Olympic and world 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod has told his clubmates at Tumbleweed Track Club in Jacksonville, Florida that he is leaving, multiple sources have confirmed for Sportsmax.TV. However, he has given no reason why or indication of where he is headed.
His agent Mario Bassani was unable to confirm or deny that the athlete he represents was leaving the club that he joined in 2019.
Once the most feared sprint hurdler in the world after winning the Olympic title in 2016, the World Championships title in 2017 to go along with a World Indoor title, McLeod has hit upon some challenging times in the past few years and has changed coaches several times since he signed a professional contract with Nike in 2015.
After leaving Coach Rick Case at Arkansas in 2017 for Eldrick Floreal, who at the time was at Kentucky, McLeod has since2018 been coached by Tony Ross before moving to Rana Reider at Tumbleweed.
Also during that period, he was disqualified in the 110m hurdles finals at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and then last year lost out on the chance to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo when he finished last in the final of the Jamaican National Championships last summer.
He drew the ire of the Jamaican public when he accused the JAAA of not treating him fairly while indicating that he should be considered for selection to the Jamaican team for the Tokyo Games. As it turned out, two of the top three finishers at the Jamaican championships, Hansle Parchment and Ronald Levy – won gold and bronze, respectively, in Tokyo.
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.
US Track and Field legend Carl Lewis to be guest of honour at 2023 Pan American Games in Chile
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis will be a guest of honor at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, from October 26 to November 1.
Lewis is one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, having set world records in the 100m dash, 4x100m and 4x200m relays, and in the indoor long jump. He also won two gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1987, in the long jump and 4x100m relay.
The 62-year-old Lewis is currently a coach at the University of Houston, where he mentors more than 100 young athletes, including Mexico's Cecilia Tamayo, who will compete in the 100m and 200m at the Santiago 2023 Games.
"I'm so looking forward to coming down to Santiago for the 2023 Pan Am Games," Lewis said in a statement. "I went to the Pan Am Games more than once, and it was my first international team, so it's really exciting to get down there."
Lewis's appearance at the Pan American Games is part of a select group of sporting legends who will be present as guests of Panam Sports.
"Carl Lewis, the Son of the Wind, is a tremendous athlete and icon of the sports world," said Panam Sports President Neven Ilic. "For us it is a tremendous honor to have him here. We are going to have many surprises, and Carl is one of the first that we are announcing."
Lewis's presence at the Pan American Games is sure to add excitement to the event and inspire athletes from all over the Americas.
Olympic champion Hansle Parchment dedicates World Champs silver to long-time coach Fitz Coleman: "He deserves this as much as I do"
In yet another example of why Hansle Parchment continues to be a fan favourite who continues to perform at the highest level, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion has dedicated the silver medal he won at the 2023 World Athletics Championships to his long-time coach Fitz Coleman.
Parchment, 33, who won his first Diamond League trophy last month in a lifetime best and world-leading 12.93s run, was the runner-up to the now three-time world champion Grant Holloway of the USA, in Budapest in August. On Monday, he shared on social media that that silver medal holds special meaning.
“This year’s world championship in Budapest was special as I received a second medal for my coach,” he said. “Mr. Fitz Coleman has been my coach for 14 years and counting. He has been a friend and a mentor. He’s been a guiding force in all my achievements and I want to send a heartfelt thanks as he deserves this medal as much as I do.”
Parchment will attempt to defending his Olympic title in Paris next summer. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Parchment stunned the world by upstaging Holloway, the gold medal favorite, winning his first Olympic title in 13.04.
On This Day in 2019: Dina Asher-Smith wins gold at World Athletics Championships
Dina Asher-Smith became the first British female to win a world sprint title when she took gold in the 200 metres final at the World Athletics Championships in Doha on this day in 2019.
Asher-Smith, then 23, set a British record with a time of 21.88 seconds that was enough to beat American Brittany Brown, upgrading the silver she had taken in the 100m final earlier in the meeting.
“I know I was tired and woke up today knowing this was the last individual chance and this was the moment I did all my work for,” Asher-Smith said after the race.
“This is what we knew we could achieve if the season went well, and the tiredness just disappeared when I needed it to.
“It means so much. There’s so many British fans here. I know lots of Brits live in Doha but lots have travelled and for my mum to be here, my dad, John and his wife and my physios… it means so much.”
Asher-Smith had been elevated to favourite in the race after a number of rivals pulled out of the event, with then Olympic champion Elaine Thompson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Dafne Schippers all missing.
Asher-Smith’s performances in Doha boosted hopes that she could contend for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics as she had broken her own British record in the 100m final.
After the postponement of the Games by 12 months amid the coronavirus pandemic, Asher-Smith was selected to race in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.
However, she failed to get through qualifying in the 100m and later revealed she had suffered a hamstring injury, forcing her to pull out of the 200m.
Nevertheless, Asher-Smith was able to compete in the 4x100m relay and helped Great Britain win bronze.
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