Rovman Powell is to assume a more involved role as captain for the Jamaica Tallawahs once the 2022 Hero CPL season gets underway in August.
Powell was appointed captain last season when the two-time CPL champions struggled to find consistency and missed the playoffs after only winning four of their 10 matches.
However, come next season, Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller expects Powell to work more closely with the new coaching staff headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
“I think that Chanderpaul along with the assistant coaches has expressed that to Rovman," Miller revealed in a recent interview with Sportsmax.TV.
"We have been having some great meetings and I think this year we will see that all-inclusive where the player, as the captain, is involved in all aspects of team management, selection, etcetera,” Miller told Sportsmax.TV.
“I think we will see a different side of him (Rovman) this year.”
Turning his attention to Brandon King, who has been brought in to open the batting, Miller said the former Amazon Warrior will be given the opportunity to express himself in the coming season.
“Brandon is another dynamic player and we believe that having Brandon at the top of the order with Kennar (Lewis) will produce some exciting games, and Brandon also wanted to come home and we gave him that opportunity to play for the Tallawahs and express himself and we know how Brandon can express himself,” Miller said.
The CEO also hinted that the international players who have been signed will be very suited for the potentially spin-friendly pitches in Guyana that will host several matches including the CPL finals for the next three years.
"When you see our international players then you will see why we selected those players because they will make a difference in Guyana," said Miller, who also expressed confidence that the Tallawahs will give a good account of themselves in the 2022 season.
"I am confident about the team. Look, we have a dream team support staff - Chanderpaul, Sir Curtly Ambrose, we have Andre Coley. We have an announcement to make in the coming days pertaining to our manager and that will really cement our support staff."
Wolmer’s Girls secured gold and silver medals in the Class III High Jump at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships early on Thursday.
Consolidated Bakeries Jamaica Ltd, under its Purity brand, has signed Olympic 100m bronze medalist and 2022 World Indoors 60m finalist, Shericka Jackson as a brand ambassador, just in time for the Easter Season, the company announced this week.
Jackson, 27, an Olympic and World Championships 400m bronze medalist was one of Jamaica’s standout athletes at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, winning a bronze medal in a Jamaican sweep of the 100m and later anchored Jamaica to a gold medal and new national record in the 4x100m relay.
These achievements and her infectious personality have won her many new fans, among them Purity Bakery.
“Shericka is such a bright light and such a great fit for everything we stand for here at Purity Bakery,” said Marketing Officer Russanette Dennis at Purity.
“We’re so honoured to have her represent the brand and we’re happy that both our brands complement each other. The company would like to officially take this opportunity to express great pride in Shericka’s journey, her resilience, and her rise.”
Jackson and Purity struck up a relationship after she published a tweet while at the Olympic Games last year.
Apparently missing the comforts of home, Jackson tweeted that among the things she wanted to sink her teeth into once she returned home was a Purity bun. The tweet went viral and in response, Purity made Jackson’s wish come true less than 48 hours after she made her triumphant return from the Olympics. They gifted her with a massive package of Purity buns not just for her but also for members of her community.
Since then both parties remained in close contact and allowed Purity to see value in bringing Jackson on as an ambassador.
“We can’t wait to see where this partnership takes us and we are happy to carry Jamaica along to see the journey, too,” said Dennis. “Stay tuned to our Instagram @purityja for frequent updates.”
In addition to her Olympic exploits last year, Jackson ran personal bests of 10.76 and 21.82 in the 100m and 200m, respectively, to become the fifth-best combination-sprinter (10.76/ 21.82/ 49.47) in history. The times saw her shoot up the ranks from number 22 to number five all time.
Only Marita Koch, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Marion Jones and her long-time rival Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, rank higher than the Jamaican speedster, who ran a personal best of 7.04 in the final of the 60m dash at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March.
The stage has been set for the 400m finals to close out day three of the 2022 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships.
In the Class I Boys event, the main contenders will be Kingston College’s Shaemar Uter, St. Jago’s Gregory Prince and Edwin Allen’s Delano Kennedy.
Prince, who won the event at Central Champs last month, was the fastest qualifier to the final with 46.60. Kennedy, who ran 46.97 to win at last month’s Carifta Trials, ran a personal best 46.66 to finish second behind Prince in his semi-final. Uter, who represented Jamaica at the World Junior Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, last year, won his semi-final comfortably in 47.10.
