Elaine Thompson-Herah was the only Caribbean athlete to win on the final day of the Diamond League season in Zurich on Thursday but a few others came very close.
The Olympic 100 and 200m champion set a new meet record of 10.65 to win the 100m going away from Dina Asher-Smith who returned to form with a season-best run of 10.87 for second place. Third went to Ajla Del Ponte who ran a personal best 10.93. Daryll Neita also ran a personal best of 10.93 but was given fourth.
Since she won the gold medal in the 100m in Tokyo in a time of 10.61, Thompson-Herah has run times of 10.54, 10.64, 10.72 and 10.65 and became the first woman to run four wind-legal times under 10.70s.
During the meet where there were several close races, Kirani James narrowly missed out on winning the 400m in a stirring battle down the home stretch with Michael Cherry, whose legs gave out at the line but still managed to clock 44.41, just edging James as the two of them crashed to the track after crossing the line.
Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago made it a Caribbean 2-3 as he clocked 44.81.
Another close finish unfolded in the 110m hurdles that ended with the USA’s Devon Allen being declared the champion even though he and Ronald Levy crossed the line together in 13.06. The time was 0.01 outside Levy’s lifetime best.
Olympic champion Hansle Parchment clipped a couple of hurdles, lost his rhythm and finished third in 13.17.
The 200m dashes were no different as Shericka Jackson ran a personal best 21.81 but just failed to hold off the fast-finishing Christine Mboma, who set a new WorldU20 record of 21.78, which was also an area record, for the victory.
Asher-Smith was unable to stay with them down the stretch and faded to third in 22.19.
Kenny Bednarek held off Andre Degrasse to win the men’s race in 19.70. His winning time was 0.02 seconds ahead of the Canadian who clocked 19.72.
Fred Kerley who won the 100m ahead of Degrasse, finished third in 19.83.
Megan Tapper has been on a tear since she became the first Caribbean woman to win a bronze medal in the 100m hurdles at the Olympics. She was third in Zurich in 12.55, just outside her lifetime best of 12.53 set during the first round of the event at the Tokyo Olympics last month.
It took a personal best and area record of 12.42 from Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and a personal best and national record of 12.51 of the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser to beat her.
Quanera Hayes won the Women’s 400m in 49.88 over Dominica’s Marileidy Paulino, the Olympic silver medalist, who ran Hayes close to clock 49.96 for second place. Sada Williams of Barbados was third in 50.24, just edging Stephenie-Ann McPherson (50.25).
Candace McLeod was fifth in 50.96.
Karsten Warholm continued his imperious form in the 400m hurdles winning in 47.35 ahead of Alison Dos Santos (47.81) and Kyron McMaster (48.24).
Olympic bronze medalist Femke Bol took the women’s race in a meet record of 52.80. The USA’s Shamier Little ran 53.35 and Anna Ryzhykova, 53.70, for second and third, respectively.
Meanwhile, in the field, Fedrick Dacres finished third in the discus with his best mark of 65.33m.
It was no surprise that Sweden’s Daniel Stahl won the event with 66.49m. Kristjan Ceh of Sloevnia threw 65.39m for second.
The winner of the Women’s triple was also not surprising as Olympic champion and world record holder Yulimar Rojas soared out to a meet record 15.48m to take the win. Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts jumped 14.64 for the runner-up spot with her compatriot Kimberly Williams third with 14.41m.
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Christania Williams and Coach Unfried target return to personal best ahead of Jamaica National Championships
Christania Williams, the talented Jamaican sprinter and 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist, is setting her sights on reclaiming her peak form as she gears up for the Jamaica National Championships in June, with her eyes firmly set on securing a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Since her impressive performance as part of Jamaica's silver-medal-winning 4x100m relay team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Williams, now 29, has faced setbacks due to injuries and other undisclosed health concerns. However, under the guidance of her coach, Philipp Unfried, she is focused and determined to return to her personal best time of 10.96 seconds.
Unfried outlined their strategy for the upcoming season, emphasizing Williams' goal of nearing or even surpassing her personal best. "The plan for 2024 is to get close to where she was, close to her PB or maybe around PB," stated Unfried. "She is going to do some more races now in preparation for trials and training went really well so far."
