The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@treibunemedia,net

ST. George's, Grenada: The BTC Bahamas team will be returning from the 45th Carifta Games with a third place finish and the bid to host the 47th version in 2018.

The Bahamas closed out competition at the Grenada National Athletics Stadium with a total of 33 medals, inclusive of five gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze. That would put the Bahamas behind Jamaica, the repeat champions with 42 gold to go along with their 28 silver and 13 bronze in their count of 86 medals. Barbados finished second with six gold, but they had less medals than the Bahamas with six silver and eight bronze for their total of 20.

The international games are determined by the amount of gold collected.

Benjamin Najman posted the final gold for the Bahamas in the boys under-20 5,000 metres. But the officials almost didn't give him the victory after they said he didn't finish the grueling 12 1/2 lap race. The Bahamas officials immediately rushed onto the track and before they could officially lodge their protest, they were informed that Najman had in fact completed the race.

He had a winning time of 15 minutes and 24.25 seconds.

And as the curtain came down on the exciting three days of competition, the Bahamas had a chance to stop the complete sweep of all of the relays by Jamaica. But in the boys under-20 race, Bradley Dormeus couldn't hold onto the lead on the anchor leg on the back stretch as Jamaica surged to secure the gold. Dormeus was joined by Kinard Rolle, Hollard Martin and octathlon champion Kendrick Thompson.

Their time was 3:12.99.

The Bahamas also got a silver medal from the girls under-18 team of D'Nae Freeman, Megan Moss, Gabrielle Gibson and Brittni Fountain in 3:43.03 and the girls under-20 team of Shaquania Dorsett, Janae Ambrose, Brittany Bethel and Breanna Bethel in 3:48.06.

Three medals also came in the 200m and four in the 100 and 110m hurdles, while on the field, Denvaughn Whymns struck gold in the boys under-18 long jump, Charisma Taylor got another in the under-18 girls triple jump and Serena Brown added a bronze in the under-20 girls discus.

The games concluded with the flag being passed on to Curacao for the hosting of Carifta net year. During the congress, the Bahamas was awarded the bid to host the 47th edition in 2018 and, in 2019, the 48th edition will be in the Cayman Islands.

Team Bahamas will return home on the last of two Bahamasair chartered flight around 11 pm on Tuesday.