The British Virgin Islands will be well represented on the global stage later this month as sprinters Beyoncé Defreitas and Rikkoi Brathwaite prepare to compete at the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Tokyo. The BVI Athletics Association officially announced their selection for the prestigious competition, set to take place from March 21 to 23 at the Nanjing Sports Training Center.
Brathwaite, a semi-finalist at last year’s Indoor World Athletics meet, will take to the track on March 21 for the 60m preliminaries at 9:10 a.m. local time. If he advances, he will return for the semifinals at 4:10 p.m. the same day. Defreitas will follow on March 22, with her 60m preliminaries scheduled for 7:15 a.m. and semifinals at 4:15 p.m.
The BVI is aiming to add to its medal count at the World Indoor Championships, with its sole podium finish coming in 2008 when Tahesia Harrigan-Scott secured bronze in the 60m sprint in Valencia, Spain. Now, Brathwaite and Defreitas look to make history once again for their nation.
Accompanying the athletes will be Ralston Henry, a World Athletics-certified senior coach, who will serve as both coach and team manager for the Championships.
The team is set to depart for Tokyo on March 13, ready to compete against the world’s best.
