USVI Sports Ambassador Michelle Smith. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TRACK & FIELD FEDERATION
ASUNCIÓN, PARAGUAY — Virgin Islands Sports Ambassador Michelle Smith delivered a breakthrough performance at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games, winning the silver medal in the Women’s 400m Hurdles and securing one of the most significant international results by a female athlete from the territory.
Racing from Lane 5 in the final, Smith crossed the line in 56.61 seconds, finishing second to Mexico’s Antonia Sanchez, who captured gold in a championship-record time of 55.91 seconds. Canada’s Daynea Colstock claimed the bronze.
Smith, who has been balancing her studies at the University of Georgia with the rigors of elite-level training, returned to campus before traveling to Paraguay for the Games.
Now, with the Junior Pan Am silver secured, Smith is setting her focus on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, scheduled for September 13–21, 2025. The global competition will cap her season, which has already included major successes and demanding travel.
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