A record-high four gold medals were on the cards for Guyana’s Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games 2026 team after their participation in the regional showpiece, in addition to one silver and one bronze.
Of the four gold medals, one came by way of shattering the Under-20 Mixed 4x400M record for a second team.
An impressive standout in that record-breaking team was Akeelah Dover, who proudly donned her gold medal upon return to Guyana on Tuesday.
Speaking with media operatives, Dover described her medal-winning effort as a good feeling.
“First, I want to thank God for everything, and I want to thank my coaches and the people that supported me. I would say, even though I didn’t perform that well in my individual event, I did obtain a gold medal. Knowing that you have a team and you don’t want to let them down, you’ll do anything just to make them feel good. So, I think it’s a very good feeling,” Dover told local journalists.
Dover went on to share what the achievement means to her, revealing that the team was not focused on breaking the record.
The sprint athlete shared, “It means a lot to me, knowing that it’s my first year and that I brought back a gold medal and I’m one of those who set the new record.”
“Right. We didn’t have the record in mind, so when we heard that we broke the old one, we were like ‘oh’. Everyone was shocked,” she went on to reveal.
Elaborating on her individual performances, the sprint athlete expressed an intention to continue bettering her craft.
“I have a lot of work to put in because I must say I’m disappointed in, you know, the individual events. So, yeah,” Dover admitted.
The team of Akeelah Dover, Tianna Springer, Tishawn Easton and Malachi Austin rewrote the CARIFTA Mixed 4x400M record, setting it at 3:20.79. The previous record was also held by Guyana at 3:23.51, in a team that also featured Springer and Austin.
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