It may have been more than 24 hours after they were originally scheduled to come home to the island but Bermuda’s Carifta Games athletes were greeted by excited friends and family as they touched down in the early hours of the morning.

Proud individual medal-winners J’Auza James, who won bronze in the octathlon, and Jake Brislane, who won bronze in the 5,000 metres, led the squad off the flight with their hard-earned medals proudly on display.

Kahzi Sealey, who was the standout performer, picking up two silver medals in the 1,500 and 5,000, did not travel back with the team as he returned to his studies at Christ School in Arden, North Carolina.

Arima Turner, who is a student at Montverde Academy in Florida, was the only member of the under-17 4x100 relay team not returning to Bermuda. J’Naz Richards, Pria Wilson and Lashee Jones were on hand to display the medals they were awarded after the team benefited from the disqualification of Jamaica.

The athletes had faced a difficult journey home from Bahamas, missing their connecting flight home to Bermuda on Tuesday night. That forced them to spend a night in Miami before travelling on Wednesday but heavy rain in the local area created significant delays, forcing them to finally arrive on island in the early hours of Thursday morning.