Sports

How sport achieved global domination — and the luxury brands that followed in pursuit of gold

Published

3 months ago

March 23, 2025

How sport achieved global domination — and the luxury brands that followed in pursuit of gold

It’s Coca-Cola.Here’s a pub quiz question for you. Which brand is the longest-running sponsor of the Summer Olympic Games? It’s not a sporting company (as indeed none of the International Olympic Committee’s top-level partners are) and neither is it one whose products are particularly associated with a healthy lifestyle. Nor is it Omega, the watchmaker which has served as the official timekeeper for almost every Games since 1932.The drinks giant shipped 1,000 cases of its ‘delicious and refreshing’ drink, as its track-side signage described it, across the Atlantic to hydrate and energise the crowds of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam and has been doing so ever since.It might not sound like such a remarkable idea a century later, but it pre-dated the commercial saturation that we now associate, even subconsciously, with sport. Two years earlier, William Wrigley, of chewing-gum fame, had named the Chicago Cubs’ stadium Wrigley Field, but it was a rare exception. Teams didn’t have lucrative sponsorship contracts and neither did individual athletes. One of the very first was Jesse Owens, who was given footwear and equipment by Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik — the precursor to Adidas and Puma — ahead of the 1936 Olympics when brand founder Adolf Dassler realised how likely he was to triumph on track.For sports advertising to be worthwhile, there had to be an audience to market to, and the commercial potential of sports skyrocketed in the age of television. When the post-war years gave birth to the leisure generation, particularly in the USA, it set the stage for sport’s rise to global domination.The first colour TV broadcast of a sporting fixture took place in 1951; the magazine Sports Illustrated launched in 1954; and, another wonderful piece of trivia, the first million-dollar endorsement contract was signed in 1964. The recipient wasn’t a baseball player, sprinter or footballer, but ten-pin bowler Don Carter, who was sponsored by ball manufacturer Ebonite. The late 1970s saw the creation of the first dedicated sports channels, turbocharging the cycle of visibility and profitability. Football fans may still distantly recall the paradigm shift introduced by the arrival of the Premier League and its satellite broadcast contracts, an influx of cash that changed the game but also the earning power of everyone in it. The £4million that Brylcreem reportedly paid a 22-year old David Beckham in 1997 might seem like small change to today’s stars, but then as now, Beckham paved the way. Back then it was bringing fashion and beauty into the locker room; now it’s commissioning and producing your own Netflix documentary. Melbourne GP podium ‘Victory travels in Louis Vuitton’: Louis Vuitton — a part of LVMH — was the title partner for the first F1 race of the 2025 season, in Melbourne, and made the trophy trunks(Image credit: Alamy)Now, in a world of always-on social media, infinite streaming bandwidth, boundary-blurring ‘scripted reality’ shows and meticulously curated ‘personal brands’, the world of sport — a form of entertainment whose narratives cannot be edited, whose outcomes are never pre-ordained, and are all the more compelling for it — is a multi-billion dollar prize for the world’s biggest and most powerful companies.Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.At the time of writing, the 2025 Formula 1 (F1) season is one race in, and we are yet to realise the full potential of LVMH’s $100m-a-year multi-brand partnership deal, but what is already clear is that it is the single biggest expression of an idea that has been coming to the boil over the last few years: sport is now a prime target for luxury brands.
Carmen Mundt at a Chaumet event

