100M

The 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce was expected to line up against fellow Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson as well as Marie Josee Ta Lou in the 100m that would also have Americans Aleia Hobbs, Twanisha Terry and Tamari Davis.

The severity of the injury is unknown and it is still too early to tell whether she will be fit in time for the Diamond League final in Zurich in two weeks.

Fraser-Pryce subsequently confirmed her withdrawal on her Facebook account.

"Had some discomfort in my hamstring a couple of days now and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. As a precaution, my coach decided not to risk it at this point," she said. "Will have a few days to get some treatment before Brussels. I’m extremely disappointed that I won’t be able to compete tonight and I’m sure you all are as well. Thanks again for the support and encouragement. No matter how hard we prepare sometimes things just don’t go as planned. The last thing I want to do is gain an injury/ injure myself." 

Despite battling injuries throughout the season, she managed to finish fourth in the highly competitive 100m race, clocking in at a season's best time of 11.01 seconds.

The race was dominated by some of Jamaica's finest sprinters, with Shericka Jackson leading the pack and setting a world-leading time of 10.65 seconds to claim victory. Sashalee Forbes, who achieved a personal best of 10.96 seconds, secured second place, closely followed by Natasha Morrison in third place with a time of 10.98 seconds.

For Williams, this achievement was nothing short of miraculous. Just a week prior, her hopes of participating in the trials seemed bleak after suffering an injury. However, through the relentless efforts of the staff at the YB Rehabilitation Centre, she made a remarkable recovery, defying the odds to secure a spot on Jamaica's team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

In a post-race interview, Williams expressed her gratitude, acknowledging the support she received during her challenging journey. "Last week, the unbelievable happened to me, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to run at trials this week. The YB Rehabilitation Center worked tirelessly on me, and I just want to thank God that I made it out here and was able to run all three healthy races," she revealed.

 While the fourth-place finish may not have been her ultimate goal, Williams remained positive, focusing on the progress she had made despite the setbacks.

"The season's not over. I still have more personal bests to run, but I just want to thank God that I still made the team," she said, emphasizing her determination to continue improving.

The Olympic relay gold medallist also highlighted the improvements in her race execution, crediting her coaches at Titans International for their unwavering support and guidance. She acknowledged the hard work they put into refining her performance and expressed confidence in her increased strength compared to the previous year.

“Definitely a lot stronger than last year. Just a few more things to work on and just focused on being healthy for the rest of the season so I can get lower my times each race.

“Right now it's going well. I'm just happy that I made it without feeling it (the hamstring) and I'm so grateful.”

The 19-year-old Williams, the lead-off runner on Jamaica’s women 4x100m relay team that won the gold medal in a national record of 41.02s at the Tokyo Olympics, is the youngest in the field but wants to go well below her personal best of 10.97 that was run at the Ansin Sports Complex in Florida in June.

"My coach keeps saying I still haven't run the time he was expecting this season. I'm looking forward to lining up with these amazing women to see if the field can push me to a personal best," said Williams, who is still mourning the loss of her grandmother Vive Colquhoun-Simpson, who died the teenager was competing in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, her coach, Ato Boldon believes Williams has earned this moment.

"She is running well and has earned her spot. I expect her to perform well, as she does in all the big races,” he said.

“Training indicates she will be competitive here. I told her to enjoy it. Everyone else your age is at home watching it. You’re in it.”

The Prefontaine Classic 100m Women's final includes the fastest woman alive, Elaine Thompson-Herah, who ran an Olympic record of 10.61 while winning gold in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann Fraser, who ran a lifetime best of 10.63 in June and Sha’Carri Richardson, whose personal best of 10.72 was run in April.

Also in the line-up are Shericka Jackson, who set a brand new personal best of 10.76 while winning the Olympic bronze medal and Marie Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast, who was fourth at the Olympic Games after having run a lifetime best of 10.78 in the semi-finals.

Following the decision of Shericka Jackson, Natasha Morrison and Stephenie-Ann McPherson to withdraw from the Jamaican contingent, the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) sought clearance from the Commonwealth Games Federation to bring Williams in to compete in the 100m.

