Kyron McMaster celebrates with his mom, Jocelyn McMaster.
In a poignant moment that encapsulated the emotional depth of his victory, Kyron McMaster paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Jocelyn, after securing a historic silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The 26-year-old hurdler from the British Virgin Islands not only etched his name into the annals of his country's athletics history but also dedicated his triumph to the person who stood unwaveringly by his side throughout his journey.
As the first athlete from the British Virgin Islands to clinch a medal at an outdoor global athletics championship, McMaster's achievement was laden with significance. Yet, amidst the jubilation and celebrations that followed his silver medal win in the 400m hurdles, McMaster's first instinct was to honor his mother's enduring support.
“Basically, it goes back to the early beginnings. My mom used to wake up 4:30 in the mornings, drop me at training with Coach Dag Samuels. So she’s been there from the beginning and made a lot of sacrifices. She’s been there. She understands me. She understands what I wanted to achieve, my paps, too, he understood, everybody understood.”
On the occasion of her birthday, McMaster walked over to his mother and gently placed the replica silver medal around her neck, saying ‘Mom, this is for you’. The act was a poignant gesture of appreciation, a tangible symbol of gratitude for her steadfast presence, and a reflection of the sacrifices she had made along his path to success.
The silver medal, achieved with a remarkable time of 47.34 seconds in the 400m hurdles, not only marked McMaster's personal triumph but also a moment of profound connection between a son and his mother. With tears of joy and pride shining in both their eyes, McMaster's tribute encapsulated the depth of his gratitude for her sacrifices and encouragement, even during the times when success seemed elusive.
Reflecting on the significance of the moment, McMaster shared: "It meant a lot. A lot because my mom’s been to a few of my games where we wanted to deliver a medal and I just couldn’t deliver for her at certain points. I didn’t want her to fly to Budapest for nothing. That would have broken my heart if I couldn’t deliver again, but she is going home with a silver medal."
McMaster's journey to this remarkable achievement was marked by challenges and setbacks, including previous global disappointments. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion and Diamond League champion, McMaster had, prior to Wednesday, always came up short on the global stage.
At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon he suffered a hamstring injury during the preliminary rounds and took no further part in the competition. At the championships in 2017, he was disqualified. In Doha in 2019, he was fourth and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics he was also fourth in a time of 47.08, a time that would have won him gold in every other Olympic year except for that year and in 1992 when Kevin Young ran a world record 46.78 to win.
However, this time, he broke free from the shadow of past struggles to secure his place on the podium.
The silver medal, earned behind Norway's Karsten Warholm's gold-winning performance, resonates as a testament to McMaster's resilience and his mother's unyielding support. Through this touching tribute, the hurdler's win becomes a shared victory—a celebration not just of his athletic prowess, but also of the bond between a son and the woman who helped shape his path to glory
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Ricketts opens season with 14.50m to win triple jump at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts provided her home fans with a solid performance to win the women’s triple jump at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
The two-time World Championships silver medallist produced a best jump of 14.50m on her first attempt that proved to be enough to win in the end.
American Jasmine Moore had a best jump of 14.28m for second while Dominican World Indoor Champion Thea Lafond jumped 14.22m in the sixth and final round to clinch third.
“I feel exceptional. I usually get started with my season much earlier but this year we decided to get a few things corrected before coming into competition,” Ricketts said following the competition.
“Competing with world class athletes who have been doing well indoors as well really pushed me and gave me a good implication of where I’m at this season,” she added.
The 2022 Commonwealth Champion also spoke on competing in Jamaica.
“It’s always a pleasure to compete in Kingston. Usually, I try to do a meet here before going overseas to compete in the Diamond League. The crowd has warmed up to the jumps because of how well I’ve been doing overseas over the years. I’m always grateful for the support,” she said.
Great Britain’s Hughes, Asher-Smith get 200m victories at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith took victories in the men’s and women’s 200m events at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Hughes, a bronze medallist in the 100m at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, produced a season’s best 19.96 to win ahead of American Fred Kerley (20.17) and France’s Pablo Mateo (20.20).
“I feel really good. I think this is my second 200m race of the season. When I opened up I wasn’t ready so tonight I was just testing out the waters. We’re starting to sharpen up but not as much because it’s a long season,” Hughes said after the race.
“To run 19.96 now, I’m very happy. I just need to stay healthy and continue to execute my races accordingly and everything will be okay,” he added.
2019 World Champion Asher-Smith narrowly won the women’s event in 22.51 ahead of the Ivory Coast’s Jessika Gbai (22.53) with Jamaica’s Lanae-Tava Thomas running 22.84 for third.
Asher-Smith says she was hoping for a quicker time and has some things to work on.
“I’m in really good shape so I was hoping to get a quicker time today. Clearly, I’ve got some stuff that I’ve got to work on so I’m going to go back to Austin and work on them but I’m happy to have won here in Jamaica,” she said.
USA’s Holmes, Great Britain’s Hudson-Smith win 400m races at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
American Alexis Holmes and great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith emerged as the winners of the women’s and men’s 400m races at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Holmes, a member of the USA’s gold medal-winning mixed relay team at the World Championships in Budapest last year and the World Relays this year in Nassau, ran 50.31 to lead an American 1-2-3 with Brittany Brown running 51.21 in second and Naasha Robinson running 51.81 in third.
“I had a lot of fun. The energy was great,” Holmes said after the race.
“I was expecting a smooth race and just trying to get the win. I just try to stay relaxed and poised because I know I have a strong finish,” she added.
The men’s race saw World Championship silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith produce 44.69 to take the win ahead of American Matthew Boling (44.98) and Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes (45.41).
“I’m a lot more healthier this year. I’ve got the best team in the world. My coach Gary Evans is a man with a plan and this year it’s all about being healthy when it matters,” he said after the race.
“It was a good executed race. We just wanted to come home strong and be composed. I’ve got Oslo, Europeans, Monaco and London so I’ve got a lot more races and training,” he added.
The Brit also gave props to World Champion Antonio Watson who ran 45.61 for fifth.
“Listen, he’s the reigning World Champion so I’ve got to give him respect. He came out here in front of his people and raced. He delivered when it mattered,” he said.
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