Day 7 of the Track and Field events at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw a mixed bag of results for Caribbean athletes. While Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford and Yona Knight-Wisdom had commendable performances, the Bahamas’ Rhema Otabor faced disappointment in the women’s javelin throw.
Beckford Advances to Men’s High Jump final
Jamaica's Romaine Beckford emerged as the standout performer in the men's high jump qualification rounds, securing his place in the finals. Beckford cleared 2.24m in Group B, placing third in the group and eighth overall. Despite none of the athletes meeting the automatic qualification standard of 2.29m, Beckford's performance was strong enough to earn him a spot in the final, scheduled for August 10.
Meanwhile, it was a challenging day for the Bahamas' Donald Thomas, who failed to register a mark in Group A and was unable to advance. The qualification round was led by Shelby McEwen of the United States, who cleared 2.27m.
Knight-Wisdom a reserve in Men’s 3m Springboard final
In the men's three-metre springboard semi-finals, Jamaica's Yona Knight-Wisdom delivered an impressive performance, finishing 13th overall with a total score of 412.40 points. This placed him as a reserve for the final, prepared to step in if any of the top 12 qualifiers are unable to compete.
Knight-Wisdom showcased his diving prowess with a series of six dives, highlighted by his highest-scoring dive, the Forward 3½ Somersaults in Pike position, which earned him 74.40 points. Other notable dives included the Forward 2½ Somersaults 2 Twists in Pike position (73.10 points) and the Forward 2½ Somersaults 1 Twist in Pike position (72.00 points). His overall consistency secured his 13th place finish and a potential spot in the finals set for August 8.
Bahamas’ Otabor does not advance in Women’s Javelin Throw
In the women’s javelin throw, the Bahamas' Rhema Otabor will not advance to the next round. Otabor placed 13th in Group A with a throw of 57.67m, resulting in a 27th place overall finish, which was not sufficient to meet the qualification standard of 62m.
Despite the setback, Otabor’s career achievements at the age of 21 are noteworthy. She has already claimed the 2024 NCAA championship, the 2023 Pan American Games silver medal, and the 2023 NACAC U23 title. Additionally, she earned a bronze medal at the 2022 NACAC Championships and finished fourth in the 2021 World U20 Championships.
Poland's Maria Andrejczyk led the qualification round with a season-best throw of 65.52m, setting the bar high for the competition.
Colourful opening ceremony marks the start of the 36th CAJGC in Kingston
The 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC) teed off in vibrant fashion on Tuesday evening with a colourful opening ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston. Hosted by the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA), the event welcomed teams from eight countries to compete in the prestigious tournament.
This year’s championship sees participation from teams representing the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and host Jamaica. The opening ceremony set an enthusiastic tone for the competition, which had been rescheduled from July due to the passing of Hurricane Beryl.
Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the JGA, extended a warm welcome to all teams and expressed confidence in a successful tournament. "Everything is in place for a very good championship," Munn-Barrow stated, emphasizing the meticulous preparations made despite the earlier postponement.
Eduardo Figueroa, coach of defending champions Puerto Rico, expressed high expectations for his team, indicating their strong preparation and determination to retain the title.
Alison Reid, manager of the Jamaican team, acknowledged some logistical challenges resulting from the rescheduling but remained optimistic. "Some persons who planned to compete when it was scheduled for July are no longer available, and the team will have fewer numbers than previously committed," Reid said. "However, the team will still put on a good show."
Jamaica’s coaching duo, Jonathan Newnhan and Jason Lopez, also shared their confidence in the team’s potential. Newnhan highlighted the team’s thorough preparation, while Lopez pointed out the advantage of competing on the Caymanas Golf Course, where the team has been practicing extensively.
The Jamaican team features talented players including team captain Mattea Issa, Trey Williams, Aman Dhiman, and Ryan Lue, all competing in the Under-18 category. Players will also compete in the Under-15 and Under-13 categories for both boys and girls.
Peter Levey of the major sponsor British Caribbean Insurance Company (BCIC) expressed his company’s delight in supporting the event. "We are very happy to be on board for this year’s staging of the CAJGC as it represents a very good opportunity to support the development of youth sport," Levey remarked.
The championship boasts a wide array of sponsors including Restaurants of Jamaica (KFC), Sandals Foundation, WATA, CMK, Jamaica Pegasus, Fleetwood Jamaica Limited, R&A, Island Car Rentals & Tours, Digicel Business, Titlest, and several others, demonstrating strong community and corporate backing for the event.
The competition tees off on Wednesday at 8:00 am with the first of three rounds of 18 holes each, concluding on Friday. The closing ceremony will follow the final round, celebrating the achievements of the young golfers.
Caribbean men struggle as big guns advance in men's 800m in Paris
The morning session of Day 7 at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games saw Caribbean athletes facing a challenging start in the men's 800m preliminary round. Handel Roban, Dennick Luke, and Navasky Anderson will need to deliver improved performances in the repechage if they hope to advance to the semi-final round.
Roban of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who aims to emulate his compatriot Shafiqua Maloney's impressive fourth-place finish in the women's 800m final, ran 1:46.00 in Heat One. Despite his strong effort, Roban finished fourth, narrowly missing out on an automatic qualification spot.
Dominica's Luke struggled in Heat 4, finishing eighth with a time of 1:47.50. Luke will need to regroup and find another gear if he is to compete at the highest level.
Anderson of Jamaica also had a difficult race in Heat Five. He finished fifth with a time of 1:46.82. His performance was below expectations, and he will need to bounce back quickly to remain in contention.
Meanwhile, medal contenders Gabriel Tual, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and Djamel Sedjati showed their class by easily advancing to the semi-finals. Frenchman Tual, buoyed by the support of the home crowd, won Heat 2 with a time of 1:45.13, securing his place in the next round.
Kenya’s Wanyonyi, a favorite for the gold, demonstrated his prowess by winning Heat 3 in an impressive 1:44.64. His performance solidified his status as a top contender.
Algeria’s Sedjati cruised through Heat 4, winning with a time of 1:45.84, ensuring his spot in the semi-finals.
Durant focused on Olympic gold, not individual records
Kevin Durant is not interested in individual records and his only aim is to win a fourth consecutive gold medal with the United States at the Paris Olympics.
The 35-year-old became the USA's all-time leading scorer at the Olympics during their 122-87 victory over Brazil, surpassing Lisa Leslie's tally of 488.
Despite such an achievement, Durant played down its enormity, stating that another player will likely surpass it in the future and another gold medal is what he is truly focused on.
"Records are meant to be broken, so somebody will come along and do the same to me," Durant said.
"My focus is on trying to win this gold."
LeBron James was full of praise for Durant, and the NBA's record points-scorer believes there is more still to come.
"He's incredible. He was born to play ball and he's simply incredible," James said.
"I'm happy for him. Congratulations to him. I'm super proud of him. And he's got more to go."
James had to go off to receive treatment during the third quarter after he took an elbow to the face from Georginho De Paula but he eased any concerns after the match, stating that he was fine and will be ready for the semi-final.
He said: "I'm all right. Got hit with an inadvertent elbow around the eye."
Meanwhile, despite Team USA being on the cusp of a fourth straight gold, Jayson Tatum, a champion in Tokyo, warned that the one-off nature of the knockout competition meant there was no room for complacency or easing up.
Tatum said: "Everybody expects us to win. But you don't take things for granted, right? Canada lost earlier. It's a different game. It's not like the playoffs, where it's a series.
"We've got one game and a lot of (stuff) can happen in one game, especially over here."
Team USA will face Nikola Jokic's Serbia in the semi-finals, a side they have already beaten in the group stages.
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