However, by the time the GCF gave that clearance, it proved challenging to get a flight out from the United States that would get the Jamaican sprinter into the UK on time.

A disappointed Williams made the announcement on social media on Monday.

“Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the Commonwealth Games. The race is tomorrow (Tuesday) and I would’ve be getting in extremely late,” she said.

“Thanks to those who helped to try to speed up the process. Really wish I could have been there. Good luck to all the athletes competing.”

The 20-year-old Williams ran 10.94 to finish fourth at the Jamaica National Championships in June. She was a member of the island’s sprint relay squad that won the silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships that concluded at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on July 24.

St Lucia experienced a moment of immense national pride, as the island nation secured its first-ever Olympic medals in spectacular fashion. Julien Alfred became a household name after she clinched gold in the women’s 100m, blazing across the finish line in a remarkable 10.72 seconds, breaking her own national record and earning St Lucia its first Olympic gold. Alfred’s incredible speed nearly led her to a double triumph, but she settled for silver in the women’s 200m, clocking a commendable 22.08 seconds. These achievements not only catapulted Alfred into the spotlight but also marked a historic milestone for St Lucia, a small island nation now basking in the glory of its Olympic success.

Dominica also had its first taste of Olympic victory, thanks to the outstanding performance of Thea LaFond. Competing in the women’s triple jump, LaFond delivered a stunning leap of 15.02m, breaking the national record and securing Dominica’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. LaFond’s triumph in Paris resonated deeply within the nation, bringing joy and pride to Dominicans worldwide.

Grenada, a nation with a rich Olympic history, added to its growing medal tally with two more bronze medals. Anderson Peters, a seasoned javelin thrower, once again demonstrated his prowess by securing bronze in the men’s javelin throw with an impressive distance of 88.54m. Lindon Victor further bolstered Grenada’s standing with a hard-fought bronze in the men’s decathlon, excelling across 10 grueling events to earn his place on the podium.

It was the first time that the Spice Island had won multiple medals at the same Olympic Games. These achievements continued Grenada’s tradition of Olympic success, adding new chapters to the island’s storied athletic history.

Jamaica, a nation synonymous with sprinting dominance, experienced a shift in its Olympic narrative at the 2024 Games, with the majority of its six medals coming from field events. Roje Stona led the charge, breaking the Olympic record in the men’s discus throw with a colossal throw of 70.00m, securing Jamaica’s first and only gold medal of the Games. Wayne Pinnock contributed to the island’s medal haul with a silver in the men’s long jump, leaping an impressive 8.36m. Rajindra Campbell added to the field event success with a bronze in the men’s shot put, delivering a powerful throw of 22.15m.

Shanieka Ricketts also created history when she won the silver medal in the triple jump, securing Jamaica’s first ever medal in the field at an Olympic Games.

In addition to their field event successes, Jamaica’s sprinters also made their mark. Kishane Thompson, a rising star in the sprinting world, claimed silver in the men’s 100m with a blistering time of 9.79 seconds, a result determined by a photo finish that showcased the razor-thin margins of victory at the highest level.

 Rasheed Broadbell added to Jamaica’s sprinting legacy by earning a bronze in the 110m hurdles, clocking a season-best 13.09 seconds in another photo finish that highlighted the intense competition in Paris.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be remembered as a landmark event for the Caribbean, where athletes from St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, and Jamaica not only created history but also underscored the region’s growing influence in global athletics. These remarkable performances brought immense pride to their nations and showcased the Caribbean’s burgeoning talent and determination on the world stage. As the athletes returned home, they carried with them not just medals, but also the hopes and dreams of their countries, inspiring future generations to strive for greatness.

The region took home 17 medals in total including five golds, nine silvers and three bronzes with Jamaica leading the Caribbean medal count with 10 ahead of Grenada and the Dominican Republic who got two each while the Bahamas, Barbados and Puerto Rico all took home one apiece.

