The Caribbean will be represented in the final of the women’s 200m at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships through Jamaican University of Texas standouts Dejanea Oakley and Kevon Davis.

Oakley, a former Clarendon College standout, was the fastest qualifier in Thursday’s heats at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium with 23.00 while Davis, a 200m semi-finalist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, ran 23.32 in the heats to advance to Saturday’s final as the fifth fastest qualifier.

Oakley is fresh off running a new 200m personal best 22.73 at the Texas Invitational on April 26. She competed at last year’s Big 12 Championships, failing to advance from the heats of the 400m.

Davis was a runner up in both the 100m and 200m at last year’s Big 12 Outdoor Championships with times of 11.04 and 22.51. She was beaten by former Texas teammate and current World Indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred in both events.

The men’s 200m saw Jamaican Baylor senior Demar Francis (20.66) and Bahamian Texas Tech sophomore Antoine Andrews (20.74) both advance to the final.

Trinidadian Houston junior Dillon Leacock ran 51.83 to advance to the final of the 400m hurdles.

The women’s 400m hurdles promises to be one of the most exciting events at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational set for May 11 at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The field will include a number of the world’s top hurdlers including global medallists including the likes of Rushell Clayton, Shamier Little and Dalilah Muhammad.

Muhammad won Olympic gold back in Rio eight years ago and took silver in Tokyo five years later. Her time in the Tokyo final, 51.58, remains a personal best and makes her the third-fastest woman ever.

At the World Championships, the 34-year-old won gold in 2019 in a then-world record 52.16. She was also among the medals in Moscow in 2013, London in 2017 and Eugene in 2022.

Clayton took bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and had a similar result last year in Budapest with a personal best 52.81.

Little is a two-time World Championship silver medallist. The first came back at the 2015 edition in Beijing and the second came in Budapest last year.

Her personal best 52.39 was done back in 2021 and puts her fifth all-time.

Saturday’s field is completed by two-time Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell, Pan Am Games champion Gianna Woodruff, World Championship finalists Andrenette Knight and Anna Cockrell and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Shiann Salmon.

A pair of Jamaica’s representatives at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Wayne Pinnock and Ackera Nugent, were among a number of Caribbean winners at Saturday’s LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge.

Pinnock, who took long jump silver in Budapest, produced a wind-aided 8.44m (5.8 m/s) to claim victory in his first outdoor competition this season.

The 23-year-old Arkansas star, who won gold at both the SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year, opened his competition with 8.15m in the first round before producing his winning distance in the second.

He had one more jump in the third round (8.25m) before passing on his final three attempts.

Florida State’s Curtis Williams was second with 7.99m while Florida’s Malcolm Clemons was third with 7.94m. Another Jamaican, Florida State’s Jordan Turner, produced 7.84m for fourth.

The women’s long jump was won by Bahamian Florida sophomore Anthaya Charlton with a best jump of 6.74m. Arkansas’s Nia Robinson was second with 6.70m while Georgia Tech’s Ameia Wilson was third with 6.56m.

In her fourth 100m hurdles race of the young season, Ackera Nugent, who was fifth in the final in Budapest, produced 12.57 to take victory ahead of Canada’s Mariam Abdul-Rashid (12.69) and LSU’s Leah Phillips (12.71).

Nugent’s season’s best, which currently stands at 12.52, was done in a fourth-place finish at the Tom Jones Invitational on April 13.

Arkansas also prevailed in the men’s high jump through another member of Jamaica’s team at last year’s World Championships, Romaine Beckford.

Beckford, the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor and Jamaican national champion, had a best jump of 2.23m to win ahead of Georgia’s Riyon Rankin (2.20m) and his Arkansas teammate Kason O’Riley (2.20m).

Guyana’s Natricia Hooper produced 13.92m to win the women’s triple jump ahead of Mylana Hearn (13.78m) and LSU’s Morgan Smalls (13.17m).

