by RJ Michaels
- Smart captured gold in U17 Javelin Throw at 2026 CARIFTA Games
- Anderson Peters is 2-time World Champion
- Coach Simon exploring placing Smart within Grenada’s most proven javelin system
Fresh off a dominant gold-medal performance at the CARIFTA Games, Under-17 standout Deshawn Smart is poised to begin a pivotal new chapter, if ongoing discussions prove fruitful. In a strategic move for his development, Smart is set to begin training alongside 2-time World Champion Anderson Peters under the guidance of Paul Phillip, the most decorated athletics coach in Grenadian history.
For many young athletes, a CARIFTA title is a destination; for Smart, it appears to be merely the starting line. Smart captured gold in the U17 Javelin Throw at the 2026 CARIFTA Games with a massive 65.09m effort — just 3.75m shy of the long-standing record.
While the medal was impressive, the statistical comparison to his potential training partner has the athletics world buzzing. When Anderson Peters burst onto the scene in 2012, he secured CARIFTA gold with a throw of 60.50m. According to Peters, Smart is currently 5 metre ahead of where the world champion was at the same age.
Recognising this breakthrough effort, Coach Niade Simon of the Altitude Track Academy is exploring the option of placing Smart within Grenada’s most proven javelin system. This is the same camp where Coach Paul Phillip moulded Peters into a global icon and a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist. “Deshawn has continued to show dominance and consistency, but he still has to improve on his technical abilities,” Simon explained. “For now, it’s back to the lab.”
If successful, the move will represent a unique village approach to coaching. Importantly, Smart will remain a member of the Altitude Track Academy regardless of whether the arrangement is successful.
Born and raised in Hermitage, St Patrick, Smart’s rise is as much about character as it is about arm strength. A student at St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School, Smart’s discipline has been noteworthy; Coach Simon recalls often sacrificing his lunch hour to squeeze in extra training sessions with Smart, sessions he dutifully attended.
Despite the athletic promise, the road to the podium is paved with logistical hurdles. The daily commute between Hermitage and St David, coupled with the costs of elite nutrition and specialised gear, represents a significant financial burden.
Coach Simon is calling on the Government of Grenada and the private sector to step up, arguing that talent of this calibre should not be limited by a lack of resources. If Smart begins a tenure under Phillip’s watch, the nation may no longer just be watching a promising teenager; they may be watching the evolution of a potential world-beater. If the trajectory holds, Grenada’s javelin legacy isn’t just being preserved; it’s being rewritten.
