Shadae Lawrence is unbeaten in the discus competition in 2021 and has already achieved the Olympic qualifying standard but according to her coach, Julian Robinson, there is still a lot to be accomplished if she is to be competitive at the Olympic Games this summer.
The 25-year-old Lawrence who’s personal best 65.05m is the Jamaican national record, has four wins from four starts this season. She threw 63.75m to open her season at the USF Bulls Invitational on March 20. Six days later she uncorked a winning throw of 62.88 at the Florida State Relays.
Then on April 3, she threw 57.76m at the USATF Sprint Summit and then just last weekend, April 16, she won with 57.86 at the Tom Jones Invitational.
While pleased with the victories, Robinson has specific goals for the talented Jamaican in the weeks leading to the major event this year.
“What I am working on with her is for her to have a lower limit of 65m. I think a lower limit of 65 is possible,” Robinson said.
“It’s hard to coach remotely but we are making progress. I think it’s possible for her to get to the Olympics averaging 65.”
Robinson knows what it takes to win medals at the international level having guided Fedrick Dacres to the World U18 discus title in 2011, World U20 title in 2012, the Commonwealth Games and NACAC titles in 2018, Pan American gold in 2019 and the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.
He has also guided Traves Smikle and Basil Bingham to regional medals.
The coach, who has been working with the Kansas State and Colorado State alum since late 2019, tells Sportsmax.TV that when he first began working with her, he realized that there was a lot to get done.
“With Shadae, one of the things I observed with her was that she desires to be world-class, and I have observed the training of world-class women and when I compared her strength and power levels there were nowhere close to where the world-class women were and they are still not there,” he said.
“It’s a process and she has gotten stronger, so that is one of the things that we continue to work on. You cannot do business without strength and power.
“We have also been working on her technique. It’s not an easy job because to acquire technical skills takes time so we have to be careful because as we work on the technique we are still competing. Even in the offseason, we had to be careful because technical changes take time but we have been working on it and she has gotten better. She has been doing a better job of keeping her throwing arm behind her. She is executing the throw much better but she still has significant room for improvement.”
Working on the mental side of her game is also an area of focus. “I am stressing to her to keep it simple and if we succeed in those areas she should do well,” he said.
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.
Reggae Boyz seal Nations League quarterfinal berth with goalless stalemate against Honduras
Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz closed out their Group B Concacaf Nations League campaign with a goalless stalemate against Honduras at the National Stadium on Monday night.
While their performance wasn’t the most impressive in terms of flair or attacking threat, the Jamaicans did enough to finish atop the League A group on eight points to secure a quarterfinals berth.
Honduras, who placed second on seven points, also advanced to the next stage of the competition. Nicaragua (seven points), Trinidad and Tobago (five points), Cuba (three points), and French Guiana (one point) complete the group.
Jamaica and Honduras now join Concacaf’s top-ranked teams, United States, Panama, Mexico, and Canada, in the knockout round, with the top two finishers in Group A—to be decided on Tuesday—set to meet them there.
The Jamaicans entered the game aiming to build on their 2-0 win over Nicaragua just days earlier, but found themselves stifled in the final third, particularly in the first half.
In fact, it was a slow start by both teams, as they took some time to settle into their respective game plans to prove an attacking threat in open play. The Reggae Boyz moreso displayed patience in an attempt to efficiently execute the possession-based style play desired by Head coach Steve McClaren.
However, while they tried to work out how to break down Honduras' low block tactics in midfield, the visitors launched a few good counterattacks from which they should have piled misery on the Boyz, but for a lack of quality in the final third.
Honduras had eight shots at goal in the first half, compared to Jamaica’s solitary effort, which came in the 33rd when an unmarked Ethan Pinnock fired wide from Demarai Gray's corner kick.
Prior to that, Honduras' first warning shot came in the seventh minute from Edwin Rodriguez, whose right-footer from a distance was easily palmed down by Andre Blake.
Three minutes later, a short pass by Mason Holgate was picked up by Honduras and almost proved costly. Luckily for the Boyz, Joel Latibeaudiere recovered well to avert the danger.
Though they bossed possession, the Reggae Boyz struggled to convert their dominance into clear-cut scoring opportunities, leaving fans at the National Stadium craving more attacking dynamism.
This, as Honduras continued to show more purpose in the attacking third and kept Blake busy, as Jorge Alvarez's 21st-minute shot from the top of the 18-yard box went straight at the Philadelphia Union goaltender.
In the 32nd, Holgate again gave up possession to Antony Lozano, who went on the break, but the Honduran, sporting the number nine jersey and the captain's armband, muffed his effort and gave the Jamaicans a reprieve.
