Tokyo Olympics triple gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah has won the Laureus Sportswoman Award for 2022. In doing so, she became the first Jamaican female athlete to win the coveted award that began in 2000.
The 29-year-old Thompson-Herah created history in Tokyo last year when she became the first woman in Olympic history to win the 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympic Games. She won the 100m in 10.61, breaking the previous record of 10.62 set by American Florence Griffith Joyner at the Seoul Games in 1988.
She then won the 200m in a lifetime best of 21.53, the second-fastest time in history. She won a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.
However, she was only getting started. Following the Olympics, she ran 10.54, the second-fastest time in history, to win the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon and then ran times of 10.64 and 10.65 to become the only woman in the history of the sport to run the 100m in under 10.70 four times.
“I really don’t think I can really express how it feels to be nominated amongst these wonderful and super talented ladies across their respective disciplines but to think that I could come out as the chosen winner of this prestigious award is just mind-blowing for me,” Thompson-Herah posted on Instagram in reaction to the news beneath a photograph of her holding her award.
“I would like to thank the Laureus Sports Academy for this wonderful recognition. I want to thank all my friends and family who have continuously supported me throughout my journey.”
She also thanked her sponsors Flow Jamaica, NCB Jamaica and Nike as well as her many fans.
“My fans, my fans! I love you guys so much, continue to motivate and pray for me as I set out to continuously rewrite the record books.”
Only one other Jamaican athlete has ever won the Laureus Sports Award. Usain Bolt won the Sportsman of the Year Award in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.
Formula One driver Max Verstappen won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award after winning his first title albeit under controversial circumstances.
Lamara Distin’s impressive season continued on Saturday when she won the high jump at the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Texas.
Re-stating her intentions to prolong her career until the 2024 Games in Paris, two-time Olympic 100m gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is targeting 10.5, perhaps 10.4 seconds in the blue ribbon sprint.
The 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce revealed her revised objectives after coasting to a second-place finish over 200m at the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday evening. The 2013 200m world champion, ran 22.79 after easing down 50m from the finish line in the race won by Bahamian Athonique Strachan in 22.55.
“The aim was to come out here today and get a run in. I haven’t raced in a while so I was definitely good to come and get a good run,” said the four-time 100m world champion before revealing what her new goals are, having achieved one of her goals of running 10.60 last season.
“10.6 after having that season last year has definitely opened a new door for me in terms of the dreams and the goals I am chasing this season. I am looking forward to running 10.5 and possibly 10.4, so that’s the aim and I think I am on my way to doing that, I just have to continue to trust that God will give me the strength, trust the coach and just continue to put in the work.”
Fraser-Pryce said her training has been going well, especially now that her training group at Elite Performance has grown over the past season with like-minded athletes Olympian Julian Forte and Rushell Clayton and the 2019 World Championship 400m hurdles bronze medallist among others.
“It’s good. It’s good to have training partners that have a similar mindset in terms of the work and what is required to be successful. To have teammates like those, you come to training in the morning, you’re feeling a little down or something is not happening, the work ethic also motivates you to put that work in. The vibe is good, the environment is good.
“It’s a great group and I am really in an expectant mood for them as club mates.”
Austin FC momentarily moved to the top of the Western Conference in the MLS, securing a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
A Maximiliano Urruti double within the opening half-hour put Austin in a commanding position at the interval, but they struggled in the second half, giving up eight shots to three despite 62.3 per cent of possession.
Sebastian Driussi clinched the result for Josh Wolff's side in the 68th minute, though, getting on the end of a flick-on from Nick Lima's long-throw at the back post to head home.
Austin have now gone five games undefeated in the league, bouncing back from Wednesday's elimination at the hands of San Antonio FC in the US Open Cup.
They remain a point ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who scraped a 1-0 win at home to Nashville via Dejan Joveljic's winner in the 86th minute. Real Salt Lake slipped up away to Portland Timbers, playing out a goalless draw.
There were also goalless draws between Sporting KC and Columbus Crew, and Colorado Rapids and Charlotte FC.
They were leapfrogged by FC Dallas, who claimed their fourth win of the season with a 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo.