There were a number of standout performances throughout the 10 days starting with Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

Fraser-Pryce produced a championship record 10.67 to defend her 100m title and win her fifth in total. Fraser-Pryce also won her second 200m medal in her World Championships career, a silver in a season’s best 22.81.

Jackson ran a personal best 10.73 for silver in the 100m behind Fraser-Pryce and followed that up with one of the performances of the championships in the 200m. She produced a time of 21.45 to win her first global title and become the fastest woman alive over the distance.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah came third in the 100m in 10.81 to complete Jamaica's second consecutive 100m clean sweep at a major championship.

Fraser-Pryce, Jackson and Thompson-Herah then teamed up with Kemba Nelson to win silver in the 4x100m in 41.18 behind the USA (41.14).

We now move to the 400m where the Caribbean women swept the medals. Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo became the first female to complete the world event cycle (gold medals at the World Youth Championships, World Junior Championships, World Indoor Championships, World Championships and Olympics) by finally winning her maiden world title with a world-leading 49.11.

The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, the world leader coming into the Championships, followed up her silver medal in Tokyo last year with 49.60 to claim silver once more.

Barbados’ Sada Williams produced a brilliant personal best and national record 49.75 to take home bronze, becoming the first Barbadian woman to win a World Championship medal.

In the men’s equivalent, Grenadian superstar Kirani James ran 44.48 for silver behind American Michael Norman (44.30). This was James’ third World Championships medal and first since 2015 when he won bronze.

Paulino was also part of the brilliant quartet that took the Dominican Republic to gold in the Mixed Relay. Paulino combined with Fiordaliza Cofil, Lidio Andres Feliz and Alexander Ogando to run 3:09.82 for gold.

Staying on the track, Jamaica’s Britany Anderson followed up on the promise she’s shown all season to secure a silver medal in the 100m hurdles.

Anderson ran a new national record 12.31 in the semi-finals before running a wind-aided 12.23 to secure the silver medal behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan who clocked an astounding 12.06 for victory after running a legal world record 12.12 earlier in the semis.

Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran the same time as Anderson to take home bronze.

Jamaica picked up silver medals in both the men's and women's 4x400m relays. The men comprising of Ackeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, Jevaughn Powell and Christopher Taylor registered 2:58.58 to finish behind the USA (2:56.17) while the women with Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Stephenie Ann McPherson and Charokee Young produced 3:20.74 to finish behind the Americans (3:17.79).

In the field, Grenada’s Anderson Peters became only the second man to defend his javelin world title.

The 2022 world leader produced a best throw of 90.54m to successfully defend his title from Doha three years ago, replicating a feat only matched by Czech world record holder Jan Zelezny who won consecutive world titles in 1993 and 1995 before returning to top spot in 2001.

Peters produced an amazing series, registering 90.21m, 90.46m, 87.21m, 88.11m, 85.83m and 90.54m in his six rounds.

Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts produced a season’s best 14.89m to take silver in the women’s triple jump behind Venezuelan world record holder and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas (15.47m).

Ricketts produced jumps of 14.89m, 14.86m, 14.37m, 14.40m, 14.62m and 14.80m for one of her best series of her career.

The region will be hoping for an even better showing at the 2023 World Championships scheduled for August 19-27 in Budapest, Hungary.

The 16-year-old St. Lucian sprinter has enjoyed an excellent season, so far, with her best results coming at the 50^th Carifta Games held from April 7-9 at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas.

The Vieux-Fort native first ran 11.72 to claim silver in the 100m, her country’s first ever sprint medal at the Caribbean junior showcase.

The Vieux-Fort Comprehensive Secondary School attendee then produced 23.72 for silver in the 200.

“I went out there to get the gold but God gave me the silver so my Carifta season went pretty well. I executed my race as planned and I got on the podium,” London said on the latest edition of In Case You Missed It hosted by Mariah Ramharack on SportsMax.TV

“It felt great that I had some competition in the race. I was competing with some of the best and I pulled through to get on that podium so, right now, I feel great about myself,” she added.

