At the D’Athletisme de la Martinique, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger held on May 18, 2024, BVI sprinter Rikkoi Brathwaite outclassed a field of 21 contestants, placing first overall in the 100-meter event.
Competing at the Louis Achille Stadium, Brathwaite dominated the finals, clocking in at 10.04 seconds which secured him the fastest overall time. His winning time equalled the meet record, showcasing his exceptional speed and form after entering the finals with a time of 10.19 seconds, the fastest time of the three heats.
Second went to Ebrahima Camara of Gambia who ran 10.19 seconds, while Melbin Marcelino of the Dominican Republic placed third with 10.25 seconds.
Brathwaite also competed in the 200-metre event where he finished fourth overall. Running in Final 2, his time of 20.81 seconds saw him winning his race, but the highly competitive field in Final 1 which was won by Bahamian Ian Kerr with 20.33 seconds, resulted in Brathwaite missing out on a top-three overall finish.
Joining Brathwaite in the spotlight at the track meet was fellow Virgin Islander Beyoncé de Freitas, who made a strong impression in the 200 meters. De Freitas claimed the silver medal with a time of 23.35 seconds.
She set off at an impressive pace, maintaining the lead until the final moments when American Kynnedy Flannel edged her out at the line with a meet record time of 23.30 seconds. Lénora Guion-Firmin finished third in 23.64 seconds.
Meanwhile, on the same day across the globe at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, Olympian Kyron McMaster added to the BVI’s achievements. Competing in the 400-meter hurdles, McMaster secured a third-place finish with a season’s best time of 48.51 seconds.
The BVI’s World Athletics Championships silver medalist and two-time Commonwealth Games champion faced stiff competition in the event that was won by American Rai Benjamin with a new world lead time of 46.64 seconds. Roshawn Clarke of Jamaica finished second in 48.11 seconds.