Dominique Clarke
As someone who didn’t excel at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships in her home country of Jamaica, Dominique Clarke has gradually made a name for herself at the University at Albany in New York. A sophomore, Clarke is now a two-time America East 60m champion and the 2023 200m champion despite the fact that she is not a fan of running indoors.
At the America East Indoor Championships at the Track at New Balance in Boston just over a week ago, Clarke defended her 60m title, winning in 7.45, 0.10 faster than the time with which she won last year and led her teammates Adaliz Hunt and Rori Lowe in a sweep for UAlbany.
She repeated the feat in the 200m that she won in a championship record of 23.69 with teammates Jazmen Newberry and Lowe also ending up on the podium. It was the first time in UAlbany history that anyone had accomplished that feat.
This was a significant milestone for Clarke, who grew up in the tiny community of Constitution Hill in St Andrew and attended Papine High School where she didn’t even take up track until 2016 while she was in Grade 10.
“In 2019 I didn’t get past the first round because I was hurt and then 2020 Champs got cancelled and that was the first year I broke 12 seconds,” she recalled.
“Champs was one of the hardest things to get a medal at since I started so late in my Class II years.”
Unfortunately, her winning times were not fast enough to qualify her for a place at the NCAA Division 1 championships set to begin on March 10 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, she has found a silver lining in the disappointment.
“I did not get to qualify for nationals but I am very grateful,” she told Sportsmax.TV.
“I’ve run the fastest times ever so early in the season. I am looking forward to a better outdoor season because indoor has been great. I’ve never been one to set goals. I just try to be in front of where I was the year before. As long as I am training, I just need to know I am clocking a faster time than last year.”
Notwithstanding the success she has found running indoors at UAlbany, Clarke admits she is not a fan of indoor running but is grateful for the opportunities it has afforded her.
“Everywhere you go you are going to have so pros and cons, some good and bad. At Albany, the weather is the worst part but it has been okay so far. My experiences here at Albany have been great even though my path has sometimes been rocky but I am so grateful that I am here,” she said.
“I don’t really like indoors, the experience has been very hard for me because I am not one of the best starters but if I get it on a day I will run a proper time. It is very hard to compete indoors because it’s way shorter because I am a 100/200 runner. The 200 indoor is not for me either but nevertheless I always try my best because you can’t defeat yourself from the beginning say you can’t do it.”
UAlbany has also given Clarke the chance to develop some of her other skills that she intends to exploit in the years to come.
“I am majoring in sociology and minor in creative writing,” she said.
“After track of whenever, I am definitely going to write some books because I am a really good poet, many people don’t know that about me. I am also going to write sociology books about the 20th century those are the things I am interested in.”
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.
Keilando Goburn takes up role assistant coach at University of Maryland Eastern Shore
St. Jago High School is now searching for a new head coach for their girls track and field team as Keilando Goburn has left the institution.
Goburn, who coached the St. Jago girls team for 16 years, will take his knowledge overseas and take up the role of assistant coach for track and field and cross country at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
During Goburn’s 16 years at the helm of St. Jago’s girls team, they were consistently one of the best performing schools at “champs,” always finding themselves in the top five of the points standings when all was said and done.
Goburn also has had a hand in the development of some of the country’s most promising young athletes including the likes of NCAA Indoor 60m champion Brianna Lyston who started her high school career at St. Jago before making the switch to Hydel High.
Blake, Ogando, Camacho-Quinn secure wins at Gala dei Castelli in Switzerland
Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake and the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando both secured wins at the Gala dei Castelli, a two-day World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bellinzola, Switzerland from September 8-9.
Blake, a bronze medallist at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow earlier this season, continued his fine form lately with 9.96 to win the men’s 100m ahead of South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.04) and Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (10.11).
Ogando, a 200m finalist at the Paris Olympics last month, won the event in Switzerland comfortably in 20.19 ahead of Canada’s Aaron Brown (20.49) and Switzerland’s William Reis (20.55).
Both Blake and Ogando will be in action at the Wanda Diamond League final from September 13-14 in Brussels.
On the women’s side, Puerto Rican Olympic medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn took top spot in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.52, just ahead of American Grace Stark (12.54). Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji ran 12.82 in third.
Camacho-Quinn will also be in action in Brussels.
September 27 declared National Holiday in honour of Olympic champion Julien Alfred: some say it's not enough
In a historic moment for Saint Lucia, September 27 will officially be declared "Julien Alfred Day," a national holiday in honor of Julien Alfred, who became the first athlete from the island to win an Olympic gold medal. Alfred made history by claiming gold in the 100 meters with a lifetime best and national record of 10.72 seconds, and also secured a silver medal in the 200 meters at the Paris Olympic Games. No St Lucian athlete had ever won an Olympic medal before her extraordinary achievement.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre made the announcement during a pre-cabinet press briefing on Monday, unveiling the grand celebrations planned for Alfred's return to the island. Alfred, who has become a national hero, will return to Saint Lucia on September 24 for the first time since her Olympic triumph. A series of events has been organized to mark the occasion, including a motorcade, school rallies, and a mural unveiling, culminating in a national holiday on September 27.
The celebrations will begin on September 24 when Alfred returns to Saint Lucia, where she will be greeted with a motorcade along the East Coast. On September 25, national school rallies will be held at Soufriere Mini Stadium and La Resource Playing Field to celebrate her achievements. The following day, September 26, Alfred will visit The Ciceron Primary School for the unveiling of a mural in her honour, followed by what officials have described as "massive announcements."
"Julien Alfred Day" will be celebrated with a free concert at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on the evening of the holiday, with Saint Lucians being encouraged to come out in large numbers to honor their national icon.
In response to the Prime Minister's announcement, citizens expressed their gratitude and pride, while also calling for further recognition of Alfred's accomplishments. Some suggested that Alfred should be awarded a diplomatic passport and the keys to the city of Castries. Others proposed the establishment of a Julien Alfred Fund for elite athletes and a legacy project aimed at developing sports in Saint Lucia to a world-class level.
Alfred’s achievements have not only brought immense pride to Saint Lucia but have also placed the island on the global athletics map. Her gold and silver medals at the Paris Olympics have inspired a new generation of athletes in Saint Lucia, and the celebrations are expected to be a momentous occasion of national unity and pride.
With the announcement of "Julien Alfred Day," Saint Lucians are set to celebrate not only Alfred's success but also the potential of their small island to produce world-class athletes who can compete and succeed on the biggest stages in sport.
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