Jamaica’s double record breaker Kamari Kennedy was named winner of the Austin Sealy Award, presented to the most outstanding athlete, at the 52nd Carifta Games which concluded at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Monday.

The 16-year-old smashed the records in the Under-17 boys’ shot put and discus throw events as Jamaica topped the medals table for the 39th straight time and 47th overall with a haul of 78 medals.

On Sunday, Kennedy threw 18.90m to win the shot put, the 10th best mark in the world for Under-18 men, breaking the Carifta record 18.80m set by fellow Jamaican Javontae Smith in Grenada last year.

If Sunday’s record was a marginal one, Kennedy left a mark that could stay for a very long time when he returned 24 hours later with a massive 60.87m in the discus throw, more than seven metres better than the 53.32m set in 2019 by another Jamaican, Kobe Lawrence.

Each of his five legal marks would have broken the record as 54.26m was his shortest throw of the day.

He is the 16th Jamaican to win the Austin Sealy Award and first since Roshawn Clarke in 2023.

Meanwhile, after a slow start on Saturday, Jamaica romped to another big win, outclassing the field on their way to 30 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze medals, well ahead of second placed Bahamas who had a total of 37 medals, (just short of the 40 they had targeted) – 16 gold, 13 silver and eight bronze. Trinidad and Tobago finished third with 25 medals- nine gold, six silver and 10 bronze.

Antigua, Cayman, Grenada, St Lucia and the US Virgin Island all won two gold medals each.

Jamaica fell short of the 84 medals they won last year in Grenada, matching the 78 won in 2023 but well off the record 92 they won when they hosted the 2022 edition.

Jamaica’s Shanoya Douglas was one of two athletes to win four gold medals, along with Bahamas’ Eagan Neely, as she won the Under 20 girls sprint double and was part of both 4x100m and 4x400m relays that won gold medals.

Shaquane Gordon ran a championship record 13.19 seconds (1.4m/s) to retain his Under-20 boys 110m hurdles title, as Jamaicans won three of the four gold medals in the sprint hurdles finals.

Daniel Clarke had equalled the championship record 13.23 seconds in the morning’s qualification but it was Gordon who took charge in the finals to erase the time that was first ran in 2014 by Wilhem Belocian of Guadeloupe.

Clarke was also under the old record with 13.21 seconds for the silver medal while Tahj Brown of the Bahamas was third with 13.82 seconds.

After being made to wait an inordinately long time, in excess of 15 minutes due to technical issues, Bahamian Jahcario Wilson won the Under-17 boys 110m hurdles, his second gold of the championships, running 13.70 seconds (-07m/s) to beat two Jamaicans – Brandon Bennett- 14.08 seconds and Mark-Daniel Allen- 14.30 seconds.

Tiana Marshall won the Under-20 girls 100m hurdles gold medal after clocking 13.50 seconds (-0.8m/s), followed across the finish line by Barbados’ Maya Rollins- 13.80 seconds and Jamaica’s Bryana Davidson- 13.82 seconds.

Jamaicans were first and second in the Under-17 girls 100m hurdles final, Malayia Duncan taking the gold with 13.34 seconds (-0.8m/s) ahead of Nickayla Russell- 13.71 seconds and Jasmine Thompson of the Bahamas in third in 14.33 seconds.
Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Island ended an outstanding Carifta Games career after retaining her Under-20 girls 800m, winning her ninth medal at the championships and eighth gold, adding to the 400m hurdles title she won on Sunday. Smith won with 2:07.23 minutes ahead of the Jamaican sisters Cindy Rose- 2:08.49 minutes and Jovi Rose- 2:10.97 minutes.

Chavez Penn completed the Under-20 boys’ high jump/ triple jump double after he won the ‘hop step and jump’ on Monday with 16.14m, ahead of long jump gold medallist Michael-Andre Edwards- 15.66 seconds and Guyana’s Rodel Avant Greene- 15.50m.

Amani Phillips completed a brilliant Under-17 boys’ triple/long jump double when he jumped another personal best on the weekend, this time 7.49m (2.0m/s) to win the long jump that had a dramatic finale in the morning session.

Phillips, who had set a new championships record in the triple jump on Saturday’s opening day, led from the first round and was ahead with 7.28m before Michael Graham, the 100m gold medalist, jumped 7.33m (0.1m/s) on his final attempt, first time over the 7.00m mark, to move from fourth into the gold medal position.

Phillips, who went into the championships with a best of 7.30m set at the ISSA Champs, however responded with a 7.49m effort as Trinidad and Tobago’s Michal Paul took the bronze medal with 7.03m (1.8m/s).