THE recent 49th staging of the Carifta Championships has been hailed as being among the best ever, in terms of performance and level of organisation, by Lord Sebastian Coe, the head of World Athletics, and Mike Sands, president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC).

The championships was the first since 2019 after the novel coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 stagings, both of which were set for Bermuda.

Jamaica was asked in August last year to take on the job of hosting the championships — later than normal after Guyana, who were supposed to have hosted it, withdrew.

Coe and Sands heaped praise on the Government of Jamaica, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) under the leadership of Garth Gayle, and the Carifta Games 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) headed by Michael Fennell.

Jamaicans topped the medals tables for the 36th-straight year, winning a record 92 medals including 45 gold, 29 silver and 18 bronze. They were winning for the 45th time in the 50-year history of the event.

This year’s medal count broke the record 89 that was set in Martinique in 2014.

“I pay massive respect to the Government of Jamaica [and] the LOC. Garth Gayle has done a fabulous job; and to have stepped in at the last moment, I know how complicated it is,” Coe told the Jamaica Observer.

“Track and field is not a tennis court with two players and a ball; it’s really complicated. Lots of moving parts, lots of operational integration, so it’s been a fabulous championships and the athletes have really risen to the occasion.”

Coe said the 49th edition of the championships was “of the highest order. And I am not just comparing it between Carifta championships., I am comparing it amongst championships that I have seen in many, many years”.

He added: “I have been to every Carifta since 2015. Sadly, we did not have them the last two years and this is a fabulous reintroduction for everybody involved.”

When asked what he would say to the other teams that will face the Jamaicans at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, in August he said: “Start training bloody hard.”

Sands, who had approached JAAA boss Gayle while they were at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya last year, was pleased when he spoke to the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

“It was really great. We heard about all the performances and all the records — this was one of the better Carifta championships.”

He, however, conceded it was not all smooth sailing.

“We started off a little rough and we were a little rusty because of the hiatus but I am very, very pleased with the organisation; I am very pleased with the performances. And, credit must go to the LOC. And thanks to Garth Gayle, and the minister of sport, the Government of Jamaica for the great job they did,” said the NACAC boss.

Sands also hailed the coaches from the 26 countries that competed.

“Credit goes to the coaches who were able to keep the athletes motivated and to have this type of performances with record up on record — this really was one of the best ones we have had,” he said.

Olivia “Babsy” Grange, the minister of sport who was in attendance throughout the weekend, was in a great mood at the end of the championships.

“Jamaica Rise to the Occasion every time,” she said with a laugh, “I have to quote Sizzla — Jamaica rose to the occasion.”

The minister acknowledged there were some doubts when Jamaica was first asked to host the championships.

“Yes, it was very late. I did not even know where we were gong to get the funds, but in a meeting with Mike Sands I said ‘We want to do it’ — and we were going to work towards getting it.”

Fennell was also pleased and said “hitches” were part of every event but they managed to pull through.

“Overall, it was a fantastic event. We did have a number of hitches, not surprising, but we fixed the ones we could. Overall, all the track and field events were held and the performances of the athletes were incredible, and we certainly had a fantastic games.”

Told about what Coe and Sands had said, the former president of the Commonwealth Games Federation said: “I can’t add anything to that but with all big events such as this, even the Olympics, there are hitches and we had some — no doubt. But the athletes surpassed their best, they broke records, and they even broke a World Record, what more can you ask?”