Jamaica lit up the opening day of the NACAC Senior Championships in Freeport, Bahamas, capturing four gold medals through Jonielle Smith (women’s 100m), Amoi Brown (women’s 100m hurdles), Demario Prince (men’s 110m hurdles), and Fedrick Dacres (men’s discus).
Their triumphs propelled the island nation to a commanding start, with a total of seven medals—four gold, one silver, and two bronze—by day’s end.
Smith’s stunning sprint to gold
The spotlight belonged to Jonielle Smith, who delivered the shock of the evening in the women’s 100m final. Entering the race as only the fourth-fastest qualifier after running 11.21 seconds in her heat, Smith rose spectacularly to the occasion, sprinting to victory in 11.05 seconds (+0.1 mps).
Lirayl Alonso Teseda of the Dominican Republic was second in 11.10 seconds, while hometown favorite Anthaya Charlton of The Bahamas claimed bronze in 11.12 seconds. Jamaica’s Jodean Williams, who had posted a personal-best 11.00 seconds in the heats to qualify fastest, was edged out into fourth at 11.13 seconds.
Forde earns silver in men’s 100m
The men’s 100m final brought further Jamaican excitement as Ryiem Forde powered to silver in 10.01 seconds. Canada’s Jerome Blake lived up to his billing as favorite, setting a new championship record of 9.95 seconds (+0.4 mps) to erase Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake’s 2022 mark of 9.98 seconds. Rikkol Braithwaite of the British Virgin Islands placed third in 10.15 seconds.
Brown and Prince hurdle to victory
In the sprint hurdles, Jamaica’s power was undeniable.
- Women’s 100m hurdles: Amoi Brown, fastest from the heats, was unchallenged in the final, taking gold in 12.83 seconds (-0.1 mps). Canada’s Tatiana Aholou (13.01secs) and St. Lucia’s Assia Lourencin (13.04secs) rounded out the podium. Yanique Thompson finished fifth for Jamaica in 13.19 seconds.
- Men’s 110m hurdles: Demario Prince delivered a nail-biting victory, clocking 13.35 seconds (-1.4 mps) to edge American Dylan Beard (13.39secs). Jamaica’s Jaheim Stern added bronze in 13.63 seconds.
Dacres dominates discus throw
Fedrick Dacres ensured Jamaica’s presence on the field was just as commanding. The seasoned thrower launched the discus to 65.10m, securing gold ahead of American Sam Mathis (64.06m). Chad Wright added bronze for Jamaica with 62.85m. Despite victory, Dacres still eyes the 67.50m qualifying mark required for the World Championships in Tokyo.
Rising stars impress in qualifiers
Beyond the medal rush, several Jamaicans advanced impressively from preliminary rounds:
- Sanique Walker stunned in the women’s 400m hurdles with a massive personal best of 54.20 seconds, advancing as the fastest qualifier. Teammate Janieve Russell also reached the final, clocking 56.80 seconds.
- Malik James-King (49.69) and Assinie Wilson (50.31) reached the men’s 400m hurdles final.
- Nickisha Pryce, national champion, was unmatched in the women’s 400m, blazing 50.39 seconds for the day’s only sub-51 time to qualify fastest for Sunday’s final.
- In the men’s 400m, Rusheen McDonald (45.48secs) and Delano Kennedy (45.59secs) both secured final spots, with American Jenoah McKiver leading in 44.96 seconds.
- In the men’s 800m, Navasky Anderson (1:46.81mins) and Tyrice Taylor (1:49.12mins) also advanced to Sunday’s final.
Eyes on Tokyo
For Jamaica, day one was both a medal triumph and a proving ground. With four golds already secured, athletes are sharpening their form and chasing qualification marks ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where they aim to convert regional dominance into global success.
