At the Paris Diamond League meeting on Sunday, Marileidy Paulino and Malik James-King both secured podium finishes, displaying their exceptional form just weeks before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Paulino, the reigning world champion, continued her dominance in the 400m. Although she fell short of her goal to break the 48-second barrier, Paulino's performance was nothing short of impressive. She won the 400m with a season's best time of 49.20 seconds, pulling away from Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek, who finished second in 49.82 seconds, and Salwa Eid Naser, the 2019 World Champion, who took third with the same time. Despite not achieving her target, Paulino's victory reaffirmed her readiness to contend for Olympic gold in Paris.
Speaking at the pre-meet press conference on Saturday, Paulino had expressed her desire to run under 49 seconds. "I feel very well prepared. My main ambition is to do the best possible time and to have an optimal race execution. For me, a time of 48'' would be ideal," she said. Her performance on Sunday, while just shy of this mark.
Meanwhile, James-King, fresh off his massive personal best at the Jamaica National Championships, delivered another remarkable performance in the 400m hurdles. Arriving in Paris only 12 hours before the race, James-King clocked an impressive 48.37 seconds to secure third place. This follows his stunning victory in Kingston, where he dethroned national record holder Roshawn Clarke with a lifetime best of 47.42 seconds.
Brazil's Alison dos Santos, the pre-race favorite, won the 400m hurdles in 47.78 seconds, followed by Estonia's Rasmus Magi, who finished second in 47.95 seconds. James-King's podium finish against such a competitive field highlighted his potential for further success on the international stage.
The Paris Diamond League meeting was packed with thrilling performances, including a world record in the women's high jump and a world-leading time in a sensational 800m race. Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati topped the 800m with a lifetime best, world lead, and national record of 1:41.56. He narrowly edged out Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who ran a lifetime best of 1:41.58, and Frenchman Gabriel Tual, who set a national record and lifetime best of 1:41.61. The depth of competition was evident, with the next three runners all finishing under 1:43 and achieving personal bests.
One of the highlights of the meet came in the women’s high jump, where Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh broke Stefka Kostadinova’s long-standing world record of 2.09m, set in 1987. Mahuchikh, facing strong competition from world indoor champion Nicola Olyaslagers, who had matched her at 2.01m, went on to clear 2.03m and then 2.07m before soaring to a new world record of 2.10m, surpassing her own meet record and world lead of 2.04m.
Serbia Angelina Topic set a new national record of 1.98 for third.
Notably, Jamaica’s Lamara Distin was fourth with 1.95.
The other came in the 1500m where Faith Kipyegon broke her own the 1500m world record running an incredible 3:49.04 eclipsing her previous mark of 3:49.11 set last year. She dragged the field to outstanding performances with Australia’s Jessica Hull benefitting the most with a new lifetime best of 3:50.83, an Area Record. Laura Muir of Great Britain was third in a new personal best and national record of 3:53.79.
The next five runners all ran personal best times as the meet came to its conclusion.
As the penultimate Diamond League meet before the Olympics, the performances in Paris have set the stage for an exciting and highly competitive Games.
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.
2019 World champion Tajay Gayle leaves MVP track club
2019 World Championship long jump gold medallist Tajay Gayle has left the MVP track and field club.
No reason has been given as to why the 2019 RJRGleaner National Sportsman of the year left the club based at the University of Technology in Kingston.
However, the 28-year-old national record holder looks set to start working with St. Elizabeth-based jumps coach Kerry-Lee Ricketts, husband of Shanieka Ricketts.
Ricketts has guided the career of his wife to silver medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships as well as silver at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Gayle struggled with knee injuries in the 2021 and 2022 seasons before returning to take bronze at last year’s World Championships in Budapest behind teammate Wayne Pinnock and Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglu.
Tiffany Langley eager to make the most of Fast5 opportunity on Sunshine Girls debut
Tiffany Langley’s netball journey has been marked by years of dedication, disappointment, and unwavering perseverance.
So, as she prepares to represent Jamaica for the first time as part of the Sunshine Girls squad to the Fast5 Netball World Series in New Zealand, Langley views her inclusion as a hard-earned opportunity for redemption and a stepping stone toward becoming a staple in the senior setup.
Langley’s selection for the November 9-10 tournament comes as a welcome reward after years of near misses at the youth level. She has been on the fringes of the national programme since her early teens, as she trained diligently with both the Under-16 and Under-21 teams.
Yet, despite her efforts, she narrowly missed out on making the final cut for international tournaments—experiences that could have easily derailed a young athlete’s confidence. But for Langley, those setbacks only fueled her desire to push harder and prove herself worthy.
“This opportunity means everything to me. It’s something I’ve been working towards for years, and I guess I can say my hard work has now paid off because being a part of a national team to represent my country is a dream come true,” Langley shared.
“Missing out on the Under-16 and Under-21 squads at that point was tough, but I never gave up. So for this opportunity to come at this point in my career, it gives me the confidence that I was lacking before to keep pushing forward, and now I’m excited to see what the future holds for me,” she told SportsMax.Tv.
For Langley, her selection to the Sunshine Girls’ Fast5 squad—a variation of netball known for its fast-paced style and tactical intensity—marks a turning point in her career.
Though Fast5 is different from the traditional 7-a-side format, the 24-year-old believes the condensed format suits her skill set and will allow her to showcase her versatility on the court.
“It’s a different game in many ways, but it’s also an opportunity to test yourself under pressure. I’ve been working hard on my speed, agility, and decision-making, and I’m mentally and physically ready to give it my all,” Langley shared.
“Mentally, I reassured myself that I’m good enough to be a part of this team and capable enough to get the job done. Physically, I am working extremely hard to better my skills in training to ensure that I deliver when I am called upon,” she added.
Langley, who started her netball journey at Gaynstead High School before transitioning to GC Foster College, believes her story is one of perseverance and resilience, as she is of the view that many athletes, when faced with repeated setbacks, might have opted to hang up their boots. However, the bubbly player’s love for the sport and her dream of representing Jamaica at the highest level kept her motivated.
Now with the opportunity there for the taking, Langley’s goal is to make a strong impression during the Fast5 tournament to show selectors that she can be a valuable asset for the team in both short and long formats of the game.
If she can deliver on her promise, she hopes this will be the first of many senior appearances.
“I’m not just happy to be here; I’m determined to make an impact. This isn’t just about making my debut; it’s about establishing myself as a player for the future. I want to be a part of the senior team for years to come, so this is just the beginning. I want to use this chance to learn, grow, and cement my place in the squad,” Langley asserted.
While they might find the going tough in New Zealand, Langley, a wing-attack, who is set to play centre at the tournament, is confident that the Dalton Hinds and Nardia Hanson-coached team has enough talent to cause some problems.
“I rate our chances highly. I love the work everyone is putting in at training; I love the camaraderie among us, and I’m so excited to see what this competition has to offer, as I am sure we all want to keep improving to be consistent in making more Sunshine Girls teams,” Langley ended.
Olympic bronze medallist Campbell wants more appreciation for athletes in Jamaica
When an athlete makes history for their country in the world’s biggest sporting spectacle, the Olympic Games, the typical reaction from that country is some sort of acknowledgement or celebration of that historic performance.
Unfortunately, this has yet to be the case for Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell.
Campbell became the first Jamaican man to ever medal in a throwing event at an Olympic Games when he threw 22.15m to win bronze in Paris on August 3.
Four days after Campbell’s performance, Roje Stona also made history, throwing a personal best 70.00m for gold in the discus, becoming Jamaica’s first ever Olympic champion in a throwing event.
In the latest episode of SportsMax TV’s Out D Blocks hosted by Leighton Levy and D Major, the 28-year-old national record holder spoke candidly about the lack of acknowledgment and appreciation back home for these historic achievements.
“We have talked about it. The only problem is, as what Omar McLeod mentioned at trials about the 2016 Olympics, we don’t feel the appreciation from Jamaica,” Campbell said, referencing Omar McLeod’s comments after the Olympic trials where he spoke about not feeling appreciated by Jamaica after his Olympic gold medal performance eight years ago.
“You see the kind of celebration Julien Alfred got? I’m not expecting the same here but Jamaica has such a rich history in track and field, I don’t think the athletes are really appreciated for what they do,” he added.
Campbell, born in Ocho Rios, moved to Joplin, Missouri in 2018 to attend Missouri Southern State University where he attended for three years.
He noted that he’s received more of a celebration for his achievement in Joplin than back home in Jamaica.
“I met with the school President on Wednesday of last week and he explained certain things they have in store for me and there is a big sign on campus that people come in and see. It’s a different celebration taking place here compared to Jamaica,” he said.
As Campbell noted, whenever a Jamaican is in an event, Jamaicans expect them to do well. He wonders whether more appreciation would be given to the athletes when they do well if people understood the sacrifices they make on a daily basis.
“The love for Jamaica will never die. We will always continue to represent but, at the same time, the amount of sacrifice it takes to get to the level we are, something that I’ve found is once there is a Jamaican in an event, you’re expected to do well. How do we get there?”
“When you actually get there it’s like ‘Oh! I expected it or I knew you could do it.’ At the same time, there’s a journey that nobody really understands,” he continued.
He added that there has been no communication to him or Stona regarding any sort of celebration or acknowledgement in Jamaica.
Out D Blocks can be seen live every Thursday on the SportsMax TV YouTube channel.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
