Kevona Davis
University of Texas at Austin Coach Eldrick Floreal is confident that sprinter Kevona Davis will be a strong contender at Jamaica's national championships next month. Despite facing criticism and doubts from fans, Coach Floreal believes in Davis's progress and her ability to overcome past challenges.
Davis, who ran wind-aided times of 10.98 and 22.02 at the recently concluded NCAA Division 1 National Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, is expected to vie for a spot on Jamaica’s team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August and Coach Floreal believes that after prior failures the former Edwin Allen High School star will be ready to compete this year.
I think Kevona is going to be ready. The goal this year is to go to the Jamaican championship and compete. She has not competed (previously). She's showed up and participated. She's going to compete,” Floreal said of his athlete who boasts personal bests of 10.95 and 22.23, in the 100m and 200m, respectively.
“She's going to actually run what she's running now in the (NCAA) championships, and its maturity.”
Coach Floreal acknowledged the skepticism surrounding Davis's development but dismissed it considering the clear steps forward she has been taking. He addressed concerns by highlighting the unique approach they have taken to accelerate her progress, acknowledging that it didn't always go as planned.
"I've taken quite a bit of flak from Jamaica, and in true Jamaican fashion, I said, 'Me no care. I don't care.' My job is to help this young woman," Coach Floreal explained, emphasizing his commitment to supporting Davis.
The coach recognized that Davis had struggled with confidence issues and made mistakes in previous competitions. However, he emphasized that these were normal errors and not indicative of a lack of talent. Coach Floreal attributed them to a lack of self-belief and the pressure of competition.
"One of the most difficult things is to identify a step process that goes backward. Most people coach forward. I coach backwards," Coach Floreal explained his coaching philosophy. He shared that he envisions Davis reaching her full potential and then works backward to determine the necessary steps. This method, although unconventional, aims to ensure a solid foundation for sustained growth.
Davis's lack of confidence and occasional mistakes in competitions are areas Coach Floreal has been focused on. He believes that her experiences in the NCAA and Jamaica have impacted her mental state, and his role as a coach is to rebuild her belief in herself.
Reflecting on Davis's progression, Coach Floreal highlighted the ups and downs she has faced throughout her career. He mentioned specific instances where her confidence took a hit, such as false starts and disappointment in previous races. Despite these setbacks, he emphasized that Davis has shown resilience and an ability to bounce back, slowly improving over time.
The coach shared some behind-the-scenes efforts to nurture Davis's mental strength, such as dedicating additional training sessions and reassurance to rebuild her confidence. He stressed the importance of taking the necessary time to help athletes mature, comparing it to shifting gears in a car, where skipping steps can lead to stalling.
“No matter how bad Kevona's had a rough road, she's always come back. She's always comes back every year, done a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better,” he said emphasizing that Davis is making the steps necessary to be the best she can be.
“If you have ever driven a car, a stick shift. If you go from the first gear to the third gear, everybody knows what happens. The car starts and cuts off. You have to go to the second gear. You have to match up the second gear and then shift to the third gear. And sometimes these gears take time because they have been unable to comprehend what the coach wants.
“But she has to develop. Everybody wants 10.7 now. You're not getting that right now because there's a lot of things I need to fix before I even get there. If you're a really qualified coach, you understand that you're going to have to take time and sometimes go backwards to come back forward. It's not like instant oatmeal, some of this stuff takes time.”
Coach Floreal expressed his satisfaction with Davis's progress and is optimistic about her readiness for the upcoming Jamaican national championships.
In conclusion, Coach Floreal acknowledged that talent alone is not enough to succeed in the highly competitive world of athletics. He emphasized the importance of mental fortitude and the ability to handle the pressures of the sport independently. With Davis's continuous growth and unwavering determination, Coach Floreal believes she has what it takes to make her mark at the national championships and beyond.
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.
2019 World champion Tajay Gayle leaves MVP track club
2019 World Championship long jump gold medallist Tajay Gayle has left the MVP track and field club.
No reason has been given as to why the 2019 RJRGleaner National Sportsman of the year left the club based at the University of Technology in Kingston.
However, the 28-year-old national record holder looks set to start working with St. Elizabeth-based jumps coach Kerry-Lee Ricketts, husband of Shanieka Ricketts.