Arkansas’s Apalos Edwards jumped 16.43m for second in the men’s equivalent won by Air Houston’s Chris Carter (16.70m). Florida State’s Kyvon Tatham jumped 16.00m for third.

The women’s 400m saw Vincentian 800m record holder Shafiqua Maloney and reigning Jamaican national champion and Arkansas star Nickisha Pryce run 51.29 and 51.35 for second and third, respectively, behind American Alexis Holmes who ran 50.80 to win.

Jamaica’s Lashanna Graham ran 58.16 for third in the women’s 400m hurdles behind American Anna Cockrell (54.74) and Georgia’s Dominique Mustin (56.52).

Florida’s Jevaughn Powell ran 20.28 to take second in the men’s 200m behind Arkansas’s Makanakaishe Charamba who won in 20.11. Arkansas’s Lance Lang ran 20.36 in third.

Powell also represented Jamaica in Budapest, running in the heats of the 4x400m relay.

 

 

Jamaica asserted its dominance in the 400m hurdles at the Carifta Games at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada on Sunday, clinching victory in three out of the four finals. Amidst the impressive performances, Michelle Smith from the US Virgin Islands stood out with her stellar run, setting the track ablaze with her speed and precision.

In the U17 Girls 400m hurdles, Nastassia Fletcher of Jamaica secured her second gold medal of the games with a time of 1:00.10. Despite strong competition from Darvinique Dean of the Bahamas, who finished in second place with a time of 1:00.66, and Jenna-Marie Thomas of Trinidad and Tobago, who claimed the bronze with a time of 1:01.03, Fletcher's determined effort propelled her to a commanding victory.

Meanwhile, in the U20 Girls 400m hurdles, Michelle Smith delivered a dominant performance, clocking an impressive time of 56.28 seconds. Her swift and commanding run left spectators in awe as she crossed the finish line ahead of her competitors. Kelly Ann Carr of Jamaica secured the silver medal with a time of 57.02 seconds, while Aaliyah Mullings, also from Jamaica, claimed the bronze with a time of 59.80 seconds.

In the Under 17 Boys 400m hurdles, Robert Miller of Jamaica made history with a remarkable performance, setting a new championship record with a time of 52.19 seconds. His electrifying run, saw him finish well ahead of Akanye Samuel-Francis of St. Kitts and Nevis, who finished in second place with a time of 52.88 seconds, and Fransico Williams of Jamaica, who secured the bronze with a time of 53.19 seconds.

While Jamaica's dominance was evident in three of the races, the Boys 400m Hurdles Under 20 saw a fierce battle between Jamaican athletes. Shamer Blake emerged victorious with a time of 51.21 seconds, closely followed by his compatriot Princewell Martin, who finished just behind with a time of 51.34 seconds. Dorian Charles of Trinidad and Tobago also delivered a commendable performance, securing the bronze medal with a time of 52.70 seconds.

The Wanda Diamond League has released a detailed summary of which disciplines will be staged at which meetings during the 2024 season.

In 2024, the world’s best athletes will once again take the stage in athletics’ premier one-day series, competing at 15 meetings across four different continents.

Athletes will compete for points in their chosen discipline at the 14 series meetings between April and September, with the most successful qualifying for the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 13th-14th.

The season begins in Xiamen on April 20th, with the men’s 100m, women’s 200m and a 100/110m hurdles double bill among the headline events. Each discipline will then be staged at least four and up to eight times on the Road to the Final, giving athletes from across the globe enough opportunities to earn points.

Two meetings will be held at a different location in 2024 due to stadium renovation works in their usual locations. The Meeting International Mohammed VI will move from Rabat to Marrakech, while the Wanda Diamond League Shanghai will take place in Suzhou.

The 14 series meetings will each take place in a two-hour TV world programme and will all stage at least 14 Diamond Disciplines. The Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels will be the only meeting to feature every single discipline, with all 32 Diamond League champions crowned over the course of two days.

