Olympic champion Omar McLeod and Britany Anderson won in impressive fashion at the American Track League meet in California on Saturday.
Rhonda Whyte, a former Jamaican champion in the 400m hurdles also chalked up a victory as she continued to prepare for the Jamaican championships next month.
The 27-year-old McLeod, the defending Olympic champion, gave an early glimpse of what can be expected this season when he raced to victory in 13.11, the second-fastest time in the world this year. Only Grant Holloway, who dethroned the Jamaican at the 2019 Doha World Championships, has run faster this season.
The American ran a world-leading 13.07 in Gainesville, Florida on April 17.
The victory represents a welcome return to form for the Jamaican, who has struggled over the past few years during which he changed coaches twice. Now under the guidance of coach Rana Rieder at the Tumbleweed Track Club in Jacksonville, Florida, he seems to have rediscovered the form that led him to the Olympic title at Rio 2016 and the World title in London in 2017.
“Ran 13.11s today for a season opener! Fastest opener in over 4 years and first 110 race in almost 2 years!” he declared proudly on his Facebook page afterwards. That’s patience, hard work, faith, resilience, commitment, staying true to you, blocking out the noise and trust!”
The former Razorback defeated a quality field of athletes including former USA champion Devon Allen, who ran 13.26 while finishing second. The talented and dangerous Daniel Roberts finished third, stopping the clock at 13.30.
Also in the race was world-record holder Aries Merritt, who is making a comeback after a serious illness. He was sixth in 13.90.
Britany Anderson, the 2018 World U20 silver medalist ran a fast 12.69 to win the 100m hurdles. The time would have been a personal best had the trailing wind not been just above the allowable limit, registering at 2.1m/s.
Second place went to Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, who clocked 12.74.
Tia Jones, who edged Anderson at the World U20 Championships in Tampere, was third in 12.95, just ahead of Pedrya Seymour of the Bahamas who finished fourth in 12.96.
Former Jamaica national champion, Rhonda Whyte, won the 400m hurdles in 55.11 in an all-Caribbean 1-2-3. Whyte’s compatriot, Leah Nugent finished in second place in 56.12 while Sparkle McKnight from Trinidad and Tobago finished third in 56.54.
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.
Ta Lou, Coleman, Blake and Watson confirmed for Jamaica Athletic Invitational on May 11
The excitement for the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational on May 11 continues to build as standout Ivory Coast sprinter Marie-José Ta Lou has been confirmed to join the star-studded lineup for this prestigious event in Kingston.
Alongside Ta Lou, other renowned athletes such as Christian Coleman, Antonio Watson, and Akeem Blake will grace the track, promising a thrilling mix of elite track and field competition and entertainment. Marvin Anderson, the Athletes Liaison, is curating an impressive list of participants that he believes will meet the high expectations for this exciting sporting event.
The Jamaica Athletics Invitational will feature a lineup of 10 track events and four field events, showcasing the talents of top athletes from around the globe. Fans can anticipate high-stakes competition and exceptional performances as athletes vie for victory on the track and in the field.
Tickets for this highly anticipated event will go on sale online starting April 22. Attendees will have the option to choose from two categories of grandstand tickets priced at $3,000 and $2,500, while entry to the bleachers will be free of charge.
The stage is set for an electrifying evening of athletics at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational, and fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to witness world-class athletes in action at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Roshawn Clarke poised to shock himself at Velocity Fest Meeting in Kingston on Saturday
Roshawn Clarke, the World U20 400m hurdles record holder, is brimming with confidence as he gears up for the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston this Saturday. Clarke, who shattered Winthrop Graham’s 30-year-old national record of 47.60 with a remarkable time of 47.34 at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, is eyeing a podium finish at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
The 19-year-old sprinter is excited to demonstrate his current form and fitness, hinting at potentially running either the 400m or the 200m at the Velocity Fest meeting. Clarke's recent performances have been promising, with a strong 400m season opener of 46.05 on February 10 and an identical time two weeks later. He has also run a nippy 20.69 over 200m in mid-March.
"I’m running fast. I ran my first race with a personal best as a season-opener. I repeated that exact time again so I am pretty confident, I am being consistent," Clarke shared during launch of the Racers Grand Prix on Tuesday. "I am running the 400m or the 200m this Saturday so I am just going there to enjoy myself and better my season’s best."
Clarke, who will turn 20 on July 1, is determined to lower his national record and challenge the world's top athletes like world-record holder and three-time world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, the USA’s Rai Benjamin and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, the 2022 champion. These formidable competitors have all clocked times under 47 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
"In Paris, the big three won’t go any slower than 46 so I am stronger now," Clarke explained. "My speed is very much improved right now, probably if I contest the 200m this weekend I will probably shock myself, again and my coach with how fast I am in training."
With high expectations for himself and a focus on execution, Clarke is poised to make waves and as he fine-tunes his skills at the Velocity Fest meeting, fans and competitors alike eagerly anticipate his performance and potential for achieving new personal milestones.
Kenenisa Bekele says London Marathon field will be ‘remembering’ Kelvin Kiptum
Kelvin Kiptum will always hold a special place in the hearts of all marathon runners, according to veteran three-time Olympic track champion Kenenisa Bekele.
Kenyan long-distance runner Kiptum won last year’s London Marathon for the third time, but was killed in a car accident in February at the age of 24.
The death of Kiptum, who had gone on to become the first man to run the marathon under two hours and one minute in Chicago, sent shockwaves through the sport.
In winning last year, Kiptum set a new London Marathon record time of two hours, one minute and 25 seconds. He is to be remembered before Sunday’s race with 30 seconds of applause.
Ethiopian Bekele – who won Olympic gold in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at the 2008 Games in Beijing – has run the London Marathon five times, and was runner-up in 2017.
The 41-year-old, who also has five World Championship titles on the track, has seen plenty of talent come through during his long career, but is in no doubt of the lasting impact made by Kiptum.
“Kelvin of course, all of us miss him,” Bekele said. “Even within his short time, he has been setting an amazing history.
“The course record is also under his name and we are all remembering him.
“We put him in a special place in our heart because in a really within a short time he has done a lot for our sport.”
Bekele feels a lot of factors will come into play if Kiptum’s course record is to be challenged.
“Most of the time in London, maybe the first half is a very fast start because of pacing, but with me it can depend,” he said.
“I can read my body, listening to my feelings and of course the circumstances – like with the weather.”
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola comes into London as the reigning New York Marathon champion, which followed on from his victory at the 2022 World Championship in Eugene.
Tola, who claimed 10,000m bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, feels in good shape heading into Sunday’s showpiece race.
“I have been working hard to prepare my body for the marathon in London,” he said.
“My training is OK and my body is okay, so we will see (what happens) on Sunday.”
Olympics selection could also be secured this weekend, but Tola will not let that distract his focus.
He said: “If I am selected for the Olympics, I will be happy, but it will depend on our race – and after Sunday we will know.”
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