As was always expected, Jamaican athletes dominated the 49th Carifta Games in Kingston over Easter — something they have done every year since 1985.

The 92-medal count, inclusive of 45 gold, 29 silver and 18 bronze, surpasses the 89 medals won by the Jamaicans in 2014 in Martinique.

In 2019, the last edition of the regional junior athletics championship prior to the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Jamaica won 85 medals.

This year brilliant Jamaican performances were led by the new junior world record of 42.58 seconds run by the 4x100m girls’ team of Misses Tina Clayton, Serena Cole, Brianna Lyston and Tia Clayton.

Other wonderful local achievements included the impressive boys’ 4x100m meet record of 39.15 seconds — a world-leading time in 2022.

Spectacular performances by the outstanding individual of the meet, Austin Sealy award winner 16-year-old Miss Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands led the way for the wider Caribbean.

Miss Hodge stamped her class with a superlative 11.29-seconds run in the Under-17 100m, followed by victory in the long jump and in the 200m final.

To understand the extent of the achievement by Miss Hodge it is useful to recognise that her country, the British Virgin Islands — a British overseas territory, located close to Puerto Rico — has a population of only about 30,000 people.

Overall, the quality of Carifta 49 was particularly admirable given the hindrances to training and preparation caused by the many restrictions since the pandemic’s onset in March 2020.

High praise for Carifta 49 came from decorated guest Lord Sebastian Coe, an Olympic legend and head of World Athletics.

Lord Coe, who said the Games was of the “highest order”, wasn’t just hailing athletic endeavour, but overall organisation despite inevitable hitches.

Said he: “Track and field is not a tennis court with two players and a ball; its really complicated. Lots of moving parts, lots of operational integration…”

Key, was Carifta 49’s important symbolism after its absence since 2019 because of COVID-19. Until fairly recently there was doubt as to whether it would be possible at all.

Jamaica took on hosting duties only last year — committing to accommodating hundreds of athletes, officials and others from across the Caribbean — at very short notice after Guyana withdrew.

For all concerned, there would have been serious issues leading up to the Games, including vaccination requirements for athletes and officials, which, thankfully, were lifted as part of a general easing of restrictions in recent weeks and months.

In a real sense, as patron of the Games, Jamaican business leader Mr Richard Pandohie told Trinidad and Tobago media earlier this year, Carifta 49 represented the “reopening” of the Caribbean in the context of the pandemic.

Describing it as the “first major, multi-country event in the region since the pandemic”, Mr Pandohie claimed the games would not only signal to the world that the Caribbean is reopening for sports, but that “we’re reopening for business”.

To all those involved in the staging of Carifta 49, we say, well done.