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• Guyana's table tennis star Chelsea Edghill feeling good after 'solid practice sessions' in Paris

  By all indications, Guyana’s top table tennis player, Chelsea Edghill is relaxed and ready to go at the Olympic Games as she continues to get acclimatised to conditions in Paris.

  Edghill, who is relishing her second Olympic Games appearance, is the only English-speaking Caribbean representative set to compete in table tennis at the global multi-sport showpiece, which got underway with football action on Wednesday.

  The 27-year-old, who was eliminated in the first round at the 2020 Tokyo Games, pointed out that she has so far engaged in some solid practice sessions since her arrival in Mulhouse, France, as she hopes to go at least one better on this occasion.

  “It was just Guyana in the camp, so we took the time to train with some of the local players and practice with the world master’s bronze medalist and the practice session was good,” Edghill told Chronicle Sport.

  “We go back to Paris to settle in for the games but so far we have to train and getting used to the environment. It (table tennis) takes so much skill and practice, I have been doing it for 18 years and it is still very difficult…misconception is that it is easy,” she added.

  While her preparation aimed at fine-tuning her skills and focus leading up to the multi-sport event, Edghill has always been self-motivated.

  “I am really working on grounding myself and looking inward. If the plan doesn’t work, we just scrap the plan and then start over,” Edghill said in an Instagram post, as she hopes to break barriers and possibly create opportunities for other Guyanese players.

  She is joined in Paris by National Coach Idi Lewis, the country’s top swimmer, Aleka Persaud and coach Sean Baksh, as well as track and field star Emanuel Archibald.

• LaFond, Paulino among winners at USATF LA Grand Prix

  World champions Thea LaFond and Marileidy Paulino were among the winners on day two of the USATF LA Grand Prix at the UCLA Drake Stadium on Saturday.

  LaFond produced 14.37m in the fifth round to win ahead of Jamaican two-time World Championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts (14.36m) and American Tori Franklin (13.87m).

  LaFond made history in March when she became the first Dominican to win gold at a World Athletics Championships. She produced a national record 15.01m to take top spot at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

  Elsewhere on Saturday, reigning World 400m champion Marileidy Paulino remained unbeaten this season with 50.27 to win ahead of World 800m champion Mary Moraa (50.56) and American Alexis Holmes (50.73).

  2011 World champion Kirani James was second in the men's equivalent in a season's best 44.85 behind American 2022 World champion Michael Norman Jr who won in 44.53. Vernon Norwood was third in 44.86.

  World Championship finalist and world U-20 record holder Roshawn Clarke opened his season in the 400m hurdles with a respectable 48.11 to finish second behind American Rai Benjamin who ran a world leading 46.64. World Championship silver medallist Kyron McMaster was third in 48.51.

  Andrenette Knight ran a season’s best 54.69 for second in the women’s equivalent behind American Anna Cockrell who ran a season’s best of her own with 53.75. Cassandra Tate was third in 55.02.

  On Friday's day one, Jamaica's Roje Stona threw 66.93m to win the men's discus ahead of Chile's Claudio Romero (64.12m) and the USA's Brian Williams (63.36m).

• Sprint hurdlers Britany Anderson, Omar McLeod set to stage comebacks over 60m at Berlin ISTAF Indoors Feb. 23

  In highly anticipated comebacks, Olympic champion Omar McLeod and World Championship silver medalist Britany Anderson are set to make their season debuts at the ISTAF Indoor Meeting in Berlin on February 23, 2024. Both sprint hurdlers will both compete in 60m dash as they step back into the competitive arena after some time away.

  For McLeod, the journey to Berlin marks a return to competition after facing setbacks in recent years. The 2016 Olympic champion has struggled with poor form, leading to his failure to qualify for the Jamaican team in both the Tokyo Olympics and the World Athletics Championships in 2022. However, reports from his training camp in Italy hinted at a remarkable turnaround, with McLeod displaying renewed focus and determination to regain his winning form on the track.

  Eager for redemption, McLeod is approaching the ISTAF Indoor Meeting as a pivotal moment in his career as the 2017 World 110m hurdles world champion aims to showcase the fruits of his hard work and dedication in front of the global athletics community.

  On the other hand, Anderson's story adds another layer of inspiration to the event.

  The silver medalist from the 2022 World Championships in Oregon had faced a significant hurdle in the form of a knee injury that required surgery in early 2023. This setback forced her to miss the entire season.

  The ISTAF Indoor Meeting in Berlin is now the stage for Anderson's much-anticipated return from surgery.

  The meet otherwise boasts stellar lineup, featuring world record holder Grant Holloway, European indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli from Italy, Zaynab Dosso, the third fastest 60m sprinter globally, and British European Champion Daryll Neita.

  Among the local contenders were the fastest sprinters of the German Leichtathletik-Verbands (DLV), including Alexandra Burghardt, Rebekka Haase (both in the 60m), and Franziska Schuster (60m hurdles). The anticipation built as the world prepared to witness the thrilling competitions unfold on the renowned blue track in Berlin, with McLeod and Anderson's comebacks adding an extra layer of excitement to an already star-studded event.