The Caribbean emerged big at the recent World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland (March 1- 3). While Jamaica won no higher medal than bronze, Bahamian, St. Lucian, and Dominican women created history for their countries.
Leading the charge was Olympic and 2023 two-time World Outdoor finalist Bahamian Devynne Charlton (28) who lowered the 60m hurdles world record of 7.67secs she shared with USA’s Tia Jones, which she ran two weeks prior in New York. In Scotland, Charles clocked 7.65 to obliterate the field that included Cyrena Samba-Mayela of France (7.74 silver) and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska (bronze, 7.79).
Both Charlton’s parents represented the Bahamas at the highest level in the sport.
Next is St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred who has been a force since 2023, her final year when she was NCAA double sprint champion.
Alfred has followed in the footsteps of other great Caribbean women with gold at 6.98 in the 60m flat. The lone Caribbean athlete in the race, she defeated former Indoor champion Ewa Swoboda of Poland (7.00) and Zaynab Dosso of Italy (7.05).
The third gold, her first global medal, came from Dominican Thea Lafond in the women’s triple jump with a 15.01m world lead and national record. Lafond defeated her Spanish-speaking Caribbean rival and World Indoor silver medalist Leyanis Pérez-Hernández of Cuba (14.90 pb) and Olympic bronze medalist Ana Paleteiro-Compaoré of Spain (14.75 sb).
LaFond, who passed on the next three and final jumps after laying down the gauntlet in the second round, became Dominica’s first female global medalist and first global champion in athletics. “This one is for my people,” said LaFond, the only athlete from her country and the Championships. -DPalmer