Jamaica closed out the 2025 NACAC Senior Championships in Freeport, Bahamas, on Sunday, with a sequence of golden performances that cemented its popularity as one of many area’s most formidable track-and-field forces.
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By the tip of the three-day meet, Jamaica had as soon as once more demonstrated its depth and consistency, battling fiercely with North American and Caribbean rivals to safe a robust medal tally.
Canada, the US, and host nation The Bahamas had been all within the combine on the prime of the medal desk, however Jamaica’s clutch performances on the ultimate day — three gold medals in marquee occasions — ensured the black, inexperienced, and gold shone brightly on the closing night of competitors.
Pryce storms to 400m gold
Nickisha Pryce, ranked ninth on the planet within the ladies’s 400m, delivered a masterclass befitting her billing because the overwhelming favourite. Composed and dominant, she surged forward of the sector to say gold in 49.95 seconds. Wendeline Venlough of Haiti took silver in 50.23, whereas the US’ Lynn Irby Jackson completed third in 50.47.
Pryce’s victory was not simply decisive — it was a press release of Jamaica’s enduring power within the one-lap occasion.
Ricketts guidelines the triple bounce
Veteran campaigner Shanieka Ricketts added to Jamaica’s golden tally with a assured win within the ladies’s triple bounce. Although her leap of 14.23m was modest by her lofty requirements, it was greater than sufficient to safe the highest spot. America duo of Agur Dwol (13.30m) and Euphenie Andre (13.26m) accomplished the rostrum.
The victory reaffirmed Ricketts’ standing as one of many Caribbean’s premier jumpers and gave Jamaica its second particular person title of the night.
Relay energy: Males’s 4x400m strikes gold
Jamaica’s custom of relay excellence continued as the lads’s 4x400m group of Bovel McPherson, Zandrion Barnes, Delano Kennedy, and Rusheen McDonald delivered a powerful victory. Clocking 3:02.86 minutes, the quartet comfortably held off Mexico (3:05.40) and Canada (3:07.94) to safe the nation’s third gold medal of the ultimate day.
Within the males’s 4x100m relay, Jamaica settled for silver after being edged by Canada, who set a brand new championship report of 38.05 seconds, erasing Jamaica’s personal 2015 mark of 38.07 seconds. The Jamaican quartet of Ashanie Smith, Kadrian Goldson, Ryiem Forde, and Christopher Taylor crossed in 38.53 seconds, whereas The Bahamas claimed bronze in 38.57 seconds.
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McDonald and Kennedy combat in 400m, Kirani James breaks report
Rusheen McDonald and Delano Kennedy lined up in a extremely anticipated males’s 400m closing, however Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James stole the present. Producing a season’s finest 44.48 seconds, James stormed to gold, breaking Christopher Taylor’s 2022 championship report of 45.04 seconds.
McDonald clocked 45.04 seconds for silver, whereas Kennedy completed fifth in 45.37 seconds. Each missed the World Championships’ qualifying customary, with the August 24 entry deadline looming. The Bahamas’ Wendell Miller rounded out the rostrum in 45.12 seconds.
Graham takes javelin bronze
Jamaica’s first medal of the ultimate day got here within the males’s javelin throw, the place Elvis Graham secured bronze with a distance of 76.09m. America’ Curtis Thompson gained in spectacular vogue, launching a brand new championship report of 87.24m, whereas compatriot Sprint Sirmon took silver with 77.04m.
There have been close to misses for Jamaica within the subject. Lloydricia Cameron completed fifth within the ladies’s shot put, recording 17.77m in a contest gained by Canada’s Sarah Mitton with 20.02m. The American duo of Jessica Ramsay (18.27m) and Jessica Woodward (18.05m) claimed silver and bronze.
Within the males’s excessive bounce, Raymond Richards cleared 2.18m to position fifth. America’ Tyrus Wilson took gold with 2.24m.
Although the NACAC crown in the end eluded them, Jamaica’s closing-day heroics — highlighted by Pryce’s commanding 400m win, Ricketts’ triple bounce triumph, and the lads’s 4x400m relay gold — underscored the group’s stature as perennial contenders on the regional stage. The medals not solely elevated Jamaica’s closing tally but additionally supplied promise because the nation’s athletes sharpen their focus towards the World Championships.
