The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation extends its congratulations to the athletes who have been selected to represent the territory at the 51st CARIFTA Track & Field Championships, which will take place in Grenada from March 30 to April 1, 2024. The selected athletes are as follows:
The events that the athletes will compete in are:
Michelle Smith—Female Under 20- 400m Hurdles, 800m
Sofia Swindell — Female Under 20—200m, 100m Hurdles, Triple Jump
Jayvan Benjamin – Male Under 17 – Long Jump
Micah Dominique – Male Under 17 – 100m, 200m
Juvante Hurst —Male Under 17—100m, 200m
Quemane Bell – Male Under 20 -Long Jump, 4*400m Relay
Thomas Crikelair – Male Under 20 – 800m, 4*400m Relay
Nathan Langley – Male Under 20 – 800m, 1500m, 4*400m Relay
Jaden Stapleton – Male Under 20 – 200m, 400m, 4*400m Relay
Virgin Islands CARIFTA Medalists:
The Virgin Islands has achieved a cumulative total of 33 medals in the CARIFTA Games, spanning from 1982 to 2023. These medals consist of 8 Gold, 9 Silver, and 16 Bronze. Out of all the Virgin Islanders, Michelle Smith holds the distinction of the highest number of Gold medals won, with a remarkable tally of 4. Additionally, Michelle Smith stands as the sole Virgin Islander who has managed to set a CARIFTA Record. Michelle holds the U17 400m Hurdles Record at 58.61, set in Kingston, Jamaica in 2022.
Iyiechia Petrus won the first V.I. medal a Bronze – 400m 57.36 Kingston Jamaica 1982
Franklin “Felco” Feltieu won the first male medal a bronze – 400m 50.48 Kingston Jamaica 1982
Franklin “Felco” Feltieu won his second medal a silver – 800m 1:57.5 Kingston Jamaica 1982
Iyiechia Petrus won her second medal a silver – 400m 57.32 in Martinique 1983
Iyiehia Petrus won her third medal a silver – 800m 2:15.12 in Martinique 1983
Flora Hyacinth won her first medal a bronze in the 400m 54.70 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus won her fourth medal a bronze in the 800m 2:14.75 Barbados 1985
V.I. won first relay women medal bronze in 4x100m relay 48.09 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus fifth medal
Flora Hyacinth second medal
Fidora Phillip first medal
Ruth Morris first medal
V.I. won second relay women medal bronze in 4x400m relay 3:50.48 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus sixth medal
Flora Hyacinth third medal
Fidora Phillip second medal
Ruth Morris second medal
Jimmy Fleming won his first medal a bronze medal in the 100m 10.80 Barbados 1985
Jimmy Fleming won the first gold medal for the V.I. in the 200m 21.65 Barbados 1985
Rodneshyia Pitts won her first medal a bronze in the 100m 12.15 Barbados 1997
Rodney Pitts won his first medal a bronze in the 100m 11.09 Barbados 1997
Rodneshyia Pitts won her second medal a silver in the 100m 12.25 Martinique 1999
Adrian Durant won bronze medal in 200m 21.14 Trinidad & Tobago 2003
Sanny Eugene won bronze medal 800m 2:18.87 Bermuda 2004
Juan Robles won bronze medal in 3000m 9:53.88 Bermuda 2004
Sanny Eugene won gold medal 800m 2:12.75 Tobago 2005
Anecia Willliams won bronze medal in 1500 4:54.13 Guadeloupe 2006
Allison Peter silver medal 100m 11.91 St. Kitts & Nevis 2008
Allison Peter gold medal 200m 23.99 St. Kitts & Nevis 2008
Leslie Murray won the bronze medal in the 400m 46.74 St. Lucia 2009
Leslie Murray won the silver medal in the 400m hurdles 51.20 St. Lucia 2009
Allison Peter won bronze medal in the 100m 11.50w St. Lucia 2009
Allison peter won bronze medal in the 200m 23.51 St. Lucia 2009
Allison Peter won gold medal in the 200m 23.29 Cayman Islands 2010
Allison Peter won silver medal (6th medal) 100m 11.51 in the Cayman Islands 2010
Evan Jones won silver medal 1500m 4:02.93 in Nashua, Bahamas 2018
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 400m Hurdles 58.61 and set a U17 CARIFTA record in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Silver medal in the 100m Hurdles 14.31 in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 800m 2:10.78 in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 400m Hurdles 57.69 in Nassau, Bahamas 2023
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 800m 2:09.72 in Nassau, Bahamas 2023
Carifta stands for The Caribbean Free Trade Association. Carifta grew out of an economic trade association that began with three Caribbean countries and grew to over 14 Caribbean countries into CARICOM today. The Carifta Championship of today is the world’s best Junior Championships. It is where the great Caribbean athletes usually get their start. Olympic gold medalists such as Usain Bolt and Shaunae Miller-Uibo came up through the Carifta Championships.