The season calendar and the allocation of disciplines remain subject to change.

A list of disciplines for each meeting will also be available under the 'programme and results' page on each individual meeting website.

As well as the Diamond Disciplines, each meeting may also include additional disciplines in their programme, in which athletes will not earn points on the Road to the Final.

The disciplines are as follows: 100m (M,W), 200m (M,W), 400m (M,W), 800m (M,W), 1500m/Mile (M,W), 3000m/5000m (M,W), 3000m Steeplechase (M,W), 110m Hurdles (M), 100m Hurdles (W), 400m Hurdles (M,W), High Jump (M,W), Pole Vault (M,W), Long Jump (M,W), Triple Jump (M,W), Shot Put (M,W), Discus Throw (M,W), Javelin Throw (M,W).

Jaheel Hyde emerged victorious in the men’s final of the 400m hurdles and at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on Friday.

 In winning Jamaica’s first gold medal of the games, Hyde clocked 49.19 for a comfortable victory over Brazil’s Matheus Lima, who won the silver medal in a time of 49.69. Cuba’s Yoao Illas was close behind in third in 49.74.

To date, Jamaica has so far won five medals at the games – one gold and four bronze medals – at the games.

 

In a thrilling contest in the 400m hurdles in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday, Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and Janieve Russell were third and fourth, respectively, in a race won in a meet record time by world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands, who added the Diamond League trophy to her collection this season.

Bol, who boasts a personal best of 51.45, clocked 51.98s after shaking off a brief challenge from American Shamier Little, to shatter the previous meet record of 52.77 set by Dalilah Mohammad two years ago.

The American and Bol were neck and neck with three hurdles to go but Bol unleashed her superior speed and strength to pull away from the rapidly fading Little, who finished second in 53.45 just ahead of the rapidly closing Jamaicans.

Clayton, who won her second bronze medal in Budapest clocked 53.56 to just held off Russell, the two-time Commonwealth Games champion, who stopped the clock in a season’s best 53.60.

World Championship bronze medallist Rai Benjamin finally got an elusive win over World and Olympic Champion Karsten Warholm to claim his maiden Diamond League 400m hurdles title at the Diamond League final at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on Saturday.

Benjamin, who finished second to Warholm at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships as well as the 2021 Olympics, turned the tables on the Norwegian with a world leading, meet record and diamond league record 46.39 for victory.

Warholm was second in a spectacular 46.53 while Kyron McMaster, who finished second at the World Championships in Budapest last month ahead of Benjamin and behind Warholm, ran 47.31 for third. McMaster also got a win over Warholm at the Zurich Diamond League.

Janieve Russell and Rushell Clayton finished second and third as Dutch World Champion Femke Bol continued her unbeaten run this season in the 400m hurdles at the Brussels Diamond League on Friday.

Bol started calmly before using her unreal strength to pull away from the rest of the field in the last 100m to come home in a meet record 52.11.

Russell, a two-time Commonwealth Champion and a finalist at the recently concluded World Championships in Budapest, was second in 53.80 while Clayton, who took bronze at those World Championships, was third in 54.10.

Andrenette Knight, who was also a finalist in Budapest, led the field after the first half of the race but faded into sixth in 54.75.

World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton lead a Jamaican 1-2-3 in the women’s 400m at the Xiamen Diamond League on Saturday.

Clayton produced a meet record 53.56 to take the win ahead of teammates Andrenette Knight (53.87) and Janieve Russell (54.01).

Clayton is fresh off a personal best 52.81 to take bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last week. She also took bronze at the Doha World Championships in 2019.

BVI’s Commonwealth Champion, Kyron McMaster, produced an excellent performance to pull off a massive upset over world champion and world record holder, Karsten Warholm, in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday.

The 26-year-old ran 47.27 to take the victory. Warholm ran 47.30 for second while Alison Dos Santos ran 47.62 for third.