Carmen Montero Mundt at Chaumet’s Bee de Chaumet event in Paris

Rebecca Donaldson at a Tiffany event

Rebecca Donaldson, dressed in Dior, at a Tiffany & Co. event at Selfridge’s

The scale and ambition of the deal — even beyond its eye-watering (albeit unconfirmed) financial clout — is arresting. Positioned by many pundits initially as a simple act of replacing Rolex with TAG Heuer as official timekeeping brand (no mean feat given Rolex’s fondness for developing generational, institutional relationships — think of its familiar presence at Wimbledon or the Masters golf — it goes much further. Louis Vuitton (LV) will make trophy trunks (as it has for the last few years, in fact), a role it also carries out for other sports, including tennis, and Moët Hennessy will provide the necessary podium-spray, but that’s just the beginning. Eagle-eyed Instagrammers will have noticed an uptick in Tiffany and Dior products on the feeds of drivers’ partners such as Kelly Piquet, the better half of champion Max Verstappen, Carmen Montero Mundt (George Russell) and Rebecca Donaldson (Carlos Sainz). LVMH-owned Charlotte Tilbury became the official beauty partner of F1 Academy, the women-only race series, in 2024.The examples go on and on, and it’s not just about LVMH — although the French conglomerate was also notable for its all-consuming role at last year’s Olympic Games. Eager not to squander the opportunity of the most-watched show in all of sport taking place in its home city, it left no stone unturned. Berluti made outfits for the opening ceremony, and cosmetics chain Sephora opened pop-up stores along the Olympic torch relay route; the torch itself was memorably escorted along its final yards not by a notable French athlete, but by international multi-hyphenate and LV men’s creative director Pharrell Williams. In a rare blot to the flawless PR strategy, jeweller Chaumet designed the medals — which have since attracted controversy for tarnishing. Jannik Sinner in tennis whites at Wimbledon Jannick Sinner carried a custom designed and headline-making Gucci duffle bag at Wimbledon 2023(Image credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Every sport has its own mini-catwalk, be it the football tunnel or the brief walk onto a tennis court (where Gucci ambassador Jannik Sinner was able to smuggle a non-white Gucci holdall despite Wimbledon’s historically strict dress codes). And while it’s long been the norm that global sports enjoy a wealth of ‘partners’, from Rolex and Longines to Ralph Lauren, there is now a sense that any sporting property is ripe for luxury involvement, a feeling that is encapsulated best of all by the unexpected news that Chanel will sponsor the Oxford and Cambridge boat race.Making sense of it all is actually very simple, argues Silvia Bellezza, a professor of marketing at Columbia Business School. For her, luxury brands’ presence at the top of the sporting world has to be related back to the rise of ‘athleisure’ and the adoption of an active — sometimes even hyperactive — lifestyle as a status symbol in its own right.’Whereas in the past, society’s upper strata’s free time was characterised by idleness, today’s aspirational lifestyle — the so-called ‘harried leisure class’ — is marked by a packed schedule filled with productive and edifying activities,’ she says. ‘The modern elite are busy at work, and their leisure time is no longer sedentary but active, requiring physical or mental effort in pursuit of wellness, health, and personal development. In this context, “athleisure” apparel, timesaving services and multitasking products have become the ultimate status symbols of a dynamic elite that has no time to waste.’ Anyone who has been regaled by a watch brand CEO with tales of his latest ultramarathon would find it hard to disagree.Noting that we live in the same universe as the $925 Prada cycling shorts, or $390 polyester socks, Bellezza points out that the grande maisons of luxury have been embracing health and fitness for several years now. Perhaps one of the best — certainly one of the most absorbingly over-the-top — examples is the HermesFit pop-up gym, an orange-and-white fitness studio complete with monogrammed leather dumbbells and ‘scarf yoga’ sessions.’If luxury brands expand their product lines to include more sports-oriented items,’ Bellezza continues, ‘it follows that they may also seek to sponsor more sporting events to reinforce this association.’ Gold trophy in a Tiffany blue box The 24-carat gold-plated Tiffany FIFA Club World Cup trophy features laser-engraved inscriptions in 13 languages and Braille (Image credit: Tiffany)The result — like Chanel’s presence in one of Britain’s oldest sporting fixtures — is brands popping up in places you might not expect them, or flexing their creative muscles in unforeseen ways. Cut to Tiffany creating the trophy for FIFA’s Club World Cup, for example, or Ferrari holding a full-blown fashion show on its factory floor in Maranello. In 2016, then-TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver introduced a swathe of new sports and cultural partnerships (including football, cycling and boxing links, as well as ambassadorships from the likes of Cara Delevingne and Chris Hemsworth) with the mantra ‘You must go wherever your customer is.’It’s a mantra that still applies to the current sporting gold rush. As the consultant and academic Fabio Ciquera puts it: ‘You can only have so many fashion weeks in one year, but with F1, you can meet up every two weeks, somewhere incredibly exotic and luxurious.’ For Ciquera, the power of sport is its ability to tap into ready-made communities, characterised for their tribal loyalty. It can also be the means by which a legacy brand can connect with entirely new demographics. ‘As opposed to the original community of a fashion luxury brand that is actually quite fickle, you know — “you’re only as good as your last collection” — you get to someone who actually understands you beyond your products and is interested in what you represent to what you are sponsoring. There will absolutely be clients who will discover Ferrari because of the fashion range. I’m thinking about someone who is in China who’s 25 and a millionaire and has discovered the car side of the brand because of a fashion show.’It will be music to the ears of Ferrari’s executives, not least given Lewis Hamilton’s role in transforming F1 into an entertainment spectacle — and the paddock into his own personal fashion shoot. While other drivers may hew to more traditional styles — think Carlos Sainz for Hackett — it is all part and parcel of the same phenomenon.

