Miles Outerbridge is pleased with the significant strides he has made after capturing two medals at the 53rd Carifta Games in Grenada.

It was a whirlwind three days of competition for the young athlete, which saw him set both the junior and senior national records on his way to gold in the 100 metres.

On Sunday, he ran 20.54sec in the 200 metres semi-finals, to eclipse the 20.91 run by Vaughn Harvey in April 1977. Outerbridge finished off with another fast time of 20.67 to win silver in the 200 on Monday.

“I feel really good about this year, especially coming off of last year where I was just short of a medal and my years previous to that where I never even came close to the podium,” Outerbridge told The Royal Gazette.

“So to be able to do this year, get first and second and dominate the sprint side was definitely big for me. I’m very proud of my progress so far.

“It would been great if I had got the sprint double, but I’m happy with the silver from the 200.

“Coming into the meet, my fastest times weren’t set for me to get a medal or even make a final, so to be able to come in as an underdog was really big for me.”

In both distances, the 18-year-old competed against athletes from Caribbean powerhouses such as Jamaica and Bahamas, who are renowned for their dominance in the sprint distances at a global stage.

“It felt good to be up against people who are high calibre and representing such big countries,” the Bermudian said. “It definitely is a lot more nerve-racking knowing that these are the best athletes from these countries.

“They are not holding back, so I felt a little intimidated and a little nervous, but it felt so good to be able on shine at such a high stage like that.”

While the bulk of the Bermuda team members are due to arrive back on island on Wednesday night, the double medal-winner is heading back to Montverde Academy, where he has one month left as a high school student.

“It’s a little disappointing that I will not be coming back to Bermuda with my team-mates, but I’ll be back home soon,” Outerbridge said.

“I still have to focus on school because it’s not over yet. I have a month left of high school, I graduate on May 16 and then I will be back home.

“Life will be a lot different when I go back to Montverde Academy. Training will probably be a lot different as well because they know I can run a lot faster.”

Once back on island, Outerbridge plans to train with national coach DeVon Bean in preparation for the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, set for Philadelphia in June before running at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, which will be held in Oregon at the beginning of August.

The athlete’s parents, Ria and Kirk Outerbridge, have expressed their delight at their son’s exploits in Grenada.

“We are so thrilled to see what Miles has accomplished,” the parents said.

“To achieve Carifta gold and break the national record has left us both awestruck and proud. He has worked very hard for this and to witness his training and dedication pay off has been a revelation.

“We are so thankful for the outpouring of love and congratulations from across the island. Miles’s performance is something we can truly all celebrate in.

“We’d like to thank all his coaches and supporters, both locally and abroad, who have seeded into him from a very young age.

“For us, this is the culmination of a journey started when he was in primary school and to see him reach this stage has been a blessing from God.”

Sanchez Smith, who won silver in the boys under-17 3,000 metres, attributed his success to not giving up after finishing sixth a year ago.

“I feel like all the hard work paid ever since last year at Carifta when I didn’t race too good,” he said.

“It also feels good to win it in front of my family, who have been there since literally day one. To everybody who’s been watching it on the television back home, it was nice to win in front of them.

“I would have wished I won my first medal last year, but it didn't turn out that way. It does feel nice that I was able to get into my second Carifta and get a little experience under my belt.

“The experience from last year helped me a lot because there were a lot of fast runners that went out fast and I went with them, so I gassed myself early in the race.”

Gianluca Bortoli was disappointed to miss out on a medal in the under-20 boys 5,000 metres, finishing in fifth after occupying a medal position for the better part of the race.

“It was a tough race and it obviously sucks being that close to a medal and then being overtaken in the final 100 metres,” the 17-year-old said.

“I made a gamble early in the race, trying to go with Luke McIntyre, from Barbados, and I paid for it in the final laps.

“Overall, it’s taught me patience but I will just have to come back stronger next year.”

Jarita Vickers, president of the Bermuda National Athletics Association, is excited about what lies ahead for the island’s athletes.

“I am extremely pleased with both the outcome and what the future holds for our athletes and our programme,” Vickers said.

“We arrived at these Games with a relatively small, largely young and inexperienced team. Despite that, we leave with three medals, a testament to the dedication, resilience and growing potential of Bermuda’s track and field programme.

“The standout performance of the Games came from Miles Outerbridge, whose achievements formed the pinnacle of this tour.

“Securing gold in the marquee track event is no small feat, and he did so with authority. Coupled with multiple record-breaking performances and a follow-up silver medal in the 200, Miles has sent a clear message to the rest of the Caribbean.

“His success set the tone for Bermuda’s campaign and inspired confidence across the entire team.

“Equally commendable was Sanchez, whose silver medal performance in the under-17 3000 meters was a hard-fought battle.

“Demonstrating tactical intelligence and composure, Sanchez executed his race plan when it mattered most, highlighting both maturity and competitive awareness beyond his years.

“While there were podium finishes to celebrate, there were also near misses that will undoubtedly fuel future success.

“Gianluca Bortoli narrowly missed out on a medal in the under-20 5,000 meters and Zydon Lightbourne Furbert, delivered a strong performance to finish fifth in the under-17 400 final.

“These results, though just shy of medals, have left both athletes more determined than ever to return stronger.

“Amara Samuels, our young sprint standout, recorded a new personal best of 11.97 seconds in the under-17 100, while Riana Robinson achieved a personal best of 4:55 in the Under-17 1,500.

“The success extended to our first-time competitors, who displayed remarkable grit and determination. Kelise Wade in the Under-17 400, Elena Bortoli in the 1,500, with Ajana Patton in the triple jump all represented Bermuda with pride.

“Brooklyn Myers and Nazir Johnson achieved personal bests in the 3,000 and 800, respectively.

Arima Turner competed well in the 100 and 200. No finals for her, but it was great to see her return to representing Bermuda after being sidelined for injury and surgery.

“Tatiana Sousa, fresh off her medal win last year, entered a more challenging division, but gave a commendable performance.”

Former BNAA president, Donna Raynor, who was in Grenada in her capacity as a World Athletics Council member, praised the Bermuda athletes for their displays over the three days.

“Carifta was fantastic and the competition as always was top level,” Raynor said.

“The Bermuda team did us proud, especially capturing the ultimate gold medal in the 100 and narrowly missing the gold in the 200.

“Sanchez also ran a great and gutsy race capturing the silver medal. I think this is a great team to build on for the future for not only Carifta, but other junior and senior events to come.”