McMaster is fresh off a 47.34 effort to take silver behind Warholm last week at the World Championships in Budapest.

 British Virgin Islands long jumper Chantel Malone has expressed her overwhelming pride and joy for her compatriot, Kyron McMaster, who secured a historic silver medal in the 400m hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

McMaster's outstanding performance, which marked the first-ever medal for his country at an outdoor global championship, was met with resounding applause from Malone, who has been closely following his journey and triumphs.

McMaster's remarkable journey to the podium, finishing second with a time of 47.34 seconds, behind Norway's Karsten Warholm, resonated deeply with Malone. She reflected on his arduous path, overcoming adversities and injuries, to achieve this monumental milestone:

“I couldn't be happier for Kyron because we have a really close relationship and I've seen some of the struggles that he's been through in terms of dealing with injury and just different shifts and transitions in this sport," said during an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV.

The victory was particularly poignant as it came after the passing of Coach Xavier ‘Dag’ Samuels in 2017, adding to the emotional significance of McMaster's achievement. Samuels, who had been McMaster’s coach ever since his days as a youth athlete, was killed in 2017 after falling from a roof during the passage of Hurricane Irma.

"For him to finally be on that podium after 2017 when Coach Dag Samuels passed, it was just amazing,” Malone remarked.

Malone's unwavering support for McMaster was evident, even during a scheduled acupuncture appointment when the finals took place.

“I was actually at an acupuncture appointment and I had needles in my leg. I was like, you need to take these out, 'cause I might end up hurting myself, you know? I was so excited," she revealed.

Tears welled up in Malone's eyes as she witnessed McMaster's dream becoming a reality, recognizing that his silver medal is just a stepping stone towards greater aspirations. "I had tears in my eyes because it was a dream realized and I know he wanted the goal, but that was only a stepping stone towards, you know, accomplishing that ultimate goal,” she said.

Malone emphasized McMaster's exceptional determination and focus, traits that set him apart as a remarkable athlete.

“He is an athlete that is so determined and focused. You don't really see that in younger athletes. I mean, he's getting up there now, but even when he was in 2017, he has always had that mindset of I'll do whatever I need to do to be the best. And that's something that I really admire about him.”

Beyond the celebrations, Malone sees McMaster's success as an inspiration for the youth in the British Virgin Islands, catalyzing a greater drive for support and investment in local athletes:

“Kids will aspire to become like us, and I think that's something that's definitely needed and appreciated in the BVI."

 She expressed her hope that McMaster's medal will galvanize the government and businesses on the island to provide comprehensive backing for athletes' development.

“I hope that this medal at the World Championships helps even businesses in the BVI to want to get behind and rally behind the athletes on the journey, especially towards Paris 2024."

Drawing from her own experiences, Malone, a finalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, shared how McMaster's performance lit a fire within her, rekindling her determination to overcome her injuries and challenges. “The last two years for me have been very shaky. As you know, I've been dealing with injury and so finally coming out of that and finding my foot in again, I'm that his performance just really lit a fire under my butt," she said.

“He's an inspiration to me. Honestly, he's younger than me. But like I said, his drive, his ambition and his mindset are something that I definitely admire. And I hope that other athletes in the BVI and around the world take a page out of his book.”

 

 

In a poignant moment that encapsulated the emotional depth of his victory, Kyron McMaster paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Jocelyn, after securing a historic silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The 26-year-old hurdler from the British Virgin Islands not only etched his name into the annals of his country's athletics history but also dedicated his triumph to the person who stood unwaveringly by his side throughout his journey.

As the first athlete from the British Virgin Islands to clinch a medal at an outdoor global athletics championship, McMaster's achievement was laden with significance. Yet, amidst the jubilation and celebrations that followed his silver medal win in the 400m hurdles, McMaster's first instinct was to honor his mother's enduring support.

