SVG Archers Compete at Olympic 70-Metre Distance for First Time 

By S.Browne. Updated 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ archery programme has taken a significant step forward, with local archers competing at the 70-metre Olympic distance for the first time during the 2026 Outdoor National Championships.

The Archery Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines hosted the championships on Saturday, September 5, at the National Archery Range in Belair, where athletes competed across senior, development and beginner divisions.

The introduction of the 70-metre distance marked a new development for the local competition, with archers competing in the Recurve Men and Recurve Women divisions at that distance for the first time.

“For the first time, we had archers shooting Olympic distance at 70m,” the Archery Association said.

The championships also produced several new national records as competitors completed a 72-arrow qualifying round before advancing to knockout elimination matches to determine the champions in each category.

The association said the conditions added another challenge to an already demanding competition.

“The hot conditions proved a worthy opponent as archers battled the heat to shoot their respective qualifying round of 72 arrows, setting several new national records in the process,” it said.

Rayon Clarke captured gold in the Recurve Men 70m division, with Ian Gibson taking silver. Karen Palmer won gold in Recurve Women 70m, while Richol Richards secured silver.

In Recurve Development Men 50m, Vanburn Harry took gold, followed by Adrian Parris with silver and Tristan Ballah with bronze.

Alexys Liverpool won the Recurve Beginner Combined 30m division, with Dreden Lewis taking silver and Garvanique Walters bronze.

Kobi Branch claimed gold in Barebow Beginner Men 30m, while Kris Simmons took silver.

The championships also featured several closely contested elimination matches, including a shoot-off, as competitors battled for the national titles.

The latest development comes as SVG’s archers prepare for further regional competition.

A two-member team is scheduled to participate in the Barbados Senior Games later this month, while an 11-member SVG delegation is set to travel to Guyana in October for the 2026 Caribbean Development Championships and the inaugural Caribbean Championships.

The association also expressed appreciation to Minister of Sports Kaschaka Cupid and Senator Chelsea Alexander for visiting the championships and supporting the event. The National Lotteries Authority was also recognised for its assistance.

For SVG archery, the national championships provided an opportunity not only to crown national champions but also to introduce a new competitive distance, establish national records and prepare athletes for further competition outside the country.

With regional assignments ahead in Barbados and Guyana, the association will now look to build on the progress demonstrated at the National Archery Range.

END