At the Velocity Fest 15 on Saturday meeting held at the Ashenheim Stadium in Jamaica, Williams demonstrated her potential by clocking a time of 11.76 seconds into a headwind in her qualifying heat, securing second place behind Remona Burchell, who won the heat in 11.52 seconds. Despite challenging conditions with winds affecting her heat, Williams progressed to the B final.
In the B final, Williams improved her performance, achieving a season's best time of 11.56 seconds. Although she finished second in the final, Williams' progress is indicative of her determination and gradual return to top form.
"Mentally, I am ready," expressed Williams. "The aim right now is to get back to my personal best. There is no pressure. Right now the focus is on me, just taking it one step at a time."
Williams acknowledged the mental fortitude required to overcome setbacks and stay focused on her goals. "It's about going into the race and doing exactly what I do in training," she affirmed. "I know I have a lot of potential, I still believe there is more in there and I still haven’t reached my full potential."
Despite the obstacles she has faced, Williams remains resolute in her determination to move forward. "With all that has happened in the past, I am just trying to put that behind and move forward," she explained. "I do have days when that really gets to me mentally but it’s life. If something happens, you don’t use that to keep yourself down."
As Williams continues her journey towards peak performance, supported by the unwavering guidance of Coach Unfried, the upcoming Jamaica National Championships will serve as a crucial stepping stone towards her ultimate goal of representing Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Asafa Powell's absence cost Jamaica a faster 4x100m world record in 2012, suggests Gatlin
In a recent episode of the Ready, Set, Go podcast, American sprint legend Justin Gatlin delved into the hypotheticals of Jamaica's historic 4x100m relay run at the London 2012 Olympics, suggesting that the world record of 36.84 seconds could have been even faster had former world record holder Asafa Powell been part of the lineup.
Powell, renowned for his blistering speed having held the 100m world record at 9.77 and 9.74s, missed out on the opportunity to join the likes of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, and Usain Bolt in that record-breaking relay team due to a groin injury sustained during the final of the 100m.
Gatlin, reflecting on the potential of the Jamaican squad, speculated that adding Powell to the mix could have propelled them to an astonishing 36.5-second mark.
"Adding Asafa Powell to that already formidable lineup of Bolt, Blake, Carter, and Frater could have pushed the team to an even faster time," Gatlin remarked on his podcast. Powell's absence, while the team still delivered Olympic gold, left room for speculation on just how much quicker they could have been.
Gatlin, a seasoned sprinter himself, understands the unique pressure and responsibility that comes with relay events. "There is a difference between being an individual runner at the Olympics or world championships and being part of a relay team," he explained. "If you falter as an individual, it's on you; but in a relay, it's on the country's back."
Reflecting on the challenges of breaking a world record in relay events, Gatlin emphasized the need for everything to align perfectly. "36.8 is a gigantic order. 37 low is a tall order," he admitted. "Everyone needs to be in peak condition and ready to run."
Looking ahead to the future, Gatlin also weighed in on Team USA's chances of breaking the 12-year-long Jamaican 4x100m relay world record in 2024. "It's going to take a near-perfect performance from a team firing on all cylinders to surpass what Jamaica achieved in 2012," Gatlin predicted.
Texas A&M’s Farquharson establishes new meet record to win 800m at Alumni Muster
Jamaican Texas A&M junior Kimar Farquharson continued his winning ways in the 800m this season with victory at the Alumni Muster held in College Station, Texas on Saturday.
The former Calabar High star was in dominant form, winning the event in 1:47.26, a new meet record.
More than two seconds behind Farquharson in second was teammate Caden Norris (1:49.62) while Tracksmith’s Luca Chatham was third in 1:50.71.
This was Farquharson’s second 800m win of the season as he ran 1:46.69 to beat countrymen Navasky Anderson and Tarees Rhoden to victory at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida on April 13.
Interestingly, the 22-year-old has also established a new personal best in the 400m this season with 45.70 at the Battle of the Bayou in Baton Rouge on March 30.
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