Bermuda coach Devon Bean believes the future is bright for the Island’s track and field athletes after their encouraging performances at the Carifta Games.The spectacle, held on local shores for the fourth time, saw the hosts claim six medals one gold, three silver and a bronze, finishing seventh overall in the medal table.Competing against top track and field nations Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Bahamas Bermuda’s athletes dug deep, some of them showing they can compete with the best in the region. And Bean believes that bodes well for the future.“The performances this year would have to be ranked very high. We are losing only one athlete, Taylor Ashley Bean, for next year’s Games but there are a lot of young athletes that still have years to race in both categories (Under-17, Under-20),” said Bean.“They are real track enthusiasts and it exposed them to see that they are not as good as they think locally and that will help them in the future because they will know what it takes to be the best having raced against the best in the region.“The Caribbean has been the hot bed for sprinters for some time now and if you can medal or get a good finish as a junior it should give you incentive for the next phase, whether it be the Pan Am Games or whatever. It shows you have the ability to perform at the highest level.”Bean also noted the camaraderie at the Games between the neighbouring islands.“The atmosphere at the Games goes to show that track and field is the number one sport in the world. Without track and field there wouldn’t be any other sports and with this being an Olympic year the athletes got the sense of a real track competition.“The atmosphere was electric, the fans from all the countries were great and we are excited for next year.“I loved the Games, it showed the camaraderie between the Caribbean countries and that the sport is also about supporting one another.”Bermuda added two more medals on the last evening to the four they got on the opening day of the Games, with Taylor-Ashley Bean (Under-20 Girls 3,000 metres) claiming her second medal to go along with her bronze in the Under-20 Girls 1500 metres.Juma Mouchette (Under-20 Boys 5000 metres) grabbed a bronze, Kyrah Scraders (Under-17 Girls 1500 metres) snatched silver, Justin Donawa (Under-17 Boys Triple Jump) claimed Bermuda’s first gold in eight years, and Shaquille Dill (Under-20 800 metres) helped himself to a silver medal in front of a raucous home crowd.Mouchette and Kyle Webb both said the effort put in by the local competitors had much to do with the atmosphere created by the crowd.“It was much better than I ever expected, the local fans came out, the drums were playing and the atmosphere was great. It was nice to know Bermuda was behind us 100 percent,” Mouchette said.“It was important for us to have the crowd cheering because usually there isn’t a huge crowd that comes out to the track to watch us. So when we saw all the (Bermuda) flags being waved and the spectators calling our names, it gave us belief.“It was pleasing personally for me to get a medal in the 5,000 metres. I wanted to get a medal in the 1500 as well but I’m pleased that I got to show Bermuda that I can compete (at this level).Webb added: “I felt confident once I got on the track. I wasn’t nervous, it was a great feeling every time I stood on the track, walking to the starting line hearing everyone cheering for me.”