The Virgin Islands CARIFTA team received funding through competition grants from both the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (VIOC) and the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation (VITFF).
First time the Virgin Islands won medals at CARIFTA Kingston Jamaica 1982
Iyiechia Petrus won the first V.I. medal a Bronze – 400m 57.36 Kingston Jamaica 1982
Franklin Feltieu won the first male medal a bronze – 400m 50.48 Kingston Jamaica 1982
Franklin Feltieu won his second medal a silver – 800m 1:57.5 Kingston Jamaica 1982
Most medals won was 6 in Barbados 1985
4 individual and 2 relay medals 1 gold (first time VI won gold) and 5 bronze
Flora Hyacinth won her first medal a bronze in the 400m 54.70 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus won her fourth medal a bronze in the 800m 2:14.75 Barbados 1985
V.I. won first relay women medal bronze in 4x100m relay 48.09 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus fifth medal
Flora Hyacinth second medal
Fidora Phillip first medal
Ruth Morris first medal
V.I. won second relay women medal bronze in 4x400m relay 3:50.48 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus sixth medal
Flora Hyacinth third medal
Fidora Phillip second medal
Ruth Morris second medal
Jimmy Fleming won his first medal a bronze medal in the 100m 10.80 Barbados 1985
Jimmy Fleming won the first gold medal for the V.I. in the 200m 21.65 Barbados 1985
Most individual medals by 1 person at a Carifta Game – Michelle Smith Kingston Jamaica 2022
3 medals – 2 Gold and 1 Silver
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 400m Hurdles 58.61 and set a U17 CARIFTA record in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Silver medal in the 100m Hurdles 14.31 in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 800m 2:10.78 in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Most Gold medals by 1 person – Michelle Smith Kingston Jamaica 2022, Nassau Bahamas 2023
3 medals – 2 Gold and 1 Silver
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 400m Hurdles 58.61 and set a U17 CARIFTA record in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 800m 2:10.78 in Kingston, Jamaica 2022
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 400m Hurdles 57.61 in Nassau Bahamas 2023
Michelle Smith won a Gold medal in the 800m 2:09.78 in Nassau Bahamas 2023
1st time CARIFTA record set by a Virgin Islander – Michelle Smith U17 400m Hurdles 58.61 – Kingston Jamaica 2022
Years Virgin Island won CARIFTA Medals from 1982 through 2023 – 33
33 Total – Gold 8; Silver 9; Bronze 16
| Overall | 8 | 9 | 16 | 33 | |
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Location | |
| 1982 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Jamaica | |
| 1983 | 2 | 2 | Martinique | ||
| 1985 | 1 | 5 | 6 | Barbados | |
| 1997 | 2 | 2 | Barbados | ||
| 1999 | 1 | 1 | Martinique | ||
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | Bermuda | ||
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | Guadeloupe | ||
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 2 | St. Kitts & Nevis | |
| 2009 | 1 | 3 | 4 | St. Lucia | |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Cayman Islands | |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | Bahamas | ||
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Jamaica | |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | Bahamas |
Total Virgin Island CARIFTA Medals from 1982 through 2023