Under the warm Jamaican sun, Olympian Aleen Bailey and her now-husband Joseph Taylor tied the knot in a heartwarming ceremony at the St Andrew Scotts Kirk United Church on Duke Street in Kingston, surrounded by family, friends, and the love of the athletic community that brought them together.
They celebrated the union at a reception held at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston.
The wedding, presided over by Aleen's longtime friend Zara Northover and Reverend Nigel Nusey was a celebration of love, faith, and the powerful journey that brought two outstanding athletes together. Northover, who had been Aleen's roommate at the 2008 Beijing Games, expressed her gratitude for being entrusted to officiate the union, emphasizing the significance of God's blessing in their marital journey.
"The power of a God-ordained couple spreads a light and energy that is not just seen but felt," Northover proclaimed during the ceremony.
She drew parallels between the worlds of track and field and American football, highlighting the synchronization of effort, grace, strategy, and execution that defined both sports. Aleen's journey from the Beijing Games to the altar with Joseph mirrored the discipline, sacrifice, and perfect timing that characterize a sprinter's best race.
Northover shared a touching revelation about the divine intervention in Aleen and Joseph's love story. She revealed that Joseph was the answer to the prayers of Aleen's late Auntie Carmen (Clarke), who had fervently prayed for Aleen to find a God-fearing, intelligent, caring, tall, dark chocolate, strong protective man. Joseph, according to Northover, embodied all these qualities.
That prayer was answered when the two met in September 2022. He proposed on New Year’s Eve.
Close friends and colleagues in attendance also shared their joy and heartfelt messages. Andrea Bliss, a fellow athlete, expressed, "Aleen has been a big sister to me and so many other athletes since junior days. To see her so happy makes me happy."
Aleen's mother, Maud Bailey, welcomed Joseph into the family with pride. "I'm overwhelmed and proud of Aleen. I welcome Joseph as my son. May the Lord bless and keep them," she said.
Fellow Olympian and friend Yohan Blake thanked Aleen for her sustained support through good times and bad, saying, "It was an honour to celebrate you. Congratulations and I hope you have a fairytale life."
Bridesmaid, Elva Goulbourne, also an Olympian, conveyed her love and pride for Aleen, thanking her for always having her back through thick and thin. “To my sister. I have loved you from high school and I still love you now,” said the long jumper, who attended Dinthill Technical while Aleen was at Vere Technical.
“I am very proud of you. To the woman you have become and always having my back through thick and thin. Thank you for letting me a part of your celebration. May God continue to bless both of you richly.”
In his message to Aleen, Joseph expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am so humbly grateful that she is part of my forever. It’s a blessing to take her hand in marriage here in her home country of Jamaica in front of all of our family and friends. I love you with all my heart."
As the day concluded, the newlyweds, Aleen and Taylor, embarked on their journey together, symbolizing a union grounded in love, faith, and the shared experiences of two exceptional athletes who found their perfect match on and off the field.
Longtime friend Freddie James summed it all up when he remarked, “I’ve known Aleen since she was a child and this is the happiest I’ve ever seen her.”
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.
Olympic medallist Rajindra Campbell breaks own Jamaican shot-put record in Zagreb
Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell made more history at the Ivan Ivancic Memorial in Zagreb on Saturday.
The 28-year-old, who became the first Jamaican to medal in a throws event at the Olympic Games with his bronze medal in Paris, established a new national record of 22.31m to finish third at Saturday’s meet behind American Olympic and World champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser who threw a meet record 22.93m to win and Payton Otterdahl who threw 22.46m in second.
Campbell opened his competition with 21.05m before going down to 20.61m in the second round.
He then signaled his intent for a big throw with 21.56m in round three before unleashing his national record-breaking throw in round four.
He fouled his next two attempts which didn’t matter as no one else was able to eclipse his mark.
Campbell broke his own previous national record 22.22m done in Madrid last year.
Clarke pleased with first Diamond League win; hoping for personal best at Diamond League final in Brussels
Jamaican World under-20 400m record holder Roshawn Clarke is pleased after securing his first win on the Diamond League circuit in Zurich on Thursday.
The former Camperdown High star produced a fast 47.49 to take the win ahead of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (47.58) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.02).
Thursday was Clarke’s fourth Diamond League appearance. He made his debut on the circuit at last year’s edition of the Zurich Diamond League on August 31, 2023.
“It means a lot because I came out here trying to get myself into the Diamond League final so I was trying to rack up as much points as possible and I came out with the win,” he said in a post-race interview with Citius Mag.
“I’m very pleased with my first Diamond League win and it came in Zurich. What better place?”
The 20-year-old was a finalist at the Olympic Games in Paris but unfortunately failed to finish after clipping the eighth then smashing into the ninth hurdle while in a battle with Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos for the bronze medal.
Clarke spoke about using that disappointment as motivation to finish out the season on a strong note.
“Strong-minded. I had disappointment in Paris and that has kept me pushing to make myself even better,” he said.
“I want to come back stronger. I did not finish in the final at the Olympics so I use that as motivation to keep my season going,” he added.
Speaking of finishing out the season strong, Clarke’s winning time on Thursday is the second fastest time of his young career, bettered only by his national record and world junior record 47.34 which he ran in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Budapest last year.
Running a time that fast at this stage of the season on the back of that disappointment in Paris is a sign of Clarke’s mental fortitude that should see him being a medal threat in the event for a long time.
Clarke’s mind will now shift to the Diamond League final in Brussels from September 13 to 14.
“My goal is to go out there, run my race, run as best as possible and try to come out with a personal best in my last race for the season,” he said.
Grenada's Anderson Peters feels he's returning to top form ahead of Diamond League final
Grenadian javelin thrower and two-time world champion Anderson Peters believes he is regaining his best form just in time for the Diamond League finals in Brussels. Peters, who claimed bronze at the Paris Olympics in August, secured victory at Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Zurich with a throw of 85.72m.
Though not a season's best—his top mark this year being 90.61m—Peters is encouraged by his progress, especially after recovering from illness. "It still feels like I am coming back," Peters admitted. "After Lausanne, I was sick with the flu, so my body is still recovering. I have not been training, just relaxed and tried to recover. So it still feels like my body is on the way to top competition form."
Despite the setback, Peters remains focused on finishing the season strong, with the Diamond League final in Brussels as his next target. "I was looking forward to competing here and seeing what my body can produce. I've got just one more competition for this year and I am done. Definitely, it is Brussels. It’s going to be my third time in the Diamond League final, and it will be my shot at the win."
Looking ahead to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Peters is confident in his ability to peak at the right time. The World Championships will take place later in the season, but Peters is unfazed, having previously won his world title in Doha in October. "That is something we know how to do, and it is just a matter of doing it again," he remarked.
Peters also reflected on the unpredictable nature of javelin throwing, a quality he relishes. "The beauty of the javelin throw is that it is an unexpected event. One day you throw 90m, and another day you throw 80. It’s a little bit unpredictable, but that’s why most javelin throwers like it. You never know when you’ll get a good throw or when the world record could be broken," Peters said, referencing Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set an Olympic record of 92m in Paris.
"I like competing, and that keeps me going. That’s what I live for," Peters added. He also shared that he had already returned to Grenada briefly after the Paris Olympics to celebrate his success. "After Paris, I managed to go home for three days, so I’ve already had the celebrations, and it was good."
As Peters gears up for his final competition of the season in Brussels, the Grenadian star is eager to continue pushing his limits as he seeks another Diamond League crown.
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