Durkin and Desjardins bag double wins at Carifta multisport showpiece
Hosts Bermuda delivered a masterclass on home turf, defending their overall title at the Carifta Triathlon, Aquathlon and Mixed Team Relay Championships with a staggering total of 329 points.
The two-day spectacle at Clearwater Beach underlined the island’s supreme depth in multi-sport disciplines, leaving nearest challengers Barbados a distant second on 148 points and Trinidad and Tobago third on 141.
The foundations of the title defence were laid during an emphatic opening-day aquathlon programme, where Bermuda secured three gold medals.
Ethan Smith set the standard in the Boys 13–14 division, clocking 16 minutes 3 seconds to lead a Bermudian one-two ahead of Spencer Haldeman (16:08). Colette Durkin followed with victory in the Girls 13–14 race in 17:11, spearheading a home podium sweep alongside Elena Bortoli (silver) and Evelyn Fahy (bronze). Eva Desjardins rounded off the day-one gold rush with a dominant win in the Girls 11–12 category (9:01), with team-mate Madeleine Friend taking silver.
Testing conditions greeted athletes on day two as the focus shifted to the bikes and sprint triathlons, but Bermuda’s momentum only accelerated.
Rory Shepherd produced a commanding performance to capture gold in the Boys 15–16 Super Sprint in 30:36, while Spencer Haldeman upgraded to the top step of the podium in the Boys 13–14 race, taking gold in 31:32.
Durkin and Desjardins cemented their status as the standouts of the championships by each bagging a second individual gold. Durkin led another Bermudian sweep in the Girls 13–14 Super Sprint, crossing the line in 34:36 ahead of Naomi MacGuinness and Elena Bortoli. In the Girls 11–12 Youth event, Desjardins matched her aquathlon triumph by striking gold in 18:37, once again finishing clear of silver medallist Friend.
Bermuda capped off their commanding weekend in the team events, with the Bermuda A squad storming to gold in the Junior Mixed Team Relay to put the final stamp on an emphatic 181-point margin of victory.
