“Team Jamaica All Day Everyday”: Usain Bolt Surprises Young Sensations at CARIFTA Games

Ever since he retired, Usain Bolt has actively been promoting younger talents through his foundation and via his social media handles. Incidentally, his foundation is also a part of IAAF’s social responsibility program, Athletics for a Better World.

Usain Bolt shows support to Jamaica at CARIFTA 2022

Hosted by the Caribbean Free Trade Association, CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics event that was first hosted in 1972.

After two years of cancelations, the CARIFTA Games are back underway in Jamaica. In the 49th edition of the Games, Jamaica is looking to top the medal rankings for the 44th time. In total, the country has earned 770 Gold, 532 Silver, and 338 Bronze medals at the event.

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With the current edition being held in Jamaica, the ‘World’s Fastest Man’ made an appearance and showed his support to the Jamaican contingent.

Bolt posted a photo on Twitter as he posed with the Clayton Twins.

The photo had the caption “The Twin Life” as he congratulated sisters Tia and Tina for a successful qualification for the finals. Tia booked herself in the final after winning her heat with a time of 11.63 seconds. Tina, on the other hand, qualified after finishing second in her heat with a time of 11.65 seconds.

Tina is a former world under-10 100m champion who is being considered the favorite to win the Gold.

In the U-17 category, Thieanna Lee Terrelonge and Camoy Binger have qualified for the finals in the 100m event.

Thieanna won her heat with a time of 11.73 seconds, posting the second-fastest time amongst the finalists while Camoy finished fourth in her heat but qualified as the fastest finisher among non-automatic qualifiers with a time of 12.14seconds.

CARIFTA Games 2022 so far

Trinidad and Tobago’s Shaniqua Bascombe had the fastest time in the U-20 100m category clocking in at 11.50seconds while Keliza Smith from Guyana had the second-fastest time of 11.55seconds.

In the U-17 category, Adaejah Hodge from the British Virgin Islands posted the fastest time of 11.44seconds.

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Jamaica’s Deandre Daley and Bouwahjgie Nkrumie posted the two quickest times at 10.27 seconds, and 10.38 seconds respectively to advance into the finals of the Boys’ under-20 100m category.

Jamaican Gary Card had the lead on all the qualifiers going into the Boys’ U-17 100m finals with a time of 10.81seconds. His fellow sprinter, Shaquane Gordon came in third with a time of 10.9 seconds.

As it stands, all Jamaican 100m sprinters have made it into the finals in their categories.