Jamaica’s Olympic relay gold medalist Briana Williams has been named among Athletics Weekly’s (AW) nominees for International Junior Athlete Female for 2021.
Based in the United Kingdom, AW covers news, results, fixtures, coaching and product advice for all aspects of track and field, cross-country, road racing and race walking.
Each year, the respected online publication asks its readers to pick their favourite athletes across several categories inclusive of International Athlete, British Athlete, International Junior Athlete, British Junior Athlete, Masters Athlete, and Para Athlete.
Williams, 19, was among a stellar field of nominees that included Namibia phenom Christine Mboma, the World U20 200m champion and Olympic silver medalist; the USA’s Athing Mu, the Olympic 800m and 4x400m relay gold medalist; Sweden’s Maja Askag, the European and World U20 long and triple jump champion; Silja Kosonen, the European and World U20 hammer-throw champion and Saga Vanninen, the European and World U20 heptathlon champion.
Readers also cast their votes for their choice for the Mel Watman Award for Performance of the Year.
Williams was the fastest U20 female athlete over the 100m in 2021 with her personal best of 10.97. She was also a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that won gold in Tokyo in a national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.
Williams’ coach, Ato Boldon views her nomination with a sense of satisfaction.
“Briana had to overcome a lot last year, from her grandmother’s death to early-season injuries, so it’s gratifying that she still got Olympic gold with team Jamaica and this is a great honour to be nominated with these outstanding juniors,” he said.
The results will be published in the December edition of Athletics Weekly.
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.
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.
Paulino extends 400m winning streak to seven in Shanghai
Dom Rep’s Marileidy Paulino followed up her triumph at the season’s Diamond League opener in Xiamen last week with another victory at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
The reigning World champion produced 50.89 to win ahead of American Talitha Diggs who ran 51.77 and Bajan two-time World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams who ran 52.00 in third.
Paulino’s winning streak in the 400m has now stretched to seven races.
It was déjà vu in the women’s 100m hurdles as reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn just pipped World Indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton on the line, just as it played out in Xiamen last week.
Camacho-Quinn ran 12.63 compered to Charlton’s 12.64. Two-time World champion Danielle Williams was third in 12.74.
The men’s 110m hurdles saw American Daniel Roberts get his second win in a row to kick off the Diamond League season. His winning time was 13.12, comfortably ahead of Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya (13.23) and Olympic champion Hansle Parchment’s season’s best 13.26.
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