World 200 metres bronze medallist Alex Quinonez has died at the age of 32 after reportedly being shot in Guayaquil.
The Ecuadorian sports ministry said Quinonez was found dead in the street on Friday.
Quinonez made history when he became the Ecuadorian athlete to win a global medal in a track event at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, and he held national records at every sprint distance.
The sports ministry tweeted: "With great sadness, we confirm the murder of our sportsman Alex Quinonez.
"We have lost a great sportsman, someone who allowed us to dream, who moved us....he was the greatest sprinter this country produced."
Spanish football club Barcelona said Quinonez had been a part of the athletics squad in their wider sporting set-up.
Ecuador president Guillermo Lasso tweeted on Saturday: "We are very sorry for the painful loss of Alex Quinonez, father, son, a great sprinter. Our sincere condolences to his loved ones. Rest in peace.
"Those who take the lives of Ecuadorians will not go unpunished. We will act forcefully."
Colombia's world and Olympic 400m silver medallist Anthony Zambrano, a training partner of Quinonez's, posted on social media: "Brother, I cannot believe it’s true.
"We do not deserve this. What awful news. It's a shame that life is such, but to die one has to be alive. You are great and I will always cherish you in my heart."
Barcelona stated: "Alex Quinonez had been an FC Barcelona athlete for three years since 2018."
The club's athletics technical director Vicente Egido said: "The whole athletics community is shocked by this news. Alex was an excellent person and very much a Barca man, and who was highly committed to competing, and enjoying competing, for Barca."
Maloney sets new national record to win 400m at Arkansas Twilight; Nugent, Lemonious also secure wins
St. Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent and Phillip Lemonious all secured wins at Friday’s Arkansas Twilight in Fayetteville.
Maloney, unbeaten so far this season in the 800m both indoors and outdoors, showed her class on Friday in the one lap event, speeding to a new personal best and national record 50.75 to take top spot.
Her time was also an Arkansas Twilight record, bettering Britton Wilson’s 50.97 set in 2022.
American Kendall Baisden was way behind in second in 52.91 while Sudan’s Hiba Saeed was third in 53.45.
2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and world championship finalist in the sprint hurdles, Ackera Nugent, tried her hand successfully at the 200m on Friday. She ran a season’s best 23.12 to win ahead of 400m podium finishers Hiba Saeed (23.49) and Kendall Baisden (23.58).
Phillip Lemonious, who also took sprint hurdles gold at the NCAA Championships last year, ran a season’s best 13.52 to win the event on Friday ahead of Arkansas’s Elijah Morris (13.70) and Brevin Sims (13.73).
Lyssons top INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Eastern Champs
Lyssons Primary Schools of St Thomas continued their dominance of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Eastern Championships winning their third consecutive title in impressive fashion winning by a massive 128 points at the Stadium East, on Friday.
Lyssons amassed 274 points and were well clear of Harbour View who are second for the second year with 146 points. Lawrence Tavern with their best showing were third on 139.5 points ahead of Hal-Way-Tree with 132 and St Richard’s rounding out the top five on 128.5 points.
Lyssons who are also the All-island champions, walked away with a whopping $350,000 with second-placed Harbour View of St Andrew collecting $250,000. Lawrence Tavern also of St Andrew received $200,000. The fourth to 10th-placed teams each got $100,000.
On a day when a plethora of records were broken, four boys shared the Overall Champions Boys title with 18 points each. Davere Walker and Mickoloy Saunders of Lyssons were joined by Samir McLarty of George Headley Primary and Joshua McWilliams of Lawrence Tavern all walked away with $30,000 each.
Arianna Lewis of Half-Way-Tree Primary was the Overall Girls Champion with 18 points. She broke the Class Three 150m record for the second time at the meet. Yesterday she ran 21.25 in the heats and went better in the final clocking 21.13.
Up next will be the Central Championship starting on Monday at the GC Foster College for the parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon, St Ann and Manchester. Spanish Town Primary are the defending champion.
Girona to give '200 per cent' against Barcelona in possible Champions League clincher
Barcelona will be favourites when they visit Girona on Saturday, but Michel says the hosts will give everything in a game which could see them confirm Champions League qualification.
Girona, third in LaLiga with 71 points, are two behind fellow Catalan side Barcelona, who they beat 4-2 in December's return fixture.
"For our fans, tomorrow is a historic match," Michel told reporters on Friday.
"In this match the motivation is top for everyone. Another challenge is to beat Barca for the first time at Montilivi.
"Barca are favourites in this match, but we are playing at home in front of our fans. We will give 200 per cent because it's the only way to win."
Girona, 13 points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, are looking to ensure a top-four finish and secure qualification for the Champions League this weekend.
Athletic go to Getafe on Friday, so a defeat for Ernesto Valverde's team will confirm Girona's place in the top four before they take to the field.
"We want to win tomorrow to reach the Champions League. It's about making Girona grow and achieving worldwide recognition for our club and our project," Michel said.
"We always have more objectives like overtaking Real Madrid as the top-scoring team. We only have two goals between us.
"What I want is to be protagonists in a league where Madrid have lost only one game."
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