After a disappointing exit in the semi-finals of the 100m at the Paris Olympics in August, Jamaica's Ackeem Blake made it his mission to win the Diamond League title. The 22-year-old sprinter, who had entered the Olympics with high hopes, was left dejected after finishing fifth in his semi-final heat with a time of 10.06 seconds. However, Blake was determined not to let that setback define his season.
With the guidance of his coach, Michael Frater, Blake refocused his efforts on the Diamond League Final in Brussels. "After a devastating exit in the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, my team and I decided that we must put all our resources into making and taking the Diamond League Final," Blake revealed on Instagram after his victory.
The Jamaican sprinter knew that he needed to prove himself on the international stage, and the Diamond League presented the perfect opportunity to do so.
Blake's resolve to rebound from his Olympic disappointment was fueled by the belief that he had more to offer. Earlier in the year, he had shown glimpses of his potential by winning a bronze medal in the 60m dash at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. With a personal best of 9.89 seconds, Blake knew he had the speed to compete with the world's best. What he needed was the mental fortitude to bounce back after a major setback.
Frater played a crucial role in this mental and physical preparation. Blake credited his coach for guiding him through every phase of his comeback. “In this moment, I was deeply focused,” Blake said. “I could hear my coach guiding me through every phase of the race.” The meticulous planning and intense focus that went into preparing for the Diamond League paid off as Blake stormed to victory in a time of 9.93 seconds, defeating a high-calibre field that included American sprinters Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.
Blake's triumph in the Diamond League was not just about the win itself but about redemption and resilience. It was a testament to his determination to overcome adversity and a reminder that setbacks can serve as stepping stones to success.
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.
Montego Bay United, Arnett Gardens, Mount Pleasant secure wins to open 2024-25 Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League
Montego Bay United FC, Arnett Gardens FC and Mount Pleasant Academy all secured wins on Sunday’s first day of the 2024-25 Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season.
Four-time champions Montego Bay United were the biggest winners of the opening week, securing a 4-1 victory over Vere Phoenix United FC at the Wembley Centre of Excellence, their first opening game win since they joined Jamaica’s top football league 13 years ago.
MBU took the lead in the seventh minute through newcomer Jordan Britto before Vere got on level terms four minutes later through Damion Thomas.
That score held through the rest of the first half but the second half was all Montego Bay United as Brian Brown, captain Owayne Gordon and Shaniel Thomas all scored within 15 minutes of each other to complete the 4-1 score line.
At the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, a Warner Brown double in the ninth and 10th minutes and a 55th minute goal from Kimani Arbouine gave Arnett Gardens a 3-0 win over Dunbeholden FC.
Last season’s beaten finalists, Mount Pleasant Academy, opened their season with a 2-0 win over Portmore United at Ferdie Neita Park.
The goals for the Theodore Whitmore-led unit came from Sue-Lae McCalla in the 27th minute and Shaquille Bradford in first half stoppage time.
Camacho-Quinn, Peters crowned champions as Caribbean athletes end Diamond League finals on high
Grenada’s javelin thrower Anderson Peters and Puerto Rico’s sprint hurdler Jasmine Camacho-Quinn were on song in their respective events, as they brought the curtains down on the season in champion fashion on day two of the Diamond League finals in Brussels on Saturday.
While Peters and Camacho-Quinn logged the only victories, it was another positive day all-round for Caribbean athletes, as Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon, Ackera Nugent, and Rajindra Campbell, as well as the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando, all secured podium finishes to also end their seasons on a high.
Camacho-Quinn, the Paris Olympic Games bronze medallist, left rivals in her wake to win the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.38s. Dutchwoman Nadine Fisherman (12.54s) and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent (12.55s) secured the other podium spots. Another Jamaican, Danielle Williams (12.62s), was fifth.
Peters, also a bronze medallist from the Paris Olympics, again demonstrated his rich vein of form with an opening throw of 87.87m that was not to be beaten. India’s Neeraj Chopra (87.86m) kept things interesting but had to settle for second, while Germany’s Julian Weber (85.97m) was third.