They left it very late in the Texan derby after Sabastian Ferreira's opener for Dynamo in the 33rd minute, only equalising in the 87th minute through Tsiki Ntsabeleng.
Facundo Quignon claimed the three points for the Toros, lurking unmarked at the back post from a corner to score in the third minute of injury time.
Philadelphia Union remained top of the Eastern Conference despite a 1-1 draw at home to Montreal CF, giving the impetus to Orlando City and New York RB to make up ground on Sunday.
San Jose Earthquakes moved from the bottom of the Western Conference with a shock 4-3 win over the Seattle Sounders. Cristian Espinoza scored the winner for his hat-trick in the fourth minute of injury time via the penalty spot.
In Saturday's other results, Minnesota FC defeated Chicago Fire 3-0, while DC United claimed a 3-2 win over New England Revolution.
Olympic champion Steve Gardiner turned in a quality performance to open his outdoor season after clocking a world-leading 44.22 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold meet on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Gardiner continued to build momentum from a series of impressive indoor performances earlier this season, where he competed in the 200m. On Saturday, the Bahamian beat back a challenge from the USA’s Vernon Norwood, who ran 44.59 for second place. The time was the fourth-fastest of Norwood's career.
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith finished third in 44.61 seconds and the USA’s Tyler Terry was fourth in 45.00. The time was Gardiner’s fastest ever 400m season opener and seems to set him in good stead to defend his world title at the Eugene 2022 World Championships later this summer. Gardiner’s time bettered the earlier mark of 44.28 seconds, set by the USA’s Michael Cherry last weekend.
Elsewhere, Jamaica’s LSU hurdles star Damion Thomas finished third in the men’s 110 metres hurdles. Thomas’ time of 13.79 saw him finish just behind Canada’s Joey Daniels who clocked 13.78 for second, while the event was won by LSU’s Eric Edwards Jr who took top spot in a time of 13.34.
Olympic 110m hurdles champion, Hansle Parchment, opened his 2022 season by running 13.20 to win the Men’s 110m hurdles, at Velocity Fest 11, at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Parchment used an excellent start to win ahead of Rasheed Broadbell (13.31) and Michael O’Hara (13.52).
Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper was also in fine form running 12.80 to win the Women’s 100m hurdles ahead of Crystal Morrison (13.02) and Amoi Brown (13.33).
Nine-time World Championship gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also made her 2022 season debut with a second-place finish in the 200m.
Fraser-Pryce had her trademark fast start before jogging the last 50m of the race to finish with a time of 22.79. Bahamian Anthonique Strachan ran a season’s best 22.55 to take the win while Natasha Morrison was third in 23.06.
Remona Burchell ran 11.13 to win the Women’s 100m ahead of Jodean Williams (11.51) and Krystal Sloley (11.74).
The Men’s 100m was won by Ackeem Blake in a new personal best 10.08. 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake was second in a season’s best 10.11 and Kadrian Goldson was third in 10.20.
In the Women’s 400m, Candice McLeod won Section A in 51.20 ahead of Janieve Russell (51.96) and Rhonda Whyte (52.26).
Zandrion Barnes won the Men’s 400m in a personal best 45.69 ahead of Anthony Cox (45.84) and Demish Gaye (46.19).
Antonio Watson ran 20.56 to win the Men’s 200m ahead of Kishane Thompson (20.92) and Riquan Graham (21.25).
Left-arm spinner Chevonne Grant was instrumental as the Middlesex Titans secured an 18-run win over the Middlesex United Stars, via the D/L method, in their rain-affected fixture in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Saturday.
After the United Stars won the toss and elected to field, they bowled well to restrict the Titans to 81-8 off their 10 overs.
Sherdon Allen (36) and Oshane Walters (10) were the only Titans batsmen to reach double figures as West Indies U-19 representative Andel Gordon led the United Stars bowling with 3-10 off his two overs.
Dwayne Hamilton also took 2-21 for the United Stars.
The Stars reply never got out of first gear as only Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Alwyn Williams was able to get to double figures with 16.