Kingston College is expected to score big in the Class II 400m with Marcinho Rose looking like the favorite for gold. Rose ran an easy 49.05 in his semi-final to be the fastest qualifier.
His teammate Tahj-Marques White only ran 50.74 for third in his semi-final but is expected to feature prominently in the final as he entered the championships with the fastest time of any Class II boy this year with 48.35 which he ran at a Corporate Area Development meet last month. He also ran 48.36 to win the Under-17 Boys 400m at the Carifta Trials ahead of Rose.
Also expected to be in the mix is Central Champs champion Antonio Powell of Edwin Allen who qualified second fastest with 49.30.
Jamaica College’s Samuel Creary (50.85), Excelsior’s Demarco Bennett (50.83) and Manchester’s Troydian Flemmings (50.96) are expected to battle it out for the Class III title.
The Girls Class I event is expected to be a hot contest between Clarendon College’s Class II champion from 2021, Dejanea Oakley, who qualified fastest with 52.77, St. Jago’s Safhia Hinds (53.65) and Vere Technical’s Kaylia Kelly (53.86).
Ferncourt’s Abigail Campbell is a big favorite to add to her Class III title from 2021 in the Class II final after she ran 53.94 to qualify fastest for the final, the only girl to go below 54 seconds. Her main challengers are expected to be Hydel’s Alliah Baker (54.48) and Lacovia’s Rasheika Byfield (54.61).
Lacovia’s Carifta Trials Under-17 400m champion Sabrina Dockery (55.59) and the Holmwood Technical duo of Abriana Wright (56.10) and Rosalee Gallimore (55.84) are expected to battle it out in Class III.
It was billed as a clash between Hydel’s Brianna Lyston and the Clayton twins, Tia and Tina over 100m on Day 2 of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston and it lived up to expectations except for the fact that the hot favourite did not win.
Lyston, who came into the championships with a personal best 11.14 set at Central Champs last month, enhanced her tag as the favourite when she ran an easy 11.28 into a headwind of -1.6m/s. However, in the final, Lyston, who was sandwiched between the Claytons; Tia in lane four and Tina in lane six, got off to a good start but was unable to shake Tina, the World U20 champion, who then briefly relinquished the lead before fighting back to edge Lyston at the line.
With a headwind of -2.8m/s, Tina clocked 11.23 to Lyston’s 11.26. Tia was third in 11.47.
The fastest girls' race of the night happened in the Class II final where Hydel’s Kerrica Hill ran a fast 11.16 to equal Kevona Davis’ record and hold off her fast-finishing teammate Alana Reid who clocked a personal best of 11.22 for the silver medal.
Mount Alvernia’s Carleta Bernard was third in 11.44.
Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge recovered from a poor start to win the Class III sprint in 11.60 over St Jago’s Camoy Binger (11.73) and Shemonique Hazle of Hydel (11.75) while Wolmer’s Girls’ Natrece East copped the Class IV title in 11.81 ahead of Edwin Allen’s Moesha Gayle (12.03 and Excelsior High School’s Janella Williams 12.10.
Edwin Allen’s Bryan Levell was the favourite to win the Class I Boys’ 100m title and he delivered on his promise but only just.
In the race in which Kingston College’s medal contender Bouwahjgie Nkrumie stumbled at the start and almost fell, Levell maintained his composure to go on to win in 10.23 over Jeevan Newby of Kingston College (10.23) and Herbert Morrison’s De Andre Daley 10.33.
Nkrumie was sixth in 10.49.
The Class II race was an even closer affair as the pre-race favourite, Mark Anthony Miller of Jamaica College clocked 10.76 for the win, the same time as Wolmer’s Boys’ Gary Card. Jason Lewis of Edwin Allen won the bronze medal after finishing third in 10.84.
Herbert Morrison’s Tavaine Stewart was lost for words after he ran a personal best of 11.03 to win the Class III Boys 100m. He managed to edge Calabar High’s Nickecoy Bramwell (11.06) at the line. Ferncourt High School’s Ajae Brown (11.34) took the bronze.
Edwin Allen’s plans to sweep all classes in the 1500m were dashed when Jodyann Mitchell of Holmwood Technical took advantage of a mishap that affected the race leader Rushana Dwyer took take gold in 4:36.39.
