Jamaican trio advances to the Men’s discus final in Paris
In a groundbreaking achievement for Jamaican athletics, three of the nation's top field athletes have advanced to the final of the men's discus throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Traves Smikle, Roje Stona, and Ralford Mullings have all secured their spots in the final, marking a significant milestone for Jamaica in the field events.
Leading the Jamaican charge at the Stade de France, Traves Smikle threw an impressive 65.91m, finishing fifth overall and fourth in Group A. Smikle's performance set the tone for his compatriots as Roje Stona followed closely, delivering a throw of 65.32m to finish sixth overall and second in Group B. Stona's strong showing reinforced Jamaica's emerging strength in this discipline, highlighting the depth of talent within the team.
Completing the trio, Ralford Mullings threw 65.18m, placing seventh overall and fifth in Group A. Mullings' performance ensured that all three Jamaican throwers advanced as the best non-automatic qualifiers for the final.
The upcoming men's discus throw final, scheduled for August 7, promises to be an exhilarating event, with the Jamaican trio poised to make history and potentially secure medals for their country
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Boyz coach McClaren eyes redemption in tough Honduras clash
Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren acknowledges that getting his first win in their second League A Group B Concacaf Nations League encounter away to Honduras will by no means be easy, but he remains optimistic about a positive outcome in Tegucigalpa on Tuesday.
Game time is 9:00pm Jamaica time.
Coming off a frustrating goalless draw against Cuba at home, McClaren knows his team must find a way to bounce back if they want to remain in contention for a quarterfinal spot, as they sit fourth on a point. Honduras and Nicaragua head the standings with three points each.
Only the top two teams will secure quarterfinal spots, as well as spots in the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
While he has no doubt in his squad’s ability to rise to the occasion in the crucial encounter, McClaren did not shy away from the reality of the difficult task ahead, especially in hostile territory.
“Coming here for us is a big challenge, a huge challenge and one which I expect my players to accept and to deal with and we work to get a result,” McClaren said in a pre-match press conference.
“That's three points. It's a step towards qualification for the quarterfinals and that's still the target. We played one game and we played very well, even though we didn't get the result. We need to really play well tomorrow (Tuesday) and fight as a team to get a result to put us back in contention to qualify,” he added.
Despite dominating possession and creating several chances in their opening contest against Cuba, the Jamaicans failed to convert, leaving McClaren feeling they could have done more to secure the win.
It is for that reason why he believes that the key to success against Honduras will be to maintain their composure, execute their game plan, and, more importantly, take advantage of scoring opportunities when they arise.
The two teams last met at the National Stadium in 2023, when Jamaica won 1-0 courtesy of Demarai Gray’s strike. Prior to that in 2021, Jamaica bettered the Central Americans 2-0 in their own backyard, a feat they will be hoping to repeat against Reinaldo Rueda’s side on this occasion.
“It will be a very difficult game. I think Honduras has progressed from the years that Jamaica played them; they are a better team now than they were a year ago and results show that. But we take it one game at a time and we take tomorrow (Tuesday) night as the next one,” McClaren said.