Jamaica’s Olympic gold medallist Briana Williams will be made available to represent Jamaica at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade from March 18-20.
Williams, who will be 20 the day after the end of the championships, is the second-fastest Jamaican woman in the world this year after she ran 7.09 over 60m at the New Balance Grand Prix in New York on February 6.
Only Elaine Thompson-Herah, who ran 7.04 at the ORLEN – Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland on Tuesday, has run faster than the Florida-based teen, whose coach Ato Boldon, confirmed her availability to Sportsmax.TV.
“It would be easy to say, ‘Well, Euro travel is a hassle’ or ‘Let’s get ready for outdoors’, but a deal is a deal and I told her if she ran 7-oh she could go and she’s not only done that, she’s recaptured some of that 2018/2019 hungry-as-hell-Briana form so I’m eager to see the results of all the work she’s put in,” he said.
Williams began her season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on January 14 with runs of 7.20/7.18 and then dipped to 7.22 at the Millrose Games in New York on January 29.
She rediscovered her form at the New Balance Grand Prix with 7.09/7.11 clockings that were only surpassed by Thompson-Herah, who ran 7.08 in Birmingham on February 19 and then 7.04 in Torun.
However, based on a post on Instagram on Tuesday following her second-place finish in Torun, her outing in Poland was her last for the indoor season.
“Didn’t win today but super grateful. Everybody’s a work in progress. I’m a work in progress. I am still learning all the time. See y’all outdoors,” she said.
There is also no indication that Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson will be heading to Serbia next month. Jackson is the third-fastest Jamaican woman this year by virtue of her 7.12 run in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on February 11.
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.
KC wins third straight Championship of America 4x400m title at Penn Relays; JC wins 4x800m
Kingston College made it three Championship of America 4x400m titles in a row with a comfortable win in the event on the third and final day of the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Antonio Forbes, Amal Glasgow, Roshawn Lee and Marcinho Rose combined to run 3:11.86 to win ahead of Excelsior (3:12.94) and Bullis School (3:13.10).
Elsewhere, Jamaica College won their second Championship of America 4x800m relay in three years.
Their team of Nellie Amberton, Samuel Creary, Rasheed Pryce and Kemarrio Bygrave produced a time of 7:42.37 to win ahead of St. John’s College (7:44.66) and Central Bucks West (7:45.99).
Excelsior leads Jamaican 1-2-3 in Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m at Penn Relays
Excelsior High emerged victorious in the Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m on the third and final day at the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Ryeem Walker, Damor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green combined to run 40.45 to secure the school’s first win in the event since 1967.
Kingston College (Daniel Clarke, Yourie Lawrence-Clarke, Nyrone Wade, Marcinho Rose) were second in 40.53 and Herbert Morrison (Ky-Mani Hemmings, Tavaine Stewart, Chance Segree, De Andre Daley) completed a Jamaican 1-2-3 with 40.56 in third.
Smith produces season’s best to win long jump at Texas Invitational
Texas junior Ackelia Smith produced an NCAA leading performance to take top spot on day one of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday.
The 22-year-old reigning NCAA champion produced a season’s best 7.10m, her first jump over 7m this season, to win ahead of Trinidadian Puma athlete Tyra Gittens (6.72m) and UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6.65m).
This is a welcome return to form for Smith who suffered a torn hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.
Smith was Jamaica’s national champion in the long jump in 2022 and was a finalist in both the long and triple jump at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
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