Professional sport has gone from a 90-minute-a-week activity to a 24:7 experience, merging technology, fandom, broadcast media and high fashion.For once, it may actually be true that it’s not the winning, but the taking part that counts.

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Coey, 4×400 Meter Relay Team Earn Honorable Mention All-America

Story Links EUGENE, Ore. — A historic season for the Montana State women’s track and field program came to a close on Thursday, with multiple All-American honors earned during action at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Hailey Coey placed […]

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13 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore. — A historic season for the Montana State women’s track and field program came to a close on Thursday, with multiple All-American honors earned during action at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Hailey Coey placed 20th in the long jump, while the 4×400 meter relay team of Peyton Garrison, Caroline Hawkes, Olivia Lewis, and Giulia Gandolfi placed 21st.

“Today was a great finish to a historic year for our women’s track and field program,” head coach Lyle Weese said. “Having five athletes out there competing at the NCAA Championships is pretty special, and having our first relay ever compete at the NCAA Championships and our first long jumper was also pretty special.”

Coey, a junior from Billings, was representing the Bobcats as the first man or woman to ever compete at the national meet in the long jump, and did so brilliantly to cap one of the best seasons by a women’s field athlete in school history.

All three of Coey’s attempts on Thursday went over 19-02.50, with her best jump coming on her third and last try to measure at 19-08.25.

Coey’s year ends after winning the indoor Big Sky title, setting the Big Sky Conference and school records indoors, and setting the school record outdoors with the second-best outdoor jump in Big Sky history.

The Billings product then placed eighth at the NCAA West Regional to earn a spot in Eugene, and now has a top-20 finish in the nation to back up a special season with an honorable mention All-American nod.

“Hailey has come so far over the last three years and especially this year,” Weese said. “It was fun seeing her compete against the best in the NCAA, and she looked like she belonged out there. It seemed to be maybe the first of a couple more NCAA Championships that she’ll get to compete in.”

In the final event of the night, the women’s 4×400 meter relay team upset three teams to come away finishing 21st in the country with a hard-fought effort.

Peyton Garrison, a junior from New Castle, Colorado, ran the leadoff leg before handing the baton to Caroline Hawkes, a junior from San Clemente, California. Hawkes, a ten-time All-Big Sky honoree, split the fastest lap in 52.11 seconds then handed it off to Olivia Lewis, a freshman from Corvallis, Montana, before Giulia Gandolfi, a junior from Faenza, Italy, ran the anchor leg.

The Cats crossed the line in 3:36.70, taking down Arizona, TCU, and Baylor to finish 21st and earn honorable mention All-American honors.

The squad was the first-ever relay to compete at the national championships.

“With our women’s 4×400, they obviously took a gigantic step forward this year, but you can look into the future and say they could do even more in future years, so that’s also exciting with all of those athletes coming back,” Weese said.

Combined with Coey’s heroics in the long jump this year, the Montana State relay’s presence meant the Bobcats had multiple entries at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on the women’s side for just the fourth time in school history.

During the outdoor season alone, the Montana State women set an astounding nine school records, including two conference records, and tallied more points at the conference championship meet than they have in over 20 years.

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Rob McManus races in the 3,000 meter steeplechase national final on Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene.

‘Steeple U’ has now had a man in the national final in the steeplechase in each of the last five years, one of only three schools to accomplish that (BYU, Eastern Kentucky).

The national final is scheduled for 5:24 p.m. PT/6:24 p.m. MT and will be televised on ESPN2.

