Ernest Peets, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, congratulated Bermuda’s teams for their medal performances at the Carifta Games in Kingston, Jamaica, and the Carifta Swimming Championships in Barbados.

Peets, who was in Jamaica to support the athletics team, praised them for their performances, which included winning a silver and a bronze medal in the women’s under-17 and under-20 4 x 400 metre relays and a bronze through Caitlyn Bobb in the under-20 400 metres on Saturday.

On the final day of action on Monday, Bermuda won silver when the under-17 relay team of Madisyn Bobb, S’Nya Cumbermack, Jaeda Grant and Elise Dickinson clocked 4min 3.23sec in finishing a distant second behind Jamaica, who won gold in 3:43.59. Bahamas were third in 4:05.84.

The under-20 team of Sanaa Rae Morris, Keturah Bulford-Trott, Shayla Cann and Caitlyn Bobb then claimed the bronze behind Jamaica and British Virgin Islands in the 4 x 400 metres relay.

Five other athletes reached individual finals on the last day of competition, with Nirobi Smith Mills finishing fourth in a personal best of 1:52.20 in the under-20 800 metres final.

Sancho Smith was sixth in the same race in 1:55.36, like Smith Mills, running a faster time than he did in the heat earlier.

Shayla Cann also finished sixth in the under-20 girls 800 metres while Grant was seventh in the under-17 girls 800 metres, clocking 2:20.50.

Caitlyn Bobb placed fifth in the 200 metres while Za’Kayza Parsons was sixth in the under-20 girls long jump.

It was a memorable first Carifta Games for Grant, who at 13, was Bermuda’s youngest team member and one of the youngest at the Games.

Peets expressed delight at watching the athletes represent Bermuda with excellence and pride. “Our track athletes have so much to be proud of,” he said. “We also picked up more medals in the pool in Barbados yesterday.

“It was such a joy to wave the Bermuda flag and cheer on our outstanding athletes. They have demonstrated true sports excellence and we are incredibly proud of their success.”

Peets met the returning athletics team last night on their return to the island, and plans to do the same tonight with the swimmers.

The swimmers won four more medals on Monday to take their haul to 12 in Barbados, with senior member Sam Williamson winning two gold and a bronze individually and bronze medals in the 4 x 100 freestyle and 4 x 100 medley relays along with Finn Moseley, Flynn Watson-Brown and Brandon Adkins.

Sisters Bella and Marleigh Howes had podium finishes on the third day, with Bella earning a silver in the 15 to 17 100 metres freestyle and Marleigh a silver in the 13-14 100 freestyle to add to the gold she won in the 200 metres freestyle.

Arabella Newport Derbyshire, 12, won a gold in the 11-12 200 metres butterfly on Monday.

Myeisha Sharrieff and Violet Smith have also had podium finishes at the championships. Sharrieff, at her first championships, won bronze in the 100 backstroke while Smith claimed silver medals in the 11-12 50 and 100 metres backstroke.