a surprise package if he could get another PB.

“We have Sanchez, who has got one more year in the U17s. If he can put it all together like I know he can, he could definitely put his best foot forward and be a really good competitor.”

Amara Samuels is going into her second Carifta with a lot of promise. The 15-year-old claimed the sprint double at the Senior Schools Championships last month.

“Amara has been an amazing talent,” the coach said.

“She’s new to the sport and this year will probably be her first time that she can get a full season of proper training and competition in.

“She had a little struggle with her start, as I know that’s one thing that she was working on. But this year it’s got so much better and I can’t wait to see the training her and coach DeVon Bean have put in come together in Grenada because she could definitely also be another surprise athlete.

“She’s competing among the best that the Caribbean has to offer when it comes to sprinting. For Bermudians to make it to the final is a huge accomplishment for them, but if she gets it together she might be able to go to battle.”

Mouchette expressed his excitement about the return of Turner, who missed the last two editions.

“It’s good that she [Turner] was able to get on the team,” he said.

“She’s training well and looks really good. I watched her do some run-outs and training sessions the last couple of days while she’s been back. She looks ready to go and I’m excited for her as well.”