Shone Walters of St Mary High ran 4:37.05 for the silver medal while Dwyer’s teammate Jessica McLean was third in 4:37.06. Dwyer finished fifth in 4:42.30.
However, the defending champions won gold in the Class II event as Rickeisha Simms ran away from the field to clock 4:41.85 over St Jago High School’s Misha-Jade Samuels, who clocked 4:47.45 to claim the silver medal. Finishing third was Cindy Rose of Holmwood Technical, who ran 4:47.86.
Kora Barnett of Edwin Allen took the gold medal in 4:44.30 over the Holmwood Technical pair of Andrene Peart of Holmwood Technical (4:45.30) and Jovi Rose (4:50.09).
Meanwhile, defending Boys’ champions Jamaica College enjoyed a 1-2 finish in the Class I 1500m in which Jvoughnn Blake took the gold in 3:56.78 over Handal Roban (3:57.09). Giovouni Henry of Kingston College was third in 4:01.51.
Yoshane Bowen of Maggotty High won the gold medal in the Class II 800m in 4:12.70 ahead of Brian Kiprop of Kingston College (4:13.94) and Gage Buggam of St. Elizabeth Technical (4:13.99).
Earlier in the day, Balvin Israel of St. Jago High School won the first gold medal of the 2022 championships with a leap of 7.33m. Mark Phillips of Wolmer’s Boys took the silver medal with a jump of 7.02m while Ricoy Hunter of St Elizabeth Technical finished third with 6.90m.
Camperdown High School’s Victoria Christie win the Class II Girls Shot Put with a mark of 14.59m. Nastassia Burrell of Hydel threw 13.99m to win the silver medal and Maja Henry of Immaculate Conception won bronze with 13.51m.
Kingston College’s Jaydon Hibbert won the long jump with an excellent effort of 7.87m. Uroy Ryan of Jamaica College won the silver medal with 7.75m while Demario Price of St Jago took the bronze with a jump of 7.28m.
Meanwhile, in the Class I Girls discus, St Jago High School’s Jamora Alves battled hard to take the gold medal with her best effort of 48.13, just four cm ahead of Damali Williams of Edwin Allen (48.09) and Britannie Johnson of Camperdown (46.54).
At the end of action on Wednesday, Edwin Allen leads the girls’ standings with 76 points after nine finals with Hydel close behind on 54 points. St Jago (48), Holmwood (35) and Immaculate Conception (24) make up the top five schools.
Title favourites Kingston College leads the boys’ standings with 68 points after eight finals. Defending champion Jamaica College are second with 51 points while St Jago High (28), St Elizabeth Technical (23) and Wolmer’s Boys (18) complete the top five.
With the departure of Andre Russell to the Trinbago Knight Riders for the coming Hero CPL season, Jamaica Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller believes Fabian Allen is more than capable of filling in for the mercurial all-rounder.
Hero CPL announced earlier this week that TKR had signed both Russell and Nicholas Pooran for the 2022 season of the CPL that is set to run from August 30 to September 30, 2022. The two-time winners, Tallawahs signed Allen and compatriot Brandon King, who represented St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors, respectively last season.
Miller, speaking with Sportsmax.TV Monday night, said while the news might have come as a shock to many, Russell’s departure was something that the Jamaica Tallawahs expected.
“Russell, last year, made a statement that it was his last year, so I don’t think it’s shocking to us,” Miller said. “But look, he has been a gentleman. He called and said the reasons why, and this is franchise cricket, it’s a business, and as a business players have to look for out for the best for themselves and their families, so I wish Russell all the best and hopefully, we will see him back sometime in the future.”
That said, Miller addressed the king-sized hole Russell leaves behind in the Tallawahs line-up saying that fellow Jamaican, Allen, is more than capable of stepping up.
“I think Fabian Allen brings a whole lot to the dynamics of the franchise. He is a very dynamic player, fielder, bowler; he always has a good CPL and I am looking that Fabian will step in and fill that position that Russell left as a leading all-rounder and I think he is ready and he really wants to excel and we are giving him an opportunity to express himself in a big way.”
Miller explained that the Jamaica Tallawahs have also signed a number of international players that he expects will come in and bolster the team that only won four of its 10 games last season and failed to make the playoffs.
“I think when you see the combination of what we have in combination with the international players that we have signed that you will see that the Tallawahs will have a very competitive year.”
