Great Britain are primed for a medal bonanza at the Olympics, according to British Athletics technical director Stephen Maguire.
The squad’s 10 medals at the World Championships in Budapest matched the record from Stuttgart in 1993.
Keely Hodgkinson’s 800m silver and two 4x400m relay bronze medals on the final evening on Sunday boosted the tally – less than a year before the start of the Paris Olympics.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Josh Kerr won gold and, after just four track and field medals at the Tokyo Olympics, Maguire has high hopes next year.
He said: “Paris is going to be another level but the way we’re getting the medals, in very tough competition, I’d be very optimistic.
“I’m delighted. The amount of finalists that we’ve had, the amount of top-12 (finishes) that we’ve had, a lot of the younger athletes stepping up and actually converting what they’re doing in the season coming into competition.
“It’s been brilliant. So there’s a real feelgood factor, Kat started things off. That story just resonated through everyone.
“What a start with that and the mixed relay and then things snowballed.
“These World Championships have been tough. The standard has been absolutely through the roof.”
The men’s 4x100m relay team missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in Saturday’s final, after a disrupted build-up when Reece Prescod dropped out of the squad on the eve of the championships.
Maguire also had to take more responsibility for the relays with head of sprints and relays Darren Campbell officially on sick leave.
The men were the only relay squad not to win a medal in Budapest – with the others all collecting bronze – and Maguire will seek talks with Prescod.
“There are never going to be winners. The athlete is always the loser, aren’t they? He didn’t perform and whatever but it’s communication, understanding behaviours,” said Maguire, who was previously sprints and relays coach.
“I’m not sure it’s (about) clearing the air but, in high performance sport, you need black and white conversations as well. I think there’s a conversation needed.
“High performance sport is difficult and the ability to compete at this level is difficult. Reece and I actually have a good relationship and I’ll have no problems chatting to Reece at the end of September, October time.”
Bolt undergoes successful surgery to repair ruptured Achilles
World 100m, 200m and 4x100m record holder Usain Bolt has had a successful surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles heel.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist, who is 37 years old and retired in 2017, suffered the injury while playing in Soccer Aid, a match played annually to raise funds for UNICEF, on June 9 at Stamford Bridge, home of English Premier League club Chelsea FC.
“Surgery was successful,” said Bolt on social media on Monday.
Bolt, who has been a regular fixture in the charity game in recent years, was captaining the Soccer Aid World XI against England before going down with the injury early in the second half.
Tyra Gittens secures first professional win at International Meeting in Troyes
Trinidadian long jumper Tyra Gittens celebrated her first professional victory at the International Meeting in Troyes, France on Sunday.
The US-based Olympian secured the win with a leap of 6.56 meters, surpassing Portugal’s Evelise Veiga, who recorded a distance of 6.35 meters, the same as third-place finisher Esmeralda Yanis David of France.
Following her triumph, Gittens expressed her joy and gratitude on Instagram, writing, “Celebrating my very first professional WIN! ? Looking forward to many more! Thank you, everyone, who has been believing in me even when I struggled to see what was worth believing in. I love you all.”
Ackera Nugent and Donald Thomas impress at the 2024 New Life Invitational, but Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team falls short in Olympics bid
In encouraging displays of forms at the 2024 New Life Invitational in the Bahamas, Jamaica's Ackera Nugent and the Bahamas' Donald Thomas delivered standout performances on Sunday night.
Nugent, in her first full year as a professional, and Thomas, the seasoned high jumper, both set meet records in their respective events. However, the night ended on a bittersweet note for Jamaica as their 4x400m relay team failed to secure Olympic qualification despite a valiant effort.
Nugent, who has been sparingly raced this season, underscored her readiness for the upcoming Jamaican national championships with a dominant victory in the 100m hurdles.
Clocking a season-best 12.54 seconds, Nugent eased down after clearing the final hurdle, demonstrating both her confidence and control. This performance not only secured her the win but also broke the previous meet record held by fellow Jamaican Megan Tapper since 2023. Nugent’s coach, Chris Johnson, had recently expressed confidence in her form and training, and Sunday's performance was a testament to his faith. The USA’s Kaylah Robinson finished third with a time of 13.07 seconds, while Charisma Taylor trailed behind in second place, clocking 12.83 seconds.
In the men's high jump, the 39-year-old Thomas thrilled the home crowd by breaking his own meet record. Thomas cleared 2.28m, surpassing his previous mark of 2.26 meters set last year. His impressive jump secured him the top spot on the podium, with Jamaica’s Raymond Richards finishing second at 2.21m and Puerto Rico’s Luis Castro taking third with a clearance of 2.18m.
The night’s excitement culminated with the highly anticipated men's 4x400m relay, where Jamaica aimed to qualify for the Olympics by beating Zambia’s 2:59.11 or France’s 2:58.45. The Jamaican quartet put forth a formidable effort, setting a new meet record with a time of 2:59.75. Despite their remarkable performance, they fell short, leaving their hopes for Paris dashed.
Earlier in the evening, Antigua’s Joella Lloyd, who had already achieved the Olympic standard of 11.06 seconds at the NCAA West Regionals, won the Women's 100m. Lloyd clocked an impressive 11.15 seconds, outpacing Bahamian Camille Rutherford, who finished in 11.20 seconds, and 2013 World Championship silver medalist Murielle Ahoure-Demps, who came in third with a time of 11.24 seconds.
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