Charlton brings Caribbean only gold in world record time

TORUN, Poland (CMC):

Bahamian star hurdler Devynne Charlton equalled her own world record to secure the Caribbean’s first gold medal and her third successive world indoor 60m hurdles title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on Sunday.

The 30-year-old clocked 7.65 seconds to match the mark she achieved when she won her first gold in Glasgow in 2024 – becoming the first three-time winner of the event in the process.

Nadine Visser of the Netherlands secured silver in 7.73, while Pia Skrzyszowska delighted home fans by matching that time for a Polish record and the bronze medal.

The semi-finals had given a signal of things to come, when Skrzyszowska and Ditaji Kambundji ran a joint world lead of 7.76, but Charlton went even quicker in the next race, clocking 7.74 despite easing slightly as she reached the finish line.

The gold medal put The Bahamas at the top of the medal table among Caribbean teams.

The Bahamas ended 15th on the medal table, three places above Jamaica, who ended the competition with four medals, two silver and two bronze, while St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago were tied for 24th place with a bronze medal each.

Jamaica earned silver medals through Kishane Thompson in the 60 metres and Jordan Scott in the triple jump, while mining bronze through Raymond Richards in the high jump and in the 4x400 metres.

St Lucia’s Julien Alfred grabbed bronze in the 60 metres, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards did the same in the 400.