“Basically, it goes back to the early beginnings. My mom used to wake up 4:30 in the mornings, drop me at training with Coach Dag Samuels. So she’s been there from the beginning and made a lot of sacrifices. She’s been there. She understands me. She understands what I wanted to achieve, my paps, too, he understood, everybody understood.”

On the occasion of her birthday, McMaster walked over to his mother and gently placed the replica silver medal around her neck, saying ‘Mom, this is for you’. The act was a poignant gesture of appreciation, a tangible symbol of gratitude for her steadfast presence, and a reflection of the sacrifices she had made along his path to success.

The silver medal, achieved with a remarkable time of 47.34 seconds in the 400m hurdles, not only marked McMaster's personal triumph but also a moment of profound connection between a son and his mother. With tears of joy and pride shining in both their eyes, McMaster's tribute encapsulated the depth of his gratitude for her sacrifices and encouragement, even during the times when success seemed elusive.

Reflecting on the significance of the moment, McMaster shared: "It meant a lot. A lot because my mom’s been to a few of my games where we wanted to deliver a medal and I just couldn’t deliver for her at certain points. I didn’t want her to fly to Budapest for nothing. That would have broken my heart if I couldn’t deliver again, but she is going home with a silver medal."

McMaster's journey to this remarkable achievement was marked by challenges and setbacks, including previous global disappointments. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion and Diamond League champion, McMaster had, prior to Wednesday, always came up short on the global stage.

At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon he suffered a hamstring injury during the preliminary rounds and took no further part in the competition. At the championships in 2017, he was disqualified. In Doha in 2019, he was fourth and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics he was also fourth in a time of 47.08, a time that would have won him gold in every other Olympic year except for that year and in 1992 when Kevin Young ran a world record 46.78 to win.

However, this time, he broke free from the shadow of past struggles to secure his place on the podium.

The silver medal, earned behind Norway's Karsten Warholm's gold-winning performance, resonates as a testament to McMaster's resilience and his mother's unyielding support. Through this touching tribute, the hurdler's win becomes a shared victory—a celebration not just of his athletic prowess, but also of the bond between a son and the woman who helped shape his path to glory

Three Jamaicans will contest the medals in the women’s 400m hurdles as the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest after producing excellent semi-final performances on day four on Tuesday.

Clayton was first-up in semi-final one with a personal best 53.30 to win and book her spot in the final. American Anna Cockrell also advanced to the final with a personal best 53.63 in second.

Andrenette Knight had to go up against a loaded field in semi-final two including Femke Bol and former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad. Bol took the win in an easy 52.95 while Knight ran brilliantly to finish second in 53.72. Muhammad ran 54.19 in third and failed to make it to the final.

The third semi-final saw four athletes make it through to the final. Shamier Little produced a season’s best 52.82 to win ahead of Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya (53.69). National champion Janieve Russell ensured that it would be three Jamaicans in the final with 53.83 in third while Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso ran a national record 53.89 to also advance.

Kyron McMaster and Roshawn Clarke both advanced to the final of the men’s 400m hurdles on day three of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Monday.

McMaster ran a composed 47.72 to win the first semi-final ahead of Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.30) and the USA’s CJ Allen (48.30). Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Jaheel Hyde, had a blistering first half of the race before fading in the final 200m to finish fourth in 48.49.

Rai Benjamin (47.24) and defending champion Alison Dos Santos (47.38) were comfortably the top two finishers in the second semi-final. France’s Ludvy Vaillant finished third in 48.48, knocking Hyde out of one of the non-automatic qualifying spots.

The third semi-final saw World Record holder Karsten Warholm look awesome in running 47.08 to win ahead of Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke and USA’s Trevor Bassitt.

Clarke’s time in second was 47.34, a new national record and world junior record while Bassitt’s time of 47.38 in third was also good enough to take him to the final.

The final is scheduled for Wednesday at 2:50pm Jamaica time.

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