NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2026 - Nigel
“Bunto” John has described Grenada’s first World Masters Athletics
Championships gold medal as the emotional reward for years of work, dedication,
and resilience.
John won the men’s M50 long jump
in Daegu, South Korea, on August 25 with 6.64 metres, breaking the previous
championship record of 6.59m.
“I kind of get emotional about
that because it’s been a long journey,” John said on Saturday’s TalkSports
programme.
“I put in a lot of work,
dedication, and resilience into whatever I was doing to reach that point. It
was surreal, and I was thinking not only about myself but about Grenada as a
whole.”
John edged France’s Bakri
Daroueche, who took silver with 6.63m. Former Jamaican Olympian James Beckford
secured bronze with 6.33m.
John said he entered the
competition believing a record was possible, although the long jump has been
secondary to his preferred event, the 400 metres.
“I’m predominantly a 400 runner,”
he said. “I eat, sleep, and wake up every morning thinking about the 400. Since
I was small, the 400 was my thing.”
He said he added the long jump to
his programme to contest a field event in club competitions, choosing it ahead
of the high jump while maintaining his focus on running.
John and Curtis Brereton
represented Grenada at the championships, which were held from August 22 to
September 3.
John also acknowledged the
Government of Grenada for helping the two athletes attend the championships.
“I was able to write letters and
get some assistance from the Grenadian government,” he said. “They have been
wonderful in assisting me in attending those championships.”
John specifically thanked
Permanent Secretary Kim Frederick and the Ministry of Youth and Sport for their
support.
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