The 2024 BVI National Championships showcased an extraordinary display of athletic talent at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground in Road Town, Tortola, last Friday and Saturday, where several records were shattered.
With a lineup featuring renowned athletes such as Adaejah Hodge, Beyonce Defreitas, Deya Erickson, Chantel Malone, Eldred Henry, Rikkoi Brathwaite, Jaleel Croal, and the Gumbs twins, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd eager to witness the BVI’s top competitors perform on home soil.
Over the course of the two days, five new meet records were broken, highlighting the exceptional calibre of the athletes. Diamante Gumbs led the charge in field events, setting new benchmarks in both the Hammer Throw and the Discus Throw. Gumbs threw a remarkable 56.30 meters in the Hammer Throw and followed up with a record-breaking 56.40 meters in the Discus Throw.
Diamante’s twin, Djimon Gumbs, engaged in a thrilling head-to-head battle with Olympian Eldred Henry in the Shot Put. Djimon emerged victorious with a record-setting throw of 19.50 meters, surpassing Henry’s silver-medal effort of 18.99 meters.
On the track, Deya Erickson delivered a standout performance in the Open Women’s 100-meter Hurdles, clinching victory with a new national record time of 14.26 seconds.
Adaejah Hodge continued her dominance, breaking the record in the Open Women’s 200-meter race with a blistering time of 22.81 seconds, ahead of Beyonce Defreitas, who finished in 23.16 seconds.
Hodge also claimed the 100-meter title earlier in the day, edging out Defreitas at the finish line with a time of 11.56 seconds.
Another entertaining race was the Men’s Open 100-meter finals, Rikkoi Brathwaite cruised to victory with an impressive time of 10.24 seconds, followed by Jaleel Croal, who clocked in at 10.46 seconds.
Jaleel later returned for the 200-meter dash, dominating the race with a winning time of 20.63 seconds.
The 400-meter events saw strong performances from Akrisa Eristee and Tiondre Frett. Eristee claimed the Women’s Open 400-meter title with a time of 55.78 seconds, while Frett secured the Men’s Open 400-meter title in 50.74 seconds.
Some of the additional national champions included Khybah Dawson in the Men’s Open Long Jump, Chantel Malone in the Women’s Open Long Jump, Adriano Gumbs in the Men’s Open 400-meter, Trevia Gumbs in the Women’s Shot Put, and Palesa Caesar in the Women’s Discus Throw.
Paul Hewlett Jr. also made a significant impact in the Under 17 division, winning multiple titles in the Boys Long Jump, Shot Put, Discus Throw, and the 110-meter Hurdles. In the junior girls, Kaeja Creque won both the Under 13 Girls 300-meter and 100-meter national titles, running 48.35 seconds and 13.48 seconds respectively.