For Salmon (53.99s), a well-paced race proved rewarding as she stayed on for third in the Women’s 400m hurdles, even after stumbling over the final obstacle. The event was won by Dutchwoman Femke Bol (52.45s), who secured a third consecutive Diamond League title, while American Anna Cockrell was second in 53.71s.
The other Jamaicans, Janieve Russell (55.94s) and Andrenette Knight (56.70s), were seventh and eighth, respectively.
Brazil’s Alison dos Santos reigned supreme in the men’s 400m hurdles, as he outclassed the field to win in 47.93s. Qatar’s Abderrahman (48.20s) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.26s) were second and third, respectively.
Jamaican duo Roshawn Clarke (49.08s) and Malik James-King (49.37s) were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the men’s 400m hurdles.
Meanwhile, Ogando (19.97s) placed third in the men’s 200m, which was won by American Kenneth Bednarek in a brisk 19.67s. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (19.80s) was well-beaten into second.
Earlier, Campbell took bronze in the men’s shot put with a best throw of 21.95m. The event was won in fine style by Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who threw a meet record of 22.98m. American Ryan Crouser (22.79m) was second.
Elsewhere in the field, Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford struggled for rhythm in the men’s high jump and had to settle for fourth at 2.22m. Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi finished tops at 2.34m, with Ukraine’s Oleg Doroshchuk (2.31m) and South Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok (2.225m) taking second and third, respectively.
David, King demand more from Soca Warriors in October window as League A survival on the line
Trinidad and Tobago’s interim head coach Derek King and captain Aubrey David were left ruing the Soca Warriors’s sub-par performances in the September window, which has their Concacaf Nations League, League A survival in the balance.
The Soca Warriors, who lost their opening contest 0-4 away to Honduras, were heavily favoured to take three points off French Guiana in the following encounter at home, but they were instead held to a goalless stalemate.
This was much to the disappointment of King, David, and the many spectators that flocked the Dwight Yorke Stadium, as that result left the Twin Island Republic sitting at the foot of Group B on a point. Jamaica (four points), Nicaragua (four points), Honduras (three points), Cuba (two points), and French Guiana (one point) complete the group.
The Soca Warriors now face a must-win scenario in their next two fixtures against Cuba on October 10 and 14 to have a slim chance at making the top two for a quarterfinal berth, but more importantly to avoid relegation to League B.
Having made the quarterfinal in the previous edition of the Concacaf Nations League, David believes there is a need for individual and collective introspection as they need to raise the standard of their game.
"It was a sad result for us. It's a draw, but it feels like a loss for us because three points would have put us in a good position in the group once again. Unfortunately, we didn't get going. We need to reset again because we have two important games coming up,” David said as he reflected on the outcome of their contest against French Guiana.
"I think we as a team have to look at ourselves in the mirror and go back to the drawing board and look at the things that brought us success in the last campaign. I think we need to be humble and have that hunger to get good results,” he added.
Alvin Jones echoed similar sentiments.
"I think each and everyone has to look in the mirror and decide what they want—whether we want to play big football or we just want to compete. I think we have a lot of work to do mentally and physically. Each and every player,” he noted.
Meanwhile, King, who was appointed ahead of the tournament following the dismissal of Angus Eve, felt his team could have done more to secure the three points against French Guiana.
"I think the performance was a bit disappointing. We didn't get three points. We went out there, and we analysed the team. Our ball movement was a little slow, but we still created chances. I think to take us to the next level, we need to raise our intensity, and our ball speed has to be much better to compete with the top teams in Concacaf,” King declared.
Though it is left to be seen if he will still be on the sidelines for the Cuba encounters next month, King backed the players to make the necessary adjustments to secure the desired result.
"The players we selected, I thought it was the best mix for these two games...the important thing is to look ahead as a team. We saw some good things (against French Guiana), so we have to sit as a staff and analyse those two games and continue building from this,” King stated.
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