Isis Gaskin Barbados took her second gold in the Female Aquathlon for athletes 16 to 19 years old at the 2023 CARIFTA Triathlon, Aquathlon and Mixed Relay Championships
The 5th CARIFTA Triathlon, Aquathlon & Mixed Relay Championships took place at Goodman’s Bay in the Bahamas on August 26th and 27th, 2023. This championship featured participants from nine different Caribbean countries, including Barbados, Bermuda, Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Antigua, and Grenada. The competition included four age groups (11-12, 13-15, 16-19, 21 & Under) for both triathlon and aquathlon events.
In terms of the overall results, the Barbados team, consisting of 23 members, secured their second consecutive gold with a total of 180 points and a remarkable 15 medals, including 8 gold medals. Bermuda claimed the silver spot with 130 points and 8 medals. Other countries on the points table included the Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua, and Grenada.
The first day of the event featured the triathlon competitions, where Zahra Gaskin from Barbados and Liam McLaughlin from Trinidad & Tobago won gold in the 21 & Under female and male categories, respectively. In the 16-19 age group, Isis Gaskin from Barbados and Jamie Bedford from Bermuda clinched gold in the female and male sprint triathlons, respectively. The 13-15 age group witnessed Valentina Negron from Puerto Rico winning the female race, and Jackson Langley from Bermuda emerging as the male race champion. The 11-12 category concluded the day’s events, with Laila McIntyre securing the female gold and a rare tie between Lachlan Menzies from the Bahamas and Rory Shepherd from Bermuda for the male gold.
Day two of the competition featured the aquathlon and mixed relay events. In the 21 & Under category, Zahra Gaskin and Liam McLaughlin continued their winning streak in the female and male races, respectively. The 16-19 event saw Isis Gaskin from Barbados securing her second gold, and Israel Allen from Jamaica claiming the male gold. Barbados dominated the 13-15 age group, with Isabella Mayers and Luke McIntyre winning the female and male races, respectively. Laila McIntyre from Barbados and Rory Shepherd from Bermuda both earned their second gold medals of the championship in the 11-12 category.
The competition concluded with the mixed relay events on day 2, where Bermuda secured the gold medal, while Barbados secured both the silver and bronze medals, ensuring Team Barbados their 2nd consecutive Championship Title.
In total, 144 triathletes competed across the various age groups over the two days of the event. This championship is a crucial platform for the development of triathlon, aquathlon, and mixed relay sports across the Caribbean. Barbados is set to host the event in 2024, where Team Barbados will aim for a historic 3rd consecutive title. For detailed results, you can visit www.odesseytiming.com.