Handal Roban earned the first ever gold medal for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the North Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships, winning the men’s 800m with a massive national 800m record of 1:42.87 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex in Freeport, Bahamas.
Roban, the silver medallist at these championships three years ago when he was still a teenager, trailed USA’s Brandon Miller and Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson after the first lap. He moved into second shortly before the final curve and overtook Miller in the final 20 metres to smash the championship record, which had previously stood at 1:45.79. It was also a personal best by more than a second.
The 2023 NACAC U23 champion was followed by Miller (1:43.15), Tyrice Taylor in a Jamaican record of 1:43.74, Anderson (1:44.18) and Canada’s Abdullahi Hassan (1:44.25).
Nine other championship records fell over the weekend. Canada’s Jerome Blake was responsible for two of those as he won the 100m in 9.95, then teamed up with 200m winner Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney – two of his teammates from the victorious 2024 Olympic squad – and Eliezer Adjibi to win the 4x100m in 38.05. Teammate Foster Malleck, meanwhile, rewrote the mark in the men’s 1500m (3:37.54).
Other newly minted record holders were USA’s Taylor Roe in the women’s 10,000m (32:19.84), Austin West in the decathlon (8038) and Daniel Michalski in the 3000m steeplechase (8:14.07). Josh Awotunde equalled the championship record to win the men’s shot put with 21.68m.
On his NACAC debut, Grenada’s six-time world and Olympic medallist Kirani James won the men’s 400m comfortably in a season’s best and championship record of 44.48.
Elsewhere, Puerto Rico’s Rachell De Orbeta improved the women’s 20,000m race walk championship record to 1:36:15.88, while Jamaica’s mixed 4x400m team triumphed in a championship record of 3:11.10.
Jamaica’s 2019 world silver medallist Fedrick Dacres regained his discus title with 65.10m, while Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts did likewise in the women’s triple jump (14.23m). Teammate Jonielle Smith upgraded her 2018 silver to gold in the women’s 100m with 11.05.
Anthonique Strachan and Kaiwan Culmer pleased the home crowd with two wins on day two, with Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis in attendance. World finalist Strachan took the 200m gold in 22.77, while Culmer claimed the triple jump honours with 16.56m.
At 41 years of age, Grand Bahama native Donald Thomas delighted his local fans with his third consecutive NACAC medal in the high jump, taking silver with 2.21m behind USA’s Tyus Wilson (2.24m).
Home star Shaunae Miller-Uibo also made an appearance. She finished second in her 400m heat in 51.44, but was a non-starter in the final, which was won by Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce (49.95).
With the largest delegation, the United States once again dominated the championships with 36 medals (17 gold, 13 silver and six bronze), followed by Jamaica (8-6-8) and Canada with four medals of each colour. Nine countries won at least one gold medal. Six other nations featured on the medal tally.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics