Barbados National Senior Games: Athletes Shine at Usain Bolt Sports Complex

The Usain Bolt Sports Complex was buzzing with activity over the weekend as Barbados hosted the National Senior Games, with athletes from across the island and the region showcasing their talents.

One of the standout performances came from Andrew Thornhill in the men’s 40-44 high jump. Thornhill dominated the competition, eventually clearing an impressive 1.90 metres to shatter the previous record of 1.50m set in 2018 by Charles Miller. Thornhill’s jump had him competing alone for a significant portion of the event.

There were many other inspiring performances throughout the games.

Mariama Eastmond took first place in the women’s 40-44 cricket ball throw with a distance of 43.25m, far surpassing Josea Browne’s second-place throw of 27.20m.

In the men’s 50-54 cricket ball throw, Sherwin Ellis stole the show with a throw that cleared the halfway line of the football field, landing at a remarkable 70.17m. This throw was significantly further than anyone else’s, with Tregonne Archibald coming in second at 61.58m.

The competition wasn’t just about brute strength.

In the women’s 65-69 standing broad jump, Wendy Barrow took the top spot with a leap of 2.16m. Athletes in their 80s and even 90s also participated, with June Benjamin winning the women’s 80-84 100m, while Kathy Harper-Hall claimed victory in the Women’s 85-89 standing broad jump.

The 100m races were a crowd favorite, with former national sprint queen Amber Cumberbatch taking home the gold in the women’s 40-44 category with a time of 12.35 seconds.

The men’s 40-44 race was equally thrilling, with Jason Altidor clocking in at 12.14 seconds to secure the gold medal.

Athletes from Trinidad and Tobago also joined the competition, with Michelle Sturge and Murriem Mitchell winning the women’s and men’s 55-59 100m races respectively.

(CG)