Noted track coach Gary Evans has shared his belief that his athlete, Kyron McMaster, is ready to contend for a medal at the upcoming 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Coach Evans believes that with the right preparation and mindset, McMaster can even dip below the elusive 47-second barrier at the World Championships in Budapest next month.
Last Thursday, McMaster secured a significant victory in Slovakia, winning the 400m hurdles in a season's best time of 47.26 seconds. At the P-T-S Meeting, the British Virgin Islands star raced to victory ahead of David Kendziera the USA, who clocked in at 48.95 seconds with Dany Brandt of Switzerland taking third place with a season-best time of 49.25 seconds.
McMaster, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, joined Evans’ group at the end of last season after spending the previous five years with Jamaican coach Lennox Graham, who is also the Assistant Coach at Clemson University.
Under Graham’s guidance, McMaster won two Commonwealth Games titles and was fourth at the Toyko Olympics in a lifetime best 47.08, a time that would have won the gold medal at every other Olympic Games except for 1992 when Kevin Young won in a then world record of 46.78 and in Tokyo where Karsten Warholm dropped a jaw-dropping 45.94 to win gold.
Two years on, Coach Evans believes the 26-year-old McMaster is now primed to achieve a new lifetime best and a place on the podium of a global championship.
Prior to McMaster’s season-best run in Slovakia, the BVI-born hurdler has been running 48s all season so his performance in Slovakia was somewhat surprising. Regarding McMaster's readiness and recent improvement, Coach Evans stated, "I do believe that he probably should have run 47 a little earlier. But the thing is sometimes when you get a kid from a new coach he has to get used to the program and then you do things a little differently."
In Evans’ training group McMaster trains with the likes of Steven Gardiner, an Olympic and World Champion, Matthew Hudson-Smith, a World Championship bronze medallist as well as Michael Cherry, a 400m standout. Working with them has helped McMaster get settled and improve. He just now needs to focus on the task at hand.
"Kyron studies hard, studies very, very hard and I told him, sometimes you're doing too much studying. You're trying to do my job, the agent's job. I just need you to run," the veteran coach said.
Speaking about the training plan to get McMaster to this stage before the World Championships, Coach Evans explained, "We worked on what we had to work on the track and when we step out on the track, just run... know that I got to run 400 metres but I got 10 sticks. That's one of the 10 items that's going to interrupt me and that's how we look at it now."
In Budapest, McMaster will face Warholm, American champion Rai Benjamin and the world champion, Alison dos Santos, all of whom have run 46 seconds for the 400m hurdles. For McMaster to get onto the podium, he has to be capable to dipping below 47 seconds.
Evans believes he is ready to do just that.
“[I] already told him to get ready to get a new tattoo (of his new personal best). I have a few goals when I'm coaching; two goals, we are going to win a medal and when we step on that track at the end of the season, we going to know we ran our PB."
Regarding McMaster's competitors, Coach Evans noted, "You got the big three; you got Santos back, you got Warholm, and you got Rai Benjamin, somebody's going to choke, somebody's going to make a mistake.
“Somebody's going to take a step back. One of them hurdlers is going to step back and do a 47. You got to be ready to say, ‘Okay, I need to make sure I step forward. It's like I told Matthew Hudson Smith last year when Stevie (Gardiner) stepped out the picture. Matthew Hudson, this is your time to go get your medal.”
Coach Evans further expressed his confidence in McMaster's potential to succeed, saying, "I think we got a good game plan that we're going come up with when we get there. Kyron, it's your time to step in the picture... You got to stay in front of them... Your foot on the gas. You got to be on the gas now."
McMaster races next at the Eddie Murphy Classic in Memphis, Tennessee on August 4. It will be his final race before departing for his medal hunt in Budapest.
“My objective is for him to run in Memphis where it'll be a great. It'll be a great field. You know CJ Allen that ran 47.8 and two other guys. A lot of people are going to use that Memphis race. For our people, that's their last race and then they're going across [to Budapest],” Evans concluded.
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.
Red Stripe launches “Guh Fi Gold & Glory” campaign with Usain Bolt
As the excitement surrounding the Paris Olympics surges within the hearts and minds of Jamaicans across the globe, beer giant Red Stripe launched its “Guh Fi Gold and Glory” Olympics campaign, with track & field legend Usain Bolt to serve as its brand ambassador.
Through this campaign, Red Stripe will send 10 lucky Jamaicans to Paris, France to cheer on the country’s athletes. From community engagements, countless giveaways, to a partnership with the incomparable Bolt, Red Stripe is set to amplify national pride before, during and after local athletes dominate on the main stage at this summer’s global multi-event showpiece.
Details of the campaign were revealed during the launch announcement at the Half Way Tree Transport Centre on Wednesday.