At the time the rain came down, the United Stars were teetering at 41-7 off 7 overs. There was no further play as the match was then called off with the Stars 18 runs short of their target via the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The aforementioned Grant produced an excellent spell of bowling, taking 4-9 off his two overs.
Jeavor Royal and Kennar Lewis were in fine form with the bat to help the Surrey Kings defeat the Surrey Risers in their Dream 11 Jamaica T10 encounter at Sabina Park on Saturday.
After the Risers chose to field first, after winning the toss, the powerful Kings batting line-up continued their excellent form so far in the tournament by posting a formidable 139-4 off their 10 overs.
Royal, a former West Indies Under-19 player and current member of the St. Lucia Kings CPL franchise, was the chief scorer for the Kings with 45 off just 17 balls, including four fours and three sixes.
Lewis, a current member of the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL, was also in belligerent form with an 18-ball 41, including one four and five sixes, including four in one over off left-arm wrist-spinner Dennis Bulli.
West Indies Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood contributed 28 while Andre McCarthy made 17.
Left-arm spinner Warren Campbell was the most economical bowler for the Risers with 1-14 off his two overs.
Despite fighting knocks from Sadique Henry (58 not out) and Delbert Gayle (40 not out), the target of 140 was just too much for the Risers as they finished 109-2 off their 10 overs, 30 runs short of the Kings.
Henry’s innings came off 37 balls and included six fours and four sixes, while Gayle’s knock came off 16 balls and included four fours and three sixes.
Andre Dennis was the pick of the Kings bowlers with 2-15 from his two overs.
18-year-old Omar Laing a standout player for St Andrew Technical (STATHS) during last season’s Manning Cup was shot and killed in a drive-by incident in West Kingston on Friday.
According to reports, Laing was celebrating his 18th birthday in the vicinity of Charles Street when he was struck by gunfire from a passing vehicle.
Playing as a forward, Laing was the leading scorer for the team in the Manning Cup last season, a member of local Premier League club Cavalier and was also called up to Jamaica’s youth national team.
Recently retired West Indies captain Kieron Pollard has faced his fair share of critics but ends his international career with one of the highest win percentages of any captain to lead the One Day International (ODI) team in the last 20 years.
The 34-year-old, who took charge of the ODI team in September 2019, called time on an international career that spanned some 16 years and a three-year spell in charge of two regional teams. In ODI’s, Pollard led the team for 24 games, winning 13, losing 11, and drawing none for a win percentage of 54.17.
Alone that would not seem so impressive, turns out that’s not so bad, as far as West Indies captains go. Pollard’s win percentage puts him ahead of Dwayne Bravo (44.44), Darren Sammy (36.00), and Jason Holder (27.91). The big-hitters win percentage also puts him above the like of legends Brian Lara, who won 47.20 percent of his games, and Chris Gayle who had a 32.08 win ratio.
His success rate for T20s has been much less than the ODI’s. Pollard’s 33.33-win ratio puts him well behind Sammy at 59.57, Bravo at 50 percent, Gayle at 41.18 percent, and Carlos Braithwaite at 36.67.
An unbeaten half century from Jamaica Scorpions opener Leroy Lugg and a hat-trick from Scorpions teammate Nicholson Gordon helped the Surrey Royals secure a nine-wicket win over the Middlesex Titans in the Dream11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday.
After the Royals won the toss and decided to bowl first, they had the Titans in a tough spot on 29-3 off 5.1 overs before all-rounder Jamie Merchant rescued the innings brilliantly with a 15-ball 41 including five fours and three sixes.
He was dismissed in the ninth over to leave the score 84-4 before Nicholson Gordon bagged a hat-trick in the last over with the wickets of Errol Thomas (17), Sherdon Allen (2) and Jamaine Morgan (0).
Opener Wayne Davis earlier contributed 18 for the Titans.
Gordon finished with 3-21 off his two overs while off-spinner Peat Salmon contributed 2-5 from his two.
The Royals then cruised to their target, getting to 98-1 off 8.3 overs despite a short rain delay during the fourth over of their reply.
