JAMAICA won two races and set national records on the way to winning a historic bronze medal in Sunday’s 200-metre Mixed Major Final of the fourth Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Festival at Goodman’s Bay in Nassau.

Jamaica’s mixed team was particularly impressive, clocking 1:04.79 for third in Saturday’s round one, and afterwards winning round two in 1:11.3, to earn an aggregated time fast enough to not only qualify for the Mixed Major Final (Division A) in which they won bronze, but also the Minor Final (Division A) against open teams.

However, Captain Jason McKay was forced to pull the mixed team from the 200-metre Minor Open final (Division A) to conserve energy for the Major Open final (Division A) due to limited manpower in the face of races being run almost back to back.

Jamaica’s open squad set a national record in qualifying for the 200-metre Major Final (Division A), clocking 1:03.95, which was the fastest second-round time of all 27 teams, including eventual champions Buoys and Gulls, who won their heat in 1:04.82.

Jamaica, who only started training for the international event in June, advanced to the 200-metre Major Open as Division A finalists alongside Buoys and Gulls and runners-up Nauti Crew.

Celebrating Jamaica’s bronze medal, McKay gave the 17-member crew its due, saying he could not complain with the achievements after only two months’ training in a sport new to all but one squad member.

“For a team that started training in June, after Jamaica staged its first-ever dragon-boat festival, to race against and beat the defending champions in a race, also international teams from North America, teams which have been competing for years, words cannot describe our achievement,” said Mckay.

“I don’t believe I could have honestly asked more of this squad,” he added, pointing out that with a bigger squad, Jamaica would have competed in all three Major Finals, Division A, and would have been fresher for the Major Open, Division A final, against returning champions Buoys and Gulls and runners-up Nauti Crew.

“We will get them next year in Jamaica on home turf should they make the trip,” McKay promised.

“We learned a lot and will certainly have a bigger squad at home and also for next year’s tournament here in The Bahamas set for May 2-3, 2026,” he said.