After her Carifta exploits, London said she returned home to a celebration.

“Oh my gosh! A lot of celebration happened. When I got home, everybody was around and just cheering ‘Naomi London! Naomi London!’ It was so much support. I love the fact that my community supports me no matter what I do,” she said.

Although happy with her silver medals, London expressed her desire to one day upgrade to gold.

“It would be a life-changer for me and for my country,” she said. “Gold is many, many more than silver.”

London also does well in the classroom and credits good time-management skills and sacrifice for that.

“I prioritize my work and I do have good time-management skills. After I come home from training, I will sacrifice the time to go study or do an assignment,” she said.

Her next quest on the track will be at the Commonwealth Youth Games set for August 4-11 in Trinidad & Tobago.

“One of my goals is to medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games and my second goal is to run a personal best at any meet that I attend,” London said.

To date, St. Lucia’s greatest export on the track is current University of Texas star and Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist Julien Alfred, someone London says she looks up to.

“Julien Alfred is one of my inspirations from young. Me and her grew up in the same field in track and field. She used to run in the higher division and I used to always look out for her and we used to talk about all the races. I’m very proud of her achievements,” she said.

“I would say the success of the St Lucian athletes is making the young athletes want to do more and want to go out there to represent their country. I think track is a great sport and St Lucia has a lot of talent. We can go out there, do our best and put our country on the map,” London added.

In the Under-20 Boys final, it was a quinella for the Cayman Islands as Howell successfully defended his title with a season’s best 10.15 ahead of his teammate Jaiden Reid who was second in 10.34.

Jamaica’s Javorne Dunkley ran the same time as Reid in third.

In the Under-20 Girls final, Dockery produced a stunning upset to defeat her teammate Thieanna-Lee Terrelonge and claim gold.

Dockery, who was well beaten by Terrelonge in the Class Two 100m final at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships, produced an excellent personal best 11.26 to take gold.

Terrelonge ran 11.32 for second while Antigua & Barbuda’s Geolyna Dowdye ran 11.64 for bronze.

Favorite Athaleyha Hinckson of Guyana produced 11.44 to win the Under-17 Girls final ahead of Jamaica’s Adora Campbell (11.52) and Barbados’ Aniya Nurse (11.76).

Jamaica’s Nyrone Wade proved to be the class of the field in the Under-17 Boys event.

Wade added to Class Two 100m title at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships with a personal best-equaling 10.43 to win gold ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Kadeem Chinapoo (10.59) and Jamaica’s Malike Nugent (10.74).

Day two of the Carifta Games can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax app on Sunday.

He did say, however, that he intends to go a bit faster over the course of the season as the Olympic Games draw nearer.

Also at the meet held at the Tropical Park Stadium, Jamaica’s Akeem Bloomfield and Natalliah Whyte, Greene’s MVP International training partners, enjoyed impressive wins over 200m.

The 25-year-old Greene was second in his preliminary round heat in 10.27 behind the USA’s World Championship 400m medalist, Fred Kerley, who won in 10.15. However, he managed to turn the tables on his more celebrated American rival in the final, winning in 10.01.

Kerley was second in 10.11, the third-fastest time in the world this year, while Jeremy Bascomb was third in 10.51.

Greene said the time came as a bit of a shock.

“I was surprised to see 10.01 show up on the clock but coach been saying I am in good shape, I have been training well so once I executed a good race I should run fairly fast, but in my head, fairly fast meant 10.1/10.2, so it just shows that if you listen to your coach and do what you have been doing in practice you should be fine,” said Greene, who ran with a trailing wind of 1.2m/s.

He revealed that having Fred Kerley in the race also played its part in his fast season-opener that bumped China’s Bingtian Su’s 10.05 that was run earlier Saturday, from the top spot.

“Fred’s presence made me have to focus a little bit more because we all know Fred is fast so it kind of forced me to compete at a higher level,” Greene said.

“Fred’s presence really changed the game because I knew I had to execute a really good race because Fred is fast and he is strong, he is one of the best 400m athletes in the world so I know I had to execute the start very well to win the race.”

