Bermuda will start its medal quest at the 49th Carifta Games in Kingston, Jamaica, with the majority of the 20 member delegation in action on the first day of the three-day championships, today.

The championships are being held for the first time since 2019, when Bermuda finished sixth in the medals tables with six medals including three gold, and with the team being quite inexperienced, head coach Devon Bean says the priority remains getting back in action after a long lay off.

“We have a young team and for most of the under-17s, this will be their first Carifta. This is going to be quite an eye-opening experience for them,” said Bean.

“Anything can happen in a championship, but we, as coaches, are not expecting a medal haul. We’re looking to go down there and be competitive, hopefully make the finals where anything can happen in a final.”

The experience will come from Caitlyn Bobb (under-17 400m), Nirobi Smith Mills (under-17 800m) and Isabelle Dutranoit (open 3,000m) who won gold medals in 2019 while Sancho Smith and Smith Mills have competed at the under-17 level.

There will be 20 gold medals on offer, including the 100m in all four divisions, the 400 and 500 on the track, as well as eight in the field events.

J’Naz Richards and Zenji Washington will line up in the under-17 girls 100 competition, Denver Tucker and Myles Outerbridge in the boys’ under-17, while Zakayza Parsons will contest the girls’ under-20 event.

Caitlyn Bobb will seek to step up in the under-20 girls 400 after her success three years ago; Madisyn Bobb and S’Nya Cumbermatch will hope to keep the under-17 girls 400 gold in Bermuda while Jaylen Grant is the lone male in the under-20 quarter-mile.

Simeon Hayward and Jauza James are down for the under-20 boys 1,500 and it will be a busy day for James who is also included on the octathlon and high jump.

Thirteen-year-old Jaeda Grant, the youngest member of the team and Fenella Wightman will also contest the under-17 girls 1,500 today.