Lugg combined with West Indies batsman Nkrumah Bonner to form a match-winning second wicket partnership of 96 after fellow opener Romaine Morris was dismissed in the first over for a duck by former West Indies pacer Krishmar Santokie.
Lugg finished 50 not out off just 24 balls including four fours and three sixes, his second half-century of the tournament, while Bonner ended up 46 not out off 25 balls including two fours and four sixes.
Several Jamaican Olympians will be on show this weekend at the next staging of the Velocity Fest Series at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Chief among them are the likes of Olympic medalists Hansle Parchment, Shericka Jackson and Stephenie-Ann McPherson.
Parchment, who is set to compete at the 2022 Drake Relays next week, will shake off some rust in the 110m hurdles where he will line up against rising star Rasheed Broadbell, Tyler Mason and Michael O’Hara, who is returning from an injury that ended derailed him last season.
Jackson, who has run a couple of 400m races this season, steps down to the half-lap sprint where she will match times with McPherson, who will also step down to the 200m for this meet along with fellow quarter-miler Tiffany James.
Also down for the 200m is the speedy Natasha Morrison, Anthonique Strachan and Sasha Lee Forbes.
2014 NCAA 100m champion Remona Burchell is in the line-up for the 100m along with long jumper Tissana Hickling, Kashieka Cameron as well as 2008 Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist Melaine Walker.
The men’s 100m will feature Julian Forte, Tajay Gayle as well as Waseem Williams, Yohan Blake, Chadic Hinds and Antonio Watson.
The Women’s 400m event promises to be compelling as it should have Janieve Russell, Candice McLeod, Anastassia Le-Roy, James, Junelle Bromfield and the veteran Christine Day among the participants.
Cornwall Warriors captain Michael Frew produced an excellent spell of bowling to lead his team to victory over the Middlesex United Stars in the Dream11 Jamaica T10 tournament at Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday.
Asking the Stars to bat first after winning the toss, the Warriors had early success after removing West Indies opener John Campbell for 14.
Sashane Anderson (22) and Suwayne Wilson (12) were the only other Stars batsmen to reach double figures as Frew, a member of the West Indies U-19 World Cup winning squad in 2016, ripped through the batting line-up to finish with figures of 4-16 from his two overs.
In the end, the Stars were restricted to a modest 81-7 off their 10 overs.
The Warriors made light work of the chase, reaching 83-3 off 8.4 overs to get their second win of the competition.
They got home thanks to some indiscipline from the Stars bowlers and solid showings from Ockeeno Farqharson (21), Jevoy Spence (15) and Andre McCarthy (13 not out).
West Indies U-19 representative Andel Gordon took 2-11 off his two overs.
John Campbell scored 82 and Michael Thompson took three wickets as United Stars defeated Surrey Risers by 68 runs in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Thursday.
In his 37-ball innings, the West Indies opener smashed seven fours and six sixes before he was dismissed off the last ball of the innings as United Stars made 155-3. Campbell put on 84 for the second wicket with Alwyn Williams who hit three fours and four sixes in his 18-ball 45.
Oshane Thomas was the best of the bowlers, taking 2-30 from his two overs.
In reply, Surrey Risers could only manage 87-6 as Thompson 3-15 and Tyrone Daley 2-17 combined to tear through the line-up. Only opener Chadwick Walton, who scored 36 and Delbert Gayle (24) managed double figures.
In the second match on the day, Man of the Match Jermaine Blackwood scored 46 and Kennar Lewis 27 as Surrey Kings defeated Surrey Royals by eight wickets.
Batting first, Surrey Royals scored 90-8 from their 10 overs. Javelle Glen, 23, and Pete Salmon, 20, were the leading scorers against the bowling attack led by Andre Dennis 1-12 and Oraine Williams 1-14.
Lewis and Blackwood made light work of the chase, getting to 95-2 from just 5.2 overs.
Everton Oharo 1-8 and Pete Salmon 1-18 were the wicket-takers for the Royals whose attack wilted under the onslaught of Blackwood, whose 46 came from just 17 balls and included five fours and four sixes.
Lewis remained unbeaten after smashing four sixes from the 14 balls he faced.
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