More success came in regional competition when he won the 2006 CAC Junior Championships.

He also represented Barbados at the 2007 Pan American Games where he finished in fourth place.

Brathwaite set a national record at the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics, winning his heat in a time of 13.49 seconds and finishing fourth in the final.

However, he was beaten in the final by the reigning Olympic champion Dayron Robles.

Brathwaite took advantage of this, setting a new best of 13.18 in the semi-finals, and he improved to 13.14 to win the gold and become the 2009 world champion.