#GoCatsGo

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Sports

LA County Parks pools — and a couple of lakes, too — just opened for summer – NBC Los Angeles

What to Know The pools overseen by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation are open through Aug. 16 The year-round pools and seasonal pools will observe slightly different schedules Year-round pools are open Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seasonal pools are open […]

Published

24 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

What to Know

The pools overseen by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation are open through Aug. 16
The year-round pools and seasonal pools will observe slightly different schedules
Year-round pools are open Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Seasonal pools are open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Lake swimming at Castaic Lake and Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area will be open on select dates (weekends through June 21, then Wednesday-Sunday through July 2); check the site for more information
Swim lessons, water polo, and a line-up of splashy activities are on the schedule
Every Body Swims is free to all; other activities may have an “affordable” fee; see the LA County Aquatics site for details

A hard but obvious truth? There are fewer days in the summer season than there are droplets in a swimming pool.

Far fewer, in fact, which is why making the most of the season, and all of its splashy diversions, is a must.

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation has long been a partner in helping the people of LA play, and stretch a leg, and learn a fresh skill, and connect with community in all of the big and glad ways.

And when the weather is warm? It is time to make your way to a pool for some cool-down merriment, and, perhaps, some aquatic activities that sharpen our physical skills, our mental acuity, and the cheerful chance to let loose.

The Los Angeles County pools are now open across the region, and a pair of lakes, too, if you’d like to take a dip at Castaic Lake or Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.

Keep in mind that lake-swimming hours and dates are different from the pools, so check on the department’s site to get all of the details before you find your trunks and goggles.

“We are thrilled to welcome the community back to our pools for another exciting season,” said Norma E. García-Gonzalez, Director of LA County Parks.

“Our goal is to make swimming and water activities accessible for every resident, encourage healthy lifestyles, and foster memorable experiences for individuals and families across Los Angeles County.”

Some of the enticing aquatic offerings on the fun-in-the-sun schedule include Water Polo, Lap Swim, and Water Exercise. Registration for the special pool activities can be found at the Los Angeles County page devoted to pools and swimming.

Note that some programs will be available “at an affordable rate” while Every Body Swims is free to everyone.

There are a few pool rules to know, so study up before heading to your favorite park and swimming hole.

Not quite ready for an afternoon swim? Splash Pads are longtime favorites of younger locals, and there are several damp and delightful destinations dotting the county.

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No.20 Seminoles Qualify for NCAA Finals

EUGENE, Ore. – The No.20 Florida State women’s outdoor track and field team began the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field with three Seminoles advancing individually to finals on Saturday, in addition to the 4×100-meters relay. The 4×100-meter relay team of Lucy May Sleeman, Shenese Walker, Liana Tyson and […]

Published

37 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore. – The No.20 Florida State women’s outdoor track and field team began the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday at Hayward Field with three Seminoles advancing individually to finals on Saturday, in addition to the 4×100-meters relay.

The 4×100-meter relay team of Lucy May Sleeman, Shenese Walker, Liana Tyson and Joella Lloyd clocked the first automatic qualifying time for the Noles, placing fourth at 42.93.

In her second race of the day Walker advanced in the 100, finishing eighth at 11.06.

Kaelyaah Liburd earned a spot in the 400 final with the ninth fastest overall time at 51.35, becoming the first person since Kala Funderburk in 2015 to qualify for the event.

Tyra Wilson advanced to her first career final in the 400 hurdles, placing eighth overall at 56.39. The Columbia, Missouri native becomes the first runner since Sage Watson in 2015 to compete in the final round of the event.

Brooke Mullins concluded her collegiate career in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, placing 17th overall with a personal best and fifth-fastest time in FSU history at 9:56.80.

The women’s 4×100 relay of Alyia Green, Wilson, Liburd and Takiyah Ferguson closed the day in 10th with sixth-fastest time in FSU history at 3:30.14.

Kyvon Tatham will begin the men’s triple jump final starting at 8:10 p.m. ET on Friday. Expanded coverage throughout the meet can also be found on the ESPN family of networks and can be accessed at Seminoles.com. Live Results will be available here.

