BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, June 13,
2026 - Grenada's Olympic and world champion, Kirani James,
is expected to headline an impressive list of international athletes for the
second edition of the Barbados Grand Prix, scheduled for July 4 at the Usain
Bolt Sports Complex.
The announcement was made by
Barbados Grand Prix founder and organiser Aren Spencer during an appearance on
the TalkSports programme on Saturday, where he outlined the
unique team-based format that distinguishes the meet from traditional track and
field competitions.
Spencer revealed that fans can
expect a diverse field of competitors ranging from promising junior athletes
and NCAA Division I performers to established professionals, Olympians, and
international stars.
"We're very excited about
the names that we were able to attract," Spencer said. "There are
some professional athletes, some Olympians, some names that Barbados really
gets excited about - Shade Williams, Akela Jones, and even internationally,
Andrew Hudson from Jamaica, Davonte Howell, Kelly-Ann Beckford, Shafiqua
Maloney, and most importantly, Kirani James."
According to Spencer, one of the
exciting features of the competition is that the elite athletes are spread
across four teams - Lions, Panthers, Eagles, and Falcons - creating a
highly competitive and entertaining atmosphere throughout the meet.
"As I mentioned earlier,
they're all kind of spread out amongst the teams, so that makes it very, very
exciting," he explained.
The organiser also highlighted
the participation of several emerging stars, including NCAA Division I athletes
such as Grenadian sprinter Nazzio John, who recently qualified for the NCAA
Championships in the United States.
Another athlete expected to
generate interest is Amir Thompson, the son of former Barbadian sprint star Obadele
Thompson.
Spencer confirmed that James has
been assigned to Team Panthers, one of the four squads competing for
overall honours.
The inclusion of the Grenadian
superstar is particularly significant for the organisers, as securing his
participation was a lengthy process that took several months of negotiations.
"The announcement of Kirani
was huge," Spencer said. "That was something that was in the works
for a long time. I have to shout out my dad for that. He was so persistent
about Kirani. We negotiated with his agent for a long time."
He noted that uncertainty
surrounding James' competition schedule and the timing of the Prefontaine
Classic meant organisers had to wait for official confirmation before
finalising arrangements.
"We had to wait until the
official announcement. That's something we've been negotiating for a couple of
months now. We were so happy when that came through, and he agreed to be a part
of the event," Spencer said.
For Spencer, James' commitment
represents a major milestone in the young competition's growth.
"He's a legend not only in
the Caribbean but in the world of track and field," Spencer added.
"For somebody like him to be involved in a meet that I conceptualised in
my bedroom last year, that's a testament to how far we've come in such a short
space of time."
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