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.