St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred ran a wind-aided 10.80 to win her heat at the NCAA West Regional Preliminary Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, to be the fastest qualifier to the Women’s 100m at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 8-11.
Jamaica’s Kemba Nelson of Oregon and Alfred’s Texas teammate Kevona Davis also qualified for Eugene with times of 10.85 and 11.04, both also wind-aided, respectively.
Davis will also contest the 200m in Eugene after running 22.49 to qualify second fastest in the West Region behind teammate Kynnedy Flannel (22.40).
Jamaicans Stacey Ann Williams of Texas (50.66) and Charokee Young of Texas A&M (50.80) were the fastest qualifiers in the Women’s 400m.
Barbados' Jonathan Jones of Texas and Jamaica's Jevaughn Powell of UTEP ran 44.85 and 44.87, respectively, to be the top two qualifiers in the Men's equivalent. 44.87 is a new personal best for Powell, the former Edwin Allen and Kingston College standout.
Another Bajan, Rivaldo Leacock of New Mexico, ran a new personal best 49.63 to advance in the Men's 400m hurdles.
Texas Tech's Demisha Roswell was the second fastest qualifier in the Women's 100m hurdles with 12.78 while Baylor’s Ackera Nugent ran 12.93 to also advance.
Former Hydel High and current Texas A&M star Lamara Distin and Texas' Trinidadian Olympian Tyra Gittens both cleared 1.81m to progress in the Women's high jump while Gittens also produced 6.40 to advance in the long jump. Former Herbert Morrison athlete Daniella Anglin, now a freshman at South Dakota, also cleared 1.81m to advance in the high jump.
Bahamian Kansas State senior Kyle Alcine achieved a personal best 2.15m to advance in the Men's high jump.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Bolt would give up world records for Champions League glory
Usain Bolt suggested he would give up his success on the track for Champions League glory.
Bolt is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time and holds the world records in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay.
The Jamaican won eight Olympic gold medals across his career.
However, athletics is not the only sport Bolt loves. A Manchester United fan, Bolt said in 2016 that it would be "a dream come true" if he were ever able to play for the club.
In 2018, Bolt appeared in a friendly for Norwegian side Stromsgodset and captained the World XI during the Soccer Aid charity match, held at Old Trafford. Later that year, he began a trial with Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners and was subsequently offered a contract.
Though his football career was short-lived, Bolt has no regrets over how it went, and revealed he would happily swap his achievements to have won the Champions League.
"To play a career as long as these guys, definitely," Bolt told ITV Sport ahead of United's FA Cup meeting with Fulham on Sunday, referencing pundits Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Karen Carney.
"I love football that much. To win the Champions League, score in the final, would be brilliant.
"[Playing football] was something I always wanted to try. I watched and loved the game so much – why not give it a try?
"I was very serious but it didn't work out as I wanted it to. I really enjoyed the effort and the process."
Asked what position he preferred, Bolt quipped: "I was a striker – of course! The pace, I'm quicker than [Marcus] Rashford!"
Fraser-Pryce honoured to receive International Humanitarian Award
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce said she was honoured to receive the 2023 International Humanitarian Award from the American Friends of Jamaica at their Charity Gala held at the Intercontinental Miami, Florida last Saturday night, March 11.
The multiple Olympic and World Championship gold medallist was honoured for her work through the Pocket Rocket Foundation out of her desire to give back to the sport and create lasting change for high-school student athletes through sports and education.
Fraser-Pryce, who will be going for an unprecedented sixth world 100m title in Budapest in August, was glad that her philanthropy was being recognized.
“ I am honored to receive the 2023 International Humanitarian Award from @AFJCares for my work with @sfppocketrocketfoundation and beyond. One’s legacy isn’t measured by medals alone, but by impact. Your legacy is the result of your life’s work,” she said.
“I understand what it is like be born into circumstances that are outside of my control, and am grateful for the people that empowered me to realize that I had control of my future. Special shout out to Wolmers Girl School and many thanks to everyone who came together to make (the night) special.”
The woman, who many pundits believe is the greatest female 100m sprinter of all time, opens the 2023 season in Botswana on April 29.
Retired businessman Douglas Orane was also honoured at the ceremony.
Fraser-Pryce to open season at Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 29
Five-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will open her season on April 29 at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone.
The meet is the second on World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting for 2023.
It will be the second-year running that the two-time Olympic 100m champion will open her season in Africa. In 2022, she opened her season in Nairobi, Kenya where she ran 10.67 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, also a Continental Tour Gold event, to achieve the fastest ever women’s 100m season opener.
She went on to win a fifth world 100m title in Oregon and this year will aim to add another gold medal to her highly decorated CV at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
“I will be returning to Africa at the Botswana Continental Tour Gold track meet,” said Fraser-Pryce in a message to fans. “I am excited to be opening my season so you guys get to see me run fast and have fun.”
Joining Fraser-Pryce in Botswana will be fellow sprinters Kirani James and Ferdinand Omanyala, who have been announced for the 400m and 100m, respectively.
Grenada’s James completed a set of world 400m medals in Oregon last year, claiming silver to go with his 2011 gold and 2015 bronze.
Kenya’s Omanyala, meanwhile, claimed Commonwealth Games and African 100m titles in 2022.
This year's World Athletics Continental Tour offers the biggest calendar yet and includes 14 Gold level events spread across five of the six continental areas. The action kicked off in Melbourne, Australia, on 23 February and runs through to September, when the Memorial Borisa Hanzekovica in Zagreb, Croatia, welcomes athletes on 8-10 September.
Other athletes already announced for Tour events include Mondo Duplantis for the Ostrava Golden Spike on 27 June, and Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver for the FBK Games on 4 June.
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