Red Stripe’s Head of Commerce, Sean Wallace said the campaign represents a significant, long-term investment.
“The Olympic games allow our Jamaican athletes to showcase their envied talents, as well as, as it allows our people to come together within communities, homes, town squares to chat and cheer. It's really an occasion where national pride unfailingly soars and so, our brand undoubtedly wanted to be a part of that excitement in a much larger way this time around.
“So of course, we decided to do it big. We’re proud to not only offer extensive giveaway opportunities, meaningful and authentic community events, but announce our recent partnership with the legend himself, Usain Bolt,” Wallace said.
Forming part of a larger $80 Million investment with the Jamaica Olympics Association (JOA), the “Guh Fi Gold & Glory” campaign further symbolises Red Stripe’s commitment to celebrating sportsmanship, unity and the spirit of competition that is part of the country’s DNA.
For Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medallists and the world’s fastest man over 100m and 200m, his iconic brand with the world’s iconic beer, represents the perfect fit.
“Red Stripe is synonymous with Jamaica, and I always want to represent the best of Jamaica. Becoming an ambassador for Red Stripe is a celebration of greatness and I’m very excited about the partnership. I’m even more excited for Jamaicans to enjoy all the fun and excitement that Red Stripe has coming their way. So, it is something that I am excited about. We have a lot of work to do, and I am looking forward to it,” Bolt shared.
From May 1 to June 28, Red Stripe will be rolling out a series of promotional events in support of the upcoming Olympic Games, with 10 consumers set to secure unique opportunity to enjoy the Games live.
Additionally, the beer brand will host viewing experiences whenever local athletes are set to compete. Red Stripe also announced that each week, five individuals will receive cash prizes of J$50,000, while 10 winners will be selected to receive 65-inch smart TVs, and one lucky recipient will enjoy an Olympic-style living room upgrade.
“As we support our athletes with training, development, and equipment, we are equally committed to giving back to our communities. We recently showcased the immense talent of our nation's artists by commissioning a special limited-edition label that will soon be available in the market,” Wallace said.
“Over the next few weeks, we aim to forge meaningful connections that reflect our values and capture the excitement of the Olympics. Our commitment has always been, and will continue to be, focused on celebrating what is uniquely Jamaican and honouring the talent and accomplishments of our people,” he ended.
SEC Field Athlete of the Week honour for Wayne Pinnock
Opening his outdoor season with a wind-aided mark of 8.44m to win the long jump at the LSU Invitational earned Razorback Wayne Pinnock the SEC Field Athlete of the Week honour, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. This was Pinnock’s first competition since winning the NCAA Indoor long jump title in mid-March, when he improved his world-leading indoor mark to 8.40m.
Pinnock, the 2023 World Championships silver medalist, has been the world leader in the long jump since the 2023 outdoor season, with a leap of 8.54m from the World Championships qualification round. His winning effort at LSU is the 2024 outdoor world-leading performance under all-conditions as it was aided by a 5.8m/s wind. It also ranks him as the number-eight performer on the collegiate all-time list under all-conditions, which includes five wind-aided marks among the top 11 performers.
With only three jumps in his series, Pinnock opened with 8.15m that was assisted with a 7.1m/s wind. In the third round, with a 2.3 wind, Pinnock traveled 8.25m/s.
Jamaican thrower Rojé Stona earns invite to Green Bay Packers minicamp
Rojé Stona, the standout discus thrower from Jamaica, has received an invitation to the Green Bay Packers' minicamp, showcasing his potential as a professional football player despite his background solely in track and field.
Stona's achievements in 2024 have been remarkable, including a silver medal in NCAA Indoor shot put, setting a University of Arkansas indoor shot put record with a throw of 20.48m and achieving a career-best discus throw of 69.05m that surpasses the Paris Olympics standard.
At 6’ 6” and 263 lbs and known for his NFL body type and impressive athletic traits, Stona is venturing into the world of professional football without prior competitive experience in the sport. His background in discus and shot put has endowed him with explosive hips, exceptional core strength, long arms, and large hands—attributes that make him a compelling prospect as a tight end.
Despite his lack of football background, Stona's athleticism has caught the attention of NFL scouts. He performed well in running and jumping during his recent pro day, showcasing his raw potential. However, transitioning into football will require Stona to learn essential skills such as blocking and refining his route running and catching abilities.
As he embarks on this new journey, Stona is committed to proving himself and becoming a successful NFL player. His determination and physical gifts make him a promising candidate for teams looking to invest in an undrafted free agent with significant upside.
Stona's invitation to the Green Bay Packers' minicamp marks an exciting chapter in his athletic career, and he is poised to make the most of this opportunity as he pursues his dream of playing professional football.
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