The names of the international players will be released by Hero CPL in the near future.
Pumas UNAM went one step closer to an appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League final, claiming a 2-1 win over Cruz Azul in Tuesday's semi-final first leg.
A Juan Dinenno first-half brace ultimately separated the two side in what was an intense and tight contest.
Cruz Azul were denied the lead in the 20th minute after well-worked move, with Uriel Antuna ruled offside for his finish from Ignacio Rivero's deft reverse pass.
Pumas somehow did not break the deadlock after Cruz Azul goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado's charge for a cross, as Luis Abram scrambled to clear Favio Alvarez's shot off the line.
Pumas eventually got off the mark through Dinenno in the 37th minute and in similarly chaotic circumstances, with another Abram clearance off the line deflecting off the post, then onto Dinenno's foot and in.
He doubled the margin for Pumas in a more conventional manner in first-half injury time, reading Alan Mozo's cross best to powerfully head home past Jurado.
Cruz Azul gave themselves a late lifeline in the tie, though, with Christian Tabo's goal in the 83rd minute.
The stars were on show on the first day of the 2022 ISSA Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
The marquee event, the 100m, saw all the big names safely make it through to the semi-finals which are scheduled to start at 3:30pm on Wednesday.
In the Class I Boys event, the Kingston College pair of Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (10.53) and Jeevan Newbie (10.55) were the fastest qualifiers to the semi-finals.
Edwin Allen’s Bryan Levell (10.73), St. Catherine’s Sandrey Davison (10.73) and Herbert Morrison’s Carifta Trials Under-20 100m champion DeAndre Daley (11.00) all got through their heats safely as well.
In Class II, Spot Valley’s Romario Hines (10.90), KC’s Aaron Thomas (10.90), Steer Town’s Omarion Barrett (10.93) and St. Jago’s Kawayne Kelly (11.01) were the fastest men in the heats. The JC pair of Mark Anthony Miller (11.53) and Dontae Watson (11.21) as well as KC’s Marvin Patterson (11.04) all safely got through to the semis.
Johan-Ramaldo Smythe of Muschett High (11.47) and Nickecoy Bramwell of Calabar (11.52) were the fastest in the Class III heats.
On the Girls side, Hydel’s Briana Lyston (12.01), Edwin Allen’s Tina Clayton (12.03) and her sister Tia Clayton (12.24) all progressed safely to the semi-finals in Class I but it was Petersfield’s Alexis James who qualified fastest with an impressive 11.72.
The Hydel pair of Alana Reid (12.04) and Kerrica Hill (12.31) got through comfortable in Class II while Edwin Allen’s Theianna Lee-Terrelonge (12.25) and Holmwood’s Abrina Wright (12.41) were the fastest to progress in Class III.
In Class IV, Natrece East of Wolmer’s (12.61) and Kimberly Wright of Immaculate (12.91) were the fastest qualifiers while pre-meet favourite Kedoya Lindo of Immaculate also safely got through with a 13.01 clocking.
Gonzalo Higuain will hang up his boots at the end of the Major League Soccer season, according to his father.
Higuain joined Inter Miami in September 2020, and has scored 15 goals in 44 MLS games for the team co-owned by David Beckham.
The 34-year-old is out of contract in December, and reports had suggested the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker was planning to move back to Argentina at the end of the campaign.
However, speaking to TNT Sports, his father, Jorge, said his son has told him he intends to end his career after he is finished in Miami.
"He is not going back to Argentina," his father, a former River Plate and Boca Juniors player, confirmed. "He told me that he is retiring at the end of the year. He is ending this year and is retiring from football.
"I would love for him to continue to be linked to football after playing. He is a boy who knows a lot, who has played in several places, he has everything to succeed. For me, it would be an insult if he does not continue in football."
After moving from River Plate to Madrid in December 2006, Higuain made a name for himself at Santiago Bernabeu, scoring 107 goals in 190 LaLiga appearances before moving to Napoli, where he famously broke the all-time Serie A record for goals in a single campaign (36 in 2015-16).
A big-money move to rivals Juventus saw him spend two seasons with the Bianconeri before loan moves to Milan and Chelsea. He spent one more year with Juve before heading to the United States in 2020.
He scored 31 goals in 75 games for Argentina.
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honorable Olivia Grange, has welcomed the return to ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships with spectators.