Ricketts has guided the career of his wife to silver medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships as well as silver at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Gayle struggled with knee injuries in the 2021 and 2022 seasons before returning to take bronze at last year’s World Championships in Budapest behind teammate Wayne Pinnock and Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglu.
Olympic bronze medallist Campbell wants more appreciation for athletes in Jamaica
When an athlete makes history for their country in the world’s biggest sporting spectacle, the Olympic Games, the typical reaction from that country is some sort of acknowledgement or celebration of that historic performance.
Unfortunately, this has yet to be the case for Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell.
Campbell became the first Jamaican man to ever medal in a throwing event at an Olympic Games when he threw 22.15m to win bronze in Paris on August 3.
Four days after Campbell’s performance, Roje Stona also made history, throwing a personal best 70.00m for gold in the discus, becoming Jamaica’s first ever Olympic champion in a throwing event.
In the latest episode of SportsMax TV’s Out D Blocks hosted by Leighton Levy and D Major, the 28-year-old national record holder spoke candidly about the lack of acknowledgment and appreciation back home for these historic achievements.
“We have talked about it. The only problem is, as what Omar McLeod mentioned at trials about the 2016 Olympics, we don’t feel the appreciation from Jamaica,” Campbell said, referencing Omar McLeod’s comments after the Olympic trials where he spoke about not feeling appreciated by Jamaica after his Olympic gold medal performance eight years ago.
“You see the kind of celebration Julien Alfred got? I’m not expecting the same here but Jamaica has such a rich history in track and field, I don’t think the athletes are really appreciated for what they do,” he added.
Campbell, born in Ocho Rios, moved to Joplin, Missouri in 2018 to attend Missouri Southern State University where he attended for three years.
He noted that he’s received more of a celebration for his achievement in Joplin than back home in Jamaica.
“I met with the school President on Wednesday of last week and he explained certain things they have in store for me and there is a big sign on campus that people come in and see. It’s a different celebration taking place here compared to Jamaica,” he said.
As Campbell noted, whenever a Jamaican is in an event, Jamaicans expect them to do well. He wonders whether more appreciation would be given to the athletes when they do well if people understood the sacrifices they make on a daily basis.
“The love for Jamaica will never die. We will always continue to represent but, at the same time, the amount of sacrifice it takes to get to the level we are, something that I’ve found is once there is a Jamaican in an event, you’re expected to do well. How do we get there?”
“When you actually get there it’s like ‘Oh! I expected it or I knew you could do it.’ At the same time, there’s a journey that nobody really understands,” he continued.
He added that there has been no communication to him or Stona regarding any sort of celebration or acknowledgement in Jamaica.
Out D Blocks can be seen live every Thursday on the SportsMax TV YouTube channel.
Kim Collins named first-ever track & field ambassador for St. Kitts Athletics to boost global sponsorship
St. Kitts Athletics has proudly named Kim Collins, the 2003 100m world champion, as its first-ever Track and Field Ambassador. This historic appointment celebrates Collins' enduring impact on the sport, as well as his record-breaking career spanning over two decades. Collins, who holds the national record of 9.93 seconds for the 100m, is still the only man over 40 to break the 10-second barrier and also holds the world record for athletes over 35 in the 60m with 6.47 seconds.
Delwayne Delaney, President of St. Kitts Athletics, emphasized the importance of this appointment for the organization and the sport as a whole. “We felt that it was important for us as a body and as an executive, and track and field on a whole, to honour him in such a way, first and foremost, as well as to leverage what he has done for track and field in St. Kitts and Nevis and globally so that we can attain recognition in hopes of attaining sponsorships. We are living in a competitive environment as it relates to sponsorships, and we have to be strategic in our approach," Delaney said.
Collins, who won the bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships and continued to compete at a high level through 2011, is recognized as a household name by major players in the sport.
Delaney added, "We know Kim Collins has made a name for himself time and time again dating back to 2003, even before that in 2001 when he won the bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships, up until 2011 when he was still winning medals at the world championships level. He is known by the major players in the sport, and we want to ensure that we are able to collaborate with Mr. Collins so that it can be beneficial to the sport and the youth who are coming up.”
In his new role, Collins will focus on raising the profile of St. Kitts Athletics through global sponsorship efforts, helping to foster a vibrant track and field community for the next generation.
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