Kingston, 22 June 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated Alana Walker for making history as the first Jamaican to win a medal in Gymnastics at an international competition.

Alana placed third in the Junior Pan American Championships which ended in Mexico last weekend.

Minister Grange said, “A fantastic feat by Alana, breaking new ground for Jamaica. I am so proud of her bronze medal performance at the Junior Pan American Championships”.

The 14-year-old Alana, born to Jamaican parents in the United States, decided that she wanted to represent the country of her parents’ birth despite winning the US Nationals at Level 10 and being added to the USA development squad in May 2021. Her mother is from Kingston and her father from St. Mary.

By winning the bronze medal, Alana automatically qualifies for the Junior Pan Am Championships in Colombia later this year.

Minister Grange said, “I wish Alana all the best as she pursues further accomplishments in gymnastics, and at the same time I wish to commend the Jamaica Gymnastics Association for its continued efforts to develop the sport in the island”.


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