“In 2021, even though CHAMPS was staged, it was done behind closed doors. This resulted in losses of $70,000,000.00. For this year, ISSA projects that their earnings will return to pre-COVID figures despite the significant increase in inflation,” said Minister Grange in a statement issued on Monday.
She also explained how Jamaica derives significant economic benefit from what is the premier secondary school athletic championship in the world.
“Because of the long and distinguished legacy of CHAMPS, there is a consistent increase in visitor arrival to Jamaica during the period leading up to the mega event. While the support from high school alumni and Jamaicans in the diaspora who invest in and return to Jamaica for Champs is unquantified at this time, there is a marked stimulation in the economy which can be attributed to CHAMPS,” said Minister Grange.
“The city of Kingston, for example, benefits from an increase in occupancy of hotels, guesthouses, AIR BnB type facilities and private homes. This is also reflected in the local retail and transportation sectors. Through CHAMPS, there is both a direct and indirect co-relation to educational and employment opportunities. We also see a lot of merchandising from the schools; there’s the broadcasting revenue, there are stage, light and sound, there are opportunities for the small peanut vendors as well,” she added.
The 2022 edition of Champs gets underway Tuesday and runs until April 9 at the National stadium.
“Welcome back CHAMPS; welcome back spectators. Let the Games begin,” said Minister Grange.
ISSA Boys and Girls Championships pundit Hubert Lawrence believes that Kingston College and Edwin Allen are favourites to win the Boys and Girls titles, respectively, as the competition get underway at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
“It looks to me as if the boys' side could be quite close. Both KC, the 2019 champions, and JC, the 2021 champions, are quite strong,” Lawrence said.
“Early in the season, it looked as if JC was not as significantly strong as KC in Class III, but each week I saw the JC Class III look better and better and it may be that on balance now, the two teams are quite strong. I don’t think there’s a walkover even though, in general, KC might look a little bit ahead,” he added.
Lawrence also expressed where the main strengths of both teams are.
“Where KC is brilliantly strong is in hurdles across the classes while JC is brilliantly strong in the 800, 1500 area across all the classes. It may be that those strengths and balances cancel out and in the 800s and 1500s, there is an extra race than the hurdles because there is no Class III 400m Hurdles but there’s Class III 800m and 1500m,” he said.
On the Girls' side, Lawrence believes that despite the fact that Hydel looked good all season, Edwin Allen is still the team to beat.
“Girls Champs will be quite competitive as well. Edwin Allen is coming on every week. They’ve had a late start to training and rain in the hills in Frankfield but they look to be coming on each week and I would have to say they’re the favourites to defend their title,” he said.
“Who’s coming at them? Hydel. One of the remarkable things about coach Cory Bennett is his ability to hide a great side in plain view. So, you might go and score them 10 points but they’re really worth 17. St. Jago is also like that this year but coach Michael Dyke at Edwin Allen is a master at getting his teams to peak at the right time so that is up in the air but I say Edwin Allen would go in feeling in a stronger position than KC on the Boys' side,” he added.
Switching gears from teams to individuals, who, apart from the obvious candidates, does Lawrence have his eyes on to do big things at Champs?
“I’d go Alexis James from Petersfield in the Girls Class I sprint hurdles. Because Class I has a glittering 100m and 200m compliment of athletes like the Clayton twins and Briana Lyston, not many people are looking at the sprint hurdles," he said.
"James won at Carifta trials and in that race too, Oneika Wilson of Hydel got to the World Junior final but couldn’t run because of COVID protocols. Both of them are not far away from the Champs record of 13.12 so I think that’s an event we have to look at. We’re very sprint focused but I think the sprint hurdles with Megan Tapper getting the bronze in Tokyo, with us having two world champions in that event in Danielle Williams and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, that’s an event now at the Class I level that might just move forward,” he said.
“On the Boys' side, one athlete that we might not watch too much because we’re sort of track-focused is Christopher Young of Edwin Allen, former Class II discus champion. He’s been fantastic in the shot put, discus and javelin. I think his teammate, Trevor Gunzel, is just as good as he is in the shot as well as World Under-20 finalist Kobe Lawrence of Calabar so he won’t have it easy,” he said.
Tuesday, April 5 will mark the start of the 112th edition of one of the most anticipated high school athletics showcases in the world, the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships.
