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• Usain Bolt's 100m world record stands firm as longest in history

  Running Magazine reports that Usain Bolt, the legendary eight-time Olympic gold medalist, has achieved a remarkable milestone even in retirement—holding the world record for the 100m sprint for the longest period in the event's history.

  Bolt's record-setting time of 9.58 seconds, achieved at the 2009 World Athletics Championships final in Berlin on August 16, 2009, has now stood for an impressive 14 years, eight months, and 23 days. This accomplishment surpasses the previous longest-standing record held by American sprinter Jim Hines.

  Jim Hines made history by clocking the first sub-10 second 100m in June 1968, becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier in the event. Hines, known for his prowess both on the track and as a football player, held the world record from 1968 until 1982, marking an illustrious era in sprinting.

  Despite being retired from professional track and field since 2017, Bolt remains confident about the durability of his records. In a December interview, Bolt expressed that he was "not worried" about his records in the 100m and 200m sprints being broken any time soon.

  "It's a great title to have," Bolt shared in the same interview with World Athletics. "It's something that I enjoy hearing and I enjoy knowing."

  Bolt's dominance in the 100m began in May 2008 when he first set the record, followed by breaking it twice more in August 2008 and exactly a year later in Berlin, where he achieved his historic time of 9.58 seconds.

  Now at 37 years old, Usain Bolt continues to be celebrated as the fastest man ever, leaving an indelible mark on the history of athletics with his exceptional speed and enduring records. Despite the passage of time, Bolt's legacy remains a testament to his unparalleled talent and dedication to the sport.

   

   

   

• Rushell Clayton sets new goals; aims for faster times and podium finish at Paris 2024

  In an exclusive interview prior to her 400m hurdles debut at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston on Saturday, World Championship 400m hurdles bronze medalist Rushell Clayton has revealed her ambitious new goals for the upcoming season, setting her sights on achieving faster times and securing her first Olympic medal at the Paris 2024 Games.

  Clayton, who impressed with a personal best of 52.81 to claim bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, kicked off her season with a lifetime best performance, clocking 51.81 in the 400m at Gainesville, Florida, in early April.

  When Clayton won the bronze medal in Doha in 2019, Dalilah Mohammad won in a world-record time of 52.16. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the silver medal in a time of 52.20. Since then, McLaughlin-Levrone has gone on to dominate the event while lowering the world record to a seemingly impossible time of 50.68 at the 2022 championships in Eugene, Oregon.

  During that time, Clayton was busy rebounding from injury and has been on a pathway of improvement ever since. She was sixth in Eugene in 54.36.

  Reflecting on her journey and setbacks, Clayton, who has never made an Olympic final, expressed determination to surpass her previous achievements and target even faster times. "Yes, I have a new goal. Getting into the finals and getting onto the podium, you will have to run fast," Clayton affirmed. "I am more focused on placements than time. I know it may take 51 to get on that podium (in Paris) and I will be ready to run that but I don’t want to focus so much on time because a lot of times when you focus on times you forget about every other thing."

   

  

  Acknowledging her growth and progress, Clayton emphasized her physical and technical improvements over the past seasons. "I think over the last two seasons, I've got faster, got stronger," Clayton remarked confidently. "I used to be strong but I think I am way stronger now and I have been doing a lot of speed work. When you do speed work, it doesn’t come right away but I am starting to feel like I am getting faster because of my stride patterns now and how I am able to distribute around the track. My training is focused on all aspects needed to run fast."

  Clayton's dedication to enhancing her performance includes strategic adjustments to her stride patterns and race tactics. "I have changed my stride pattern between the hurdles," she revealed. "A few people have asked me if I was running a particular stride pattern. The two fastest ladies in the world (McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol), they’re doing 14 strides and I had to try it out and so far it has been doing good. I am learning stride patterns. I am learning more about the event and I am super-excited about my new race pace."

  Looking ahead to the national championships in June, Clayton outlined her strategy of preparing through targeted race participation. "I am feeling good. I don’t normally open my season this late but then I remember I ran all the way to September (last year) and I had a PB in my first run (this season)," Clayton shared optimistically.

   "I think I am on the same schedule as I did last season. We ran a certain number of hurdle races before trials and that was maybe four so I leaning towards that. There are not a lot of four-hurdle races around the globe and when you line up it’s like a World Championship final so we pick the races; my team and I, we sit down and decide we’re going to run three or four races and we’re leaning towards about four hurdle races before trials and it kicks off at the Jamaica Athletic Invitational."

  With a renewed focus on podium placements and faster times, Clayton seems poised to elevate her performance to new heights and make a compelling bid for Olympic success in Paris this summer.

   

   

   

   

• NBA legend Patrick Ewing pays homage to Jamaica with Ewing Rogue “Jamrock”

  Jamaican basketball fans around the world will now have access to a shoe that represents them to the fullest thanks to NBA Hall of Famer, Patrick Ewing.

  The Kingston-born Ewing, through his Ewing Athletics brand, oversaw the creation of the Ewing Rogue “Jamrock.”

  Ewing Athletics is an American basketball shoe brand founded by Ewing and his former agent, David Falk.

  This shoe draws inspiration from the flag of Jamaica, featuring a black and green leather upper and yellow leather straps to represent the saltire (diagonal cross) on the flag.

  A description on the brand’s website explained the inspiration behind the shoe.

  “Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Pat has never shied away from representing his homeland. While we're no strangers to telling the story of his heritage through sneakers, we felt it was time for a refresh. After all, Pat did put the Jam in Jamrock.”

  Ewing, who was born in Kingston a day before Jamaica gained independence, moved to the US in 1975.

  After shining in High School, he had a decorated career at Georgetown University before being the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.

  Ewing then had a seventeen-year NBA career, predominantly playing for the New York Knicks, where he was an eleven-time all-star and named to seven All-NBA teams. The Knicks appeared in the NBA Finals twice (1994 and 1999) during his tenure. He won Olympic gold medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball teams. 

  Ewing was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and as one of the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History in 2021.

  He is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts (in 2008 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team). Additionally, he was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as a member of the "Dream Team" in 2009. His number 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003.

  The Ewing Rogue “Jamrock” is now available on ewingathletics.com.