By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Bahamian sprinter Carlos Brown Jr is having a phenomenal transition from the junior to senior level in athletics.

The 19-year-old exploded to a new personal and season’s best time of 10.04 seconds in the Olympic development 100m event at the 2025 Splice and Connect/Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) CARIFTA Trials at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium over the weekend. He spoke about how it felt to shave adequate time off his previous personal best of 10.26 seconds in the 100m event. “It still feels unreal and it still doesn’t feel like I ran that time. The race didn’t feel that fast to be honest but I am just thankful to God that I ran the time and finished the race healthy,” Brown said.

He also competed in the Olympic development 200m event and won with a winning time of 20.92 seconds. He came into that event with a seed time of 20.77 seconds.  

Prior to the start of the season, Brown Jr had a previous personal best of 10.30 seconds achieved at the 2024 North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) New Life Invitational hosted at home. 

The World Athletics under-20 (U20) finalist said coming into his first year as a senior the focus is the World Athletics Championships set for September 13-21 in Tokyo, Japan.  “Coming into the season as a senior, my mindset is really focused on making the World Championships team and so far I am on the right track so we will see how it goes later in the season. Consistency is key, hard work, trusting in God and trusting in my coaches word and training,” he said.

Brown, who trains with Swift Athletics under the tutelage of Andrew Tynes, had his fair share of nagging injuries during his final year as a junior but still managed to make some noise at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

He was the lone Bahamian to make a final and finished eighth in the 200m event with a time of 21.51 seconds.

The former CARIFTA medallist admitted that he feels healthier this season and is optimistic about the rest of the outdoor season.

“I would say I feel much better compared to last year because last year I was dealing with a lot of injuries but this year I am feeling a lot better,” he said.

“I am now focusing on the World Championships so later on we’ll see what happens. Hopefully, I will make the team and I am trusting in God once again.”

Brown has seemingly found another gear in his first season on the senior stage and he appears to be on his way to achieving his goals.

Next up for the gifted sprinter will be the 2025 Pure Athletics Spring Invitational set for April 26 in Clermont, Florida.