During the championships that will conclude on Saturday, April 9, established stars like Hydel’s Briana Lyston, Edwin Allen’s Clayton twins and Brian Levell are all expected to dominate but who are some under-the-radar competitors to keep an eye out for?
“There are so many talented athletes that aren’t from the top schools,” said Champs pundit Oliver “Elmo” Harris.
Among them is Lacovia High’s Sabrina Dockery. “She won the Girls Under-17 200m at the CARIFTA Trials and I expect her to do well in the Class III event at champs,” he said.
Ferncourt High School’s Abigail Campbell is another less-heralded athlete, who could shine during the championships.
“She won the 200m in Class III last year and I think she’ll do well in Class II this year,” Harris predicts.
He also expects big things from Hydel’s Class II sprinter/hurdler Kerrica Hill.
“She ran the third leg on Jamaica’s World Junior Record 4x100m team last year,” he said.
“I’m also looking forward to the Immaculate (High) sprinters. At the Corporate Area Championships, they won the 100m in all classes. The clash to look out for is in Class IV between Kedoya Lindo and Natrece East of Wolmer’s Girls in the 100m,” he added.
On the boy's side, Harriss sees a big clash coming in the Class I 400m Hurdles.
“I think the big clash on the boys' side will be between KC’s Rayon Campbell and Camperdown’s Roshawn Clarke in the Class I 400m Hurdles,” he said.
At the recent Carifta Trials, Campbell ran what was then a world-leading 49.52 to Clarke's 49.85. Harris expects more of the same at Champs.
The veteran pundit also believes the Class II sprints will thrill the thousands expected to turn out.
"The Class II sprints, as far as I'm concerned, will be more fascinating. Early in the season, Mark Miller from Jamaica College was considered a shoo-in for the 100 and 200m. That's no longer the case. He could win and he has the fastest time coming in but there's Shaquane Gordon of Calabar, Gary Card from Wolmer's and Omarion Barrett from Steer Town. That race will be fascinating," he said.
However, with all that said, who does Harris believe will win the respective titles at Champs 2022?
“I think KC will win Boys champs ahead of JC and Calabar. On the Girls' side, Edwin Allen will win, Hydel second and St. Jago third,” Harris said.
When you think about the greatest athletes of all time in any sport, Jamaica’s eight-time Olympic gold medallist and multiple world record holder Usain Bolt, will always come to mind.
Bolt, who retired in 2017, dominated global athletics for a decade winning the 100/200m sprint double in an unprecedented three consecutive Olympic Games (2008, 2012 and 2016). He also won the sprint double at the 2009, 2013, and 2015 World Championships to go along with the 200m title he won in Daegu in 2011. Bolt's world records of 9.58 and 19.19 set in 2009, have remained unchallenged for more than a decade.
His dominance was something many expected when they first saw him and track & field pundit and four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon is no different.
“I always thought Bolt could be special if somebody bridged that gap between his junior success and getting into the pros and his coach Glen Mills did that,” Boldon said in an interview with Athletics Weekly.
Boldon recalled how remarkable Bolt was the first time he ever saw him compete.
“The first time I saw him was actually a long way before the rest of the world was paying attention. He was at the Caribbean Games in 2004 and he set the World U20 200m record, clocking 19.93. It lasted all the way until last year,” he said. The USA Erriyon Knighton broke Bolt's U18 and U20 world records in 2021.
“He had his chain tucked into his mouth and he took the last 100m off. He was looking at girls in the stand and could’ve waved to the crowd, he was so far in front. He ran 19.93! Imagine a junior doing that? I’d never seen anybody that tall move their legs that quickly. Of course, he went to the Athens Olympics later on that year and didn’t get through the first round. Then in 2005, he re-emerges and he’s on the pro circuit,” he added.
Bolt’s rise didn’t come without setbacks as in 2005, he got to the final of the Men’s 200m at the World Championships in Helsinki and was in position for a medal before he pulled up injured with about 60 metres to go, finishing eighth in 26.27.
“Two years later in 2007, he gets the World 200m silver medal (in Osaka, Japan) behind Tyson Gay and he arrives. Everyone knows what then happened in Beijing in 2008,” Boldon said.
"As they say, the rest is history."
Four-time Caribbean Premier League Champions Trinbago Knight Riders have signed Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell and middle-order batsman Nicholas Pooran for the 2022 season.
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