Realistically, it should not have been that much of a surprise for the 2016 Olympian given how well he says he has been training at MVP International’s base camp in Florida. He said the competitive nature of training has helped him bring out his best.

“My training group definitely helped me push a little harder this year. Being alongside Akeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen and Teray Smith each day at practice, it gets really competitive and we push each other and we go at it. Every day is like a race so I think that really helped me to push myself to be in a lot better shape this early,” he said while revealing that he intends to dip below 10 seconds in time for the Olympic Games this summer.

“The goal is to go sub-10 and once we keep healthy and keep listening to the coach and keep executing races, getting race sharp, that should happen. So my goal is to keep improving each week in practice, stay healthy and go on to the Olympics and do great things.”

He said he is likely to race next in Clermont on April 4, where he could be running the 200m.

“I want to improve my 200 times. I know once I can improve over the 200m it should translate pretty good into the 100 so I’ll probably give it a shot down there.”

Bloomfield was also impressive at the meet seemingly exerting relatively little effort in winning the 200m in 20.75 over Teray Smith (20.90) and Zaza Wellington (21.05), respectively.

In the women’s event, Whyte, a sprint relay gold medalist at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, was the fastest Jamaican in the world with her winning time of 22.88.

In the time trial, Angela Tenorio was second-best in 23.06 while Ashley Kelly was third in 24.18.

Clarke, the 19-year-old sensation fresh off a world junior record equaling 47.85 to claim his first national senior title last month, ran 48.52 to take the win at the Wolfe Track & Field Complex.

Nigerian Nathaniel Ezekiel, who took bronze at the NCAA Championships competing for Baylor University, was not far behind Clarke in second with 48.55 while American David Kendziera ran 48.77 for third.

Watson, the 21-year-old who will be competing at his first World Championships in Budapest, took a big scalp in the 400m with 44.69 to win ahead of Grenadian World and Olympic Champion Kirani James who produced 44.92 in second. American Justin Robinson ran 45.09 in third.

Watson finished second behind Sean Bailey at the Jamaican Championships last month in a personal best 44.54.

Moving over to the 100m where Oblique Seville, who finished third at the National Championships, ran 9.98 for second in the Invitational A-race on Friday.

The race was won by 2022 World Championship silver medallist, Marvin Bracy-Williams of the USA, in 9.96 while Christian Coleman, the 2019 World Champion, was third in 10.03.

BVI’s Rikkoi Brathwaite and Guyana’s Emmanuel Archibald were both top three finishers in the Invitational B-race. Brathwaite ran a personal best 10.09 for second while Archibald ran 10.14, also a personal best, in third. Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi ran 10.00 to take the win.

Jamaica’s Ashanti Moore and Natalliah Whyte ran 11.18 and 11.26 for first and third, respectively, in the Women’s Invitational B-race. The USA’s Maia McCoy ran 11.24 for second.

Guyana’s Jasmine Abrams ran 11.41 for second in the Women’s Open 100m behind the USA’s Candace Hill (11.29). Kristina Knott of the Philippines was third in 11.47.

Racers Track Club’s Michael Stephens ran 10.28 for second in the Men’s equivalent won by the USA’s Ameer Webb in 10.17. Demarius Smith ran 10.31 in third.

Two-time national champion, Andrew Hudson, ran 20.51 for third in the Men’s Pro 200m. Olympic Champion, Andre DeGrasse, ran 20.19 for a comfortable win ahead of the USA’s Kyree King (20.45).

Jamaica’s Natalliah Whyte ran 22.76 to win the Women’s Open 200m ahead of American Talitha Diggs (22.83) and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili (22.94).

In the Women’s Pro 800m, St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Shafiqua Maloney ran a personal best 1:59.94, her first time under two minutes, for second behind the USA’s Addy Wiley (1:59.00). Uganda’s Susan Aneno was third in 1:59.95.

The Men’s Pro 800m saw Jamaican national champion, Rajay Hamilton, run 1:46.72 for second behind Kenya’s