NOLE SUMMARY:

-Women’s 4×100-meter relay (Semifinal):

*Lucy May Sleeman, Shenese Walker, Liana Tyson, Joella Lloyd | 16th | 42.93

-Women’s 100-meters (Semifinal)

*Shenese Walker | 8th | 11.06

Joella Lloyd | 24th | 11.43

Women’s 400-meters (Semifinal)

*Kaelyaah Liburd | 9th | 51.35

-Women’s 400-meter hurdles (Semifinal)

*Tyra Wilson | 8th | 56.39

-Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase

Brooke Mullins | 9th | 9:56.80

-Women’s 4×400-meter relay (Semifinal):

Alyia Green, Tyra Wilson, Kaelyaah Liburd, Takiyah Ferguson | 10th | 3:30.14

*Advancing to finals

FLORIDA STATE NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 13- Men’s final

8:10 p.m.-   Triple jump-Kyvon Tatham

SATURDAY, JUNE 14- Women’s finals

9:02 p.m.    4x100m relay

9:10 p.m.    Triple jump-Kayla Pinkard

10:02 p.m.  100m –Shenese Walker

10:14 p.m.  400m – Kaelyaah Liburd

10:21 p.m.   4x400m relay

10:27 p.m.  400m hurdles – Tyra Wilson

For more information on Florida State track and field, follow Twitter (X) @FSU_Track and Instagram @FSU_Track.

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Long Beach State Men’s Water Polo Players Will Compete For Five Different Nations At The World Aquatics Men’s U20 Water Polo Championships

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State will be represented by five players at the World Aquatics Men’s U20 Water Polo Championship, held in Zagreb, Croatia, at the legendary pool of SP Mladost from June 14 to June 21. Artur Diaz is set to represent the Brazilian National Team during the tournament, while Ash Keshvara […]

Published

42 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State will be represented by five players at the World Aquatics Men’s U20 Water Polo Championship, held in Zagreb, Croatia, at the legendary pool of SP Mladost from June 14 to June 21.

Artur Diaz is set to represent the Brazilian National Team during the tournament, while Ash Keshvara will play for the New Zealand team. Harper Stewart will play for Australia, and Corbin Stanley will once again represent Team USA.

Incoming freshman Zalán Nagy will represent Hungary before arriving at the Beach. Nagy was part of the U18 World Championship-winning team last summer in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Stanley and Nagy will face each other in the group stage, as both the United States and Hungary are set to compete in Group A alongside Montenegro and Croatia.

Diaz and Brazil are in Group C with Germany and South Africa, while Keshvara and New Zealand are in Group D with Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Stewart will compete in Group E, as Australia takes on the South American teams of Colombia and Argentina.

Action begins on June 14 for all five players. The tournament runs through June 21, and additional information can be found at https://www.worldaquatics.com/competitions/4888/world-aquatics-u20-men-s-water-polo-championships.

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Sports

Evelyn Bliss Repeats as All-American in Javelin

Eugene, Ore.- Bucknell sophomore Evelyn Bliss earned Second Team All-America honors in the javelin for the second consecutive season on Thursday night. Bliss finished 12th, joining fellow javelin thrower Maura Fiamoncini as the second two-time All-American in Bucknell women’s track & field history. Her finish improved one slot on her placement at the 2024 National Championships. […]

Published

60 minutes ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Eugene, Ore.- Bucknell sophomore Evelyn Bliss earned Second Team All-America honors in the javelin for the second consecutive season on Thursday night. Bliss finished 12^th, joining fellow javelin thrower Maura Fiamoncini as the second two-time All-American in Bucknell women’s track & field history. Her finish improved one slot on her placement at the 2024 National Championships. Her accomplishment marks the seventh All-America laurel in Bucknell women’s track & field history.

“It was not exactly what she was hoping for but she still hit over 180 feet which has consistently been a top eight throw every year until today,” said Bucknell head coach Kevin Donner. “It is still a one spot improvement from last year and she is still a Second Team All-American. We are all very proud of Evie’s sophomore season and she still has the World University Games in Germany and the USATF Championships back in Eugene in the next 4-6 weeks.”

Results

“Today was a very competitive day,” said Bliss. “I unfortunately didn’t put it together like I have before, but the javelin is always a learning experience and I’ll come back better prepared.”

Bliss threw first in the second flight of 12. Her first toss went 46.46m (152-5), placing her 11^th. The top seeds, including Bliss at four, filled the flight and their resulting throws dropped Bliss to 19^th by the time her second chance arrived.

The Bucknell star answered the challenge, uncorking a strong 54.19m (177-9) throw. The mark immediately rocketed into sixth place, putting her in position for the finals, of which only the top nine advanced. Unfortunately, Bliss’ compatriots on the second flight proved adept at their business and five better throws returned her to 11^th.

Bliss, as she often does, delivered her best throw in the final attempt. Her third heave flashed against the effervescent Oregon sky and settled into the soil at 55.09m (180-9). The throw was impressive but did not shake her from her 11th-place standing. She remained 11^th until Missouri’s Valentina Barrios Bornacelli’s attempt placed the Tiger at fourth, moving everyone below down a spot.

“I think we’re both proud and upset at the same time,” said throws coach Ryan Protzman. “There’s probably never a year that her throw doesn’t make the final. It was her fourth best throw ever and she made adjustments and improved each throw. She can be upset but she has a lot to be proud of. Those ladies in the top nine did amazing. We are going to learn from these results and be ready to attack the same goal of chasing a national title. So proud of Evie for her body of work the last two years. She has already accomplished so much and the sky is the limit for this hard-working young lady!”

Fiamoncini was a three-time All-American, earning 13^th (2018), 9^th (2019), and 3^rd (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic dashed her opportunity for a four-peat. Bliss will have the chance in 2026 to equalize her feat and in 2027 to surpass it.

Bornacelli performed admirably in both of her final attempts. She won the national championship, achieving a personal record of 62m (203-5) in the last round of the finals. Georgia’s Manuela Rotundo placed second with a throw of 60.35m (198-0), while TCU’s Irene Jepkemboi secured bronze with a toss of 60.31m (197-10).

Bliss’ summer will continue with her participation in the FISU World Championships (July 21-27) and the USATF National Championships (July 31-August 3).

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St Lucia’s Phillip, Gaspard beam with pride after striking gold at ECVA U-21 Beach Volleyball Champs

St Lucia’s Phillip, Gaspard beam with pride after striking gold at ECVA U-21 Beach Volleyball Champs Clio Phillip and teammate Ericka Gaspard wore wide smiles as the St Lucian pair celebrated a golden finish at the just concluded Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championships, bringing home top honours in the women’s division […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

St Lucia’s Phillip, Gaspard beam with pride after striking gold at ECVA U-21 Beach Volleyball Champs

Clio Phillip and teammate Ericka Gaspard wore wide smiles as the St Lucian pair celebrated a golden finish at the just concluded Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championships, bringing home top honours in the women’s division after a flawless run on home sand.

“We feel great, we are excited, and we are happy. This is what we came to do…win the gold!” Phillip declared after the final in St Kitts and Nevis.

And win they did, with authority.

Phillip and Gaspard were in a class of their own throughout the tournament, storming through all five of their matches without dropping a single set. The highlight came in the final, where they outclassed Antigua & Barbuda’s Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr 21-11, 23-21 to seal the title.

Though they were momentarily tested in the second set, which they trailed 19-20 in what could have forced a decider. But the St Lucian pair dug deep, their confidence holding firm under pressure.

“We really had to work hard in the last set, but our confidence allowed us to push through the last points,” Gaspard noted.

Antigua & Barbuda’s Jassania Joseph and Jaya Carr accept their silver medal.

In the bronze medal match, Dominica’s Alyssa Bully and Joyan Pascal fought through a tense three-set battle to edge Anguilla’s Deandra Fleming and Lavesha Richardson 21-14, 20-22, 15-7, to round out the women’s podium.

On the men’s side, Dominica’s Mervin Mingo and Bill Frederick reaffirmed their dominance with a second consecutive ECVA title, as they dispatched St Lucia’s Rio Victor and Peter Emmanuel in straight sets, 21-17, 21-15.

The bronze medal showdown also delivered drama, as Grenada’s Zerick and Hamilton held off a spirited challenge from St Kitts & Nevis’ Sundar and Pencheon to win 21-17, 12-21, 15-11 and secure third.

The top three teams in both divisions have now booked their spots to represent the Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association at the NORCECA U-21 World Championships Qualifier.

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