Lozano went on another break in the 38th, but again lacked composure where it mattered most as he slammed a rushed right-footer into the sidenetting.
The Jamaicans were more spirited on the resumption, especially with the introduction of Renaldo Cephas and Kaheim Dixon. Both fleet-footed attackers combined well at times with Michail Antonio and Gray, but their hunt for the go-head goal proved fruitless.
Dixon went close in the 69th when he drove a right-footer along the turf, but the effort went just wide of the right upright.
The former Clarendon College and Arnett Gardens stalwart, who now plies his trade at Charlton Athletic, applied pressure in the 79th and went down in a challenge for possession with Honduras' goalkeeper Edrick Menjivar. However, his appeal for a penalty was waved off by American referee Armando Villarreal.
Honduras' best effort of the half came in the 80th when Kervin Arriaga lashed a stinging left-footed drive from about 20 yards out, but it was tipped over by Blake, who produced another steady performance between the posts, to not only keep a clean sheet but, more importantly, demonstrate the calm leadership he's known for.
Improving core, mental strength the main focus for Alfred in preparation for 2025 season
Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred will emphasize improving her core strength in preparation for the 2025 season, with an eye on improving her performances in the 200m.
Despite being the second fastest woman ever in the event indoors with her 22.01 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2023, with only the legendary Merlene Ottey going faster with 21.87 in 1993, Alfred has often said she’s not a fan of the half lap event.
Alfred also won the 200m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2023 with a wind-aided 21.73.
This year, she won Olympic silver in the event in Paris in August, running 22.08 behind American Gabby Thomas who’s winning time was 21.83.
A month before the Olympics, Alfred set a personal best 21.86 in a winning effort at the London Diamond League meet.
Speaking on the latest episode on Out d Blocks on the SportsMax TV YouTube Channel, Alfred spoke about wanting to get stronger.
“I think I have a lot to work on. I have to get stronger, especially my core. On the track, I think that getting stronger mentally as well as physically is really what I have to work on,”
The 23-year-old also mentioned that her coach, Edrick Floreal, is working to improve how she feels about the 200m.
“I’ve spoken about the 200m for a really long time and how I feel about it. My coach is going to work with me with how I fell about the 200m in getting stronger and being more comfortable in that,” she said.
“It might take some longer races, I don’t know but I think he’s really trying to help me get stronger mentally as I approach the 2025 season, especially as it pertains to the 200m,” Alfred added.
With these performances in mind, one can only imagine the times Alfred will be able to run if she starts to actually enjoy the event.
If that happens in 2025, her personal best is definitely in danger and it would be no surprise to see her leave the Tokyo World Championships in September with a pair of gold medals.
Jamaican Olympian Aleen Bailey and husband Joseph Taylor expecting first child, celebrate with baby shower with family and friends
Jamaican Olympian Aleen Bailey and her husband Joseph Taylor are celebrating an exciting new chapter in their lives as they prepare to welcome their first child. The couple marked the occasion with a heartwarming baby shower on Sunday, attended by close family and friends, including collegiate coach and close friend Soyini Thompson, and former Jamaican thrower Zara Northover, who presided over the couple’s wedding in November 2023.
Bailey, a decorated athlete, has had an illustrious career on the track. A seven-time Carifta Games gold medalist, Bailey rose to global prominence when she won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team. Her relay success continued, with another gold medal at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany. Throughout her career, Bailey represented Jamaica with distinction, earning numerous accolades in the national colours, making her one of the country's most celebrated sprinters.
(Soyini Thompson Facebook)
Aleen and her husband Joseph are all smiles with their dear friend Zara Northover on Sunday.
The baby shower was a joyful gathering filled with love and anticipation for the couple’s impending parenthood. Surrounded by their support system, Bailey and Taylor celebrated the next step in their journey together, a journey that began when they tied the knot under the warm Jamaican sun in a beautiful ceremony at the St Andrew Scots Kirk United Church in Kingston.
Their wedding, officiated by Reverend Nigel Nusey and longtime friend Northover, was a heartfelt celebration of love, faith, and the powerful bond shared by two outstanding athletes. Northover, Bailey’s former roommate during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, expressed her gratitude for being a part of the couple’s journey, reflecting on the significance of God’s blessing in their marriage.
The couple’s reception at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston was a further testament to the love they share, surrounded by family, friends, and members of the athletic community that has played such an important role in their lives.
Now, as they prepare to welcome their first child, Bailey and Taylor are entering a new chapter, continuing their journey of love and family. The support from their friends and loved ones was palpable at the baby shower, a day filled with happiness, excitement, and anticipation for the new arrival.
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