Four of the British Virgin Islands' top track and field athletes are flying the Territory's flag at the inaugural 2026 Pan American Athletics Championships, which officially opens today in Medellín, Colombia.
The British Virgin Islands Athletics Association announced that its four-member team will compete against some of the best athletes from across the Americas during the three-day championships, being held from June 26 to 28 at the Alfonso Galvis Duque Stadium.
Representing the Virgin Islands are a quartet of accomplished athletes who have earned medals and set national records on the regional and international stage.
Leading the team is Olympian Rikkoi Brathwaite, the British Virgin Islands' national record holder in the men's 100 metres and a bronze medalist at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
Joining him is Deya Erickson, the Territory's national record holder in the women's 100-metre hurdles, who continues to establish herself among the region's elite sprint hurdlers.
Sprint standout Beyoncé DeFreitas will contest both the 100 and 200 metres. DeFreitas captured a medal at the 2023 NACAC Championships and will be looking to add another international podium finish to her growing résumé.
Completing the team is Djimon Gumbs, a CAC Games medalist in the shot put and one of the Caribbean's leading field event athletes.
The inaugural Pan American Athletics Championships has attracted approximately 400 senior athletes from countries across North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, all vying for continental titles and valuable international ranking points.
The championships mark a significant milestone for athletics in the region, bringing together many of the hemisphere's top performers on a world-class stage in what is expected to become one of the premier events on the athletics calendar.
The performances in Medellín also form an important part of the athletes' preparations for upcoming international competitions as they continue their pursuit of personal bests, medals and qualification standards on the global stage.
The British Virgin Islands Athletics Association announced that its four-member team will compete against some of the best athletes from across the Americas during the three-day championships, being held from June 26 to 28 at the Alfonso Galvis Duque Stadium.
Representing the Virgin Islands are a quartet of accomplished athletes who have earned medals and set national records on the regional and international stage.
Leading the team is Olympian Rikkoi Brathwaite, the British Virgin Islands' national record holder in the men's 100 metres and a bronze medalist at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
Joining him is Deya Erickson, the Territory's national record holder in the women's 100-metre hurdles, who continues to establish herself among the region's elite sprint hurdlers.
Sprint standout Beyoncé DeFreitas will contest both the 100 and 200 metres. DeFreitas captured a medal at the 2023 NACAC Championships and will be looking to add another international podium finish to her growing résumé.
Completing the team is Djimon Gumbs, a CAC Games medalist in the shot put and one of the Caribbean's leading field event athletes.
The inaugural Pan American Athletics Championships has attracted approximately 400 senior athletes from countries across North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, all vying for continental titles and valuable international ranking points.
The championships mark a significant milestone for athletics in the region, bringing together many of the hemisphere's top performers on a world-class stage in what is expected to become one of the premier events on the athletics calendar.
The performances in Medellín also form an important part of the athletes' preparations for upcoming international competitions as they continue their pursuit of personal bests, medals and qualification standards on the global stage.
© 2026 BVI Platinum News. This article is original BVI Platinum content. Reproduction or republication without written permission is prohibited.
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