By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 9th April 2026)u2014The lone medalist for St. Kitts and Nevis at the recently concluded 53rd CARIFTA Games, Kymarni Newton (of Nevis), is being applauded as an example that hard work pays off after capturing bronze in the Under-17 Boys 800m event.
Of note, he clocked 1:55.34, a personal best and new national Under-18 record, securing the Federationu2019s only medal at the regional championships.
Winning that race was St. Maartenu2019s Nahjah Wyatte who crossed the finish line at 1:53.26 followed by Jamaicau2019s Markland Williams in second place at 1:53.60. Another St. Kitts-Nevis athlete, Najeeb Kelly, has been commended also for finishing fifth at 1:59.74.
When asked to give advice to other aspiring local athletes, Newton has encouraged them to remain committed to their training.
u201cJust listen to your coaches, stay at it and put in the work and you will get there,u201d he said while speaking on Thursday 9th April 2026 at a media briefing and meet-and-greet event hosted by the Ministry of Education, Library Services, Information Technology, Youth and Sports to welcome home the 2026 CARIFTA athletes and the Leeward Islands Under-15 cricketers.
The CARIFTA Games were held from Saturday 4th to Monday 6th April 2026 hosted in Grenada at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. Georgeu2019s featuring St. Kitts-Nevisu2019 national athletes dubbed Team Unstoppable.
Vice President of St. Kitts and Nevis Athletics, Dwayne Warner, who is a coach, delegate to congress for the team and also a former athlete supported that message, noting that Newtonu2019s medal came after several attempts at the regional championships.
u201cThis is the third time that Kymarni had been to the CARIFTA Games and the first time getting a medal, so he persevered,u201d Warner said.
According to St. Kitts and Nevis Athletics, via a social media post, Newtonu2019s bronze medal represents a story of perseverance after years of near-misses at the championships.
His CARIFTA journey began in 2024 in Grenada, where he exited in the preliminary rounds. In 2025 in Trinidad and Tobago, he placed ninth, just one position outside of the finals. In 2026, he returned to Grenada and earned a place on the podium.
Newton also broke the 13-year-old national record of 1:58.03 previously set by Kajon Parris at the CARIFTA Games in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Athletics body noted that the athleteu2019s progression reflects steady improvement over the years, with his times dropping from 2:10.27, to 2:02.22, and finally to the record-breaking 1:55.34.
It was also revealed that Newtonu2019s journey to the championships included an unexpected obstacle. The athlete almost missed the flight from St. Kitts to Grenada after realizing his passport had been left at home, but the situation was resolved and he was able to travel with the team.
Warner, in speaking at this weeku2019s media event also highlighted the difficulty of the sport and the significance of the achievement.
u201cI think most of us would appreciate the hard work that goes into athletics. Training for athletics is one of the hardest things anyone would want to do. That is why most young kids prefer to play football or cricket because athletics training is very challenging, and I commend those who persevere through the training and triumph in the end,u201d he said.
He added that in his experience attending several editions of the CARIFTA Games, it demonstrates how challenging it is to medal at the prestigious junior championships.
u201cIu2019ve been to the last 4 of the last CARIFTAs and this is the first time that a Nevisian athlete has gotten an individual medal. It shows you how hard it is to get a medal at these games, and also I donu2019t want us to underestimate that attending CARIFTA gamesu2014which is in its 53rd yearu2014is one of the most prestigious junior championships in our region. It is the highest level that you can reach to which is CARIFTA so I donu2019t want you [athletes] to squander this opportunityu2026u201d
The 2026 St. Kitts and Nevis CARIFTA team included athletes competing in the Under-17 and Under-20 divisions across sprint, field and distance events.
Team officials included Head Coach and Throws Coach Shirmon Caines, Sprints and Relays Coach Adelvin Philip, Jumps Coach Roatter Johnson, Hurdles Coach Royston Queeley, Team Manager Niketa Isles, Physiotherapist Alister James, Safeguarding Officer Nicola Huggins-Parris, Delegates to Congress Corneil Williams and Dwayne Warner, and Team Media Rashid Stanley.
SKN Athletics also extended gratitude to sponsors including the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis through the Ministry of Sports, and the Nevis Island Administration for supporting the teamu2019s participation.