Bahamians Set for World Athletics Ultimate Championship

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EUROPE – Two of the Bahamas’ biggest track and field stars are set to take centre stage this week at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

Devynne Charlton and Shaunae Miller-Uibo are both on the official entry lists for the three-day championship, which brings together many of the world’s top athletes from September 11th through 13th.

Charlton will line up in the women’s 100m hurdles, entering the championship ranked third in the world.

And she is coming off one of the best performances of her season.

Charlton ran a Bahamian record 12.33 seconds in the Diamond League Final in Brussels on Saturday, finishing second behind Olympic champion Masai Russell.

That 12.33 is also her personal best and has her third on the 2026 world list, behind Russell’s 12.09 and Tobi Amusan’s 12.23.

Charlton has already had a championship-worthy year, winning her third straight World Indoor 60m Hurdles title in March, equalling her own world record of 7.65 seconds in the process.

Now she gets another shot at a major title outdoors.

Miller-Uibo, meanwhile, will compete in the 200 metres, where she is ranked seventh in the world.

The two-time Olympic 400-metre champion has been showing signs of her old form throughout 2026, including a 22.04-second run to finish second at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen in May.

That 22.04 is her season best and currently has her seventh on the world list.

She has also been busy reestablishing herself at the highest level after returning to competition following the birth of her son.

And now Miller-Uibo returns to a major championship stage in an event where she has a personal best of 21.74 seconds.

She will have her work cut out for her in a stacked field that includes world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, world-ranked number one Gabrielle Thomas, and Saint Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred.

For Charlton and Miller-Uibo, the Ultimate Championship represents another opportunity to put the Bahamas on the podium, and both enter Budapest ranked among the world’s best.

Track and Field

Devynne Charlton is preparing to pass the baton, this time, by teaching the next generation of Bahamian hurdlers.

The three-time world indoor champion and world record holder will host two one-day hurdles clinics this October through her Devynne Charlton Barrier Breakers Foundation.

The first will take place October 10th at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in New Providence, followed by a second clinic October 17th at Preston H. Albury High School in Rock Sound, Eleuthera.

The clinics are designed to develop technical skills, build confidence, and give young athletes the opportunity to learn directly from one of the world’s best hurdlers.

And this is not Charlton’s first time using her platform to invest in Bahamian athletes.

She has previously hosted free hurdles clinics in New Providence and Grand Bahama, while also providing athletes with items including running shoes, clothing, and sunglasses through her sponsorship partners.

In 2024, Charlton officially launched the Barrier Breakers Foundation with an initial personal investment of $20,000.

The foundation was created to help remove the financial and resource barriers that can prevent young athletes, particularly those from underserved communities, from reaching their potential.

Its programmes focus not only on athletics, but also education, leadership, and personal development.

Now, Charlton is taking that mission to the track, giving young Bahamians a chance to learn, improve, and compete with a champion.

Tennis

Bahamian tennis professional Justin Roberts is looking to build on what he describes as a positive summer as he prepares for the final third of the season.

The 29-year-old returned to competition this summer after dealing with a hamstring injury, and most recently competed at the ITF M25 tournament in East Lansing, Michigan.

Roberts opened the singles draw with a comeback victory over American Jelani Sarr, losing the first set 6-4 before taking the second set in a tiebreak and cruising through the third, 6-0.

He was forced to retire from his second-round match after two games of the second set due to shoulder pain.

Roberts also reached the doubles quarterfinals with American Karl Poling.

Despite the setback, Roberts says his level of play has been consistently strong, particularly against players who have recently made deep runs at the Challenger level.

That progression is reflected in his current rankings, number 548 in the ITF men’s singles rankings and number 994 in the ATP singles rankings.

Roberts now plans to return to the clay courts, where he has produced his best results this season.

His next tournament is the ITF M15 in Curitiba, Brazil, from September 21st through 27th.

With the final third of the season ahead, Roberts’ focus is simple, maximize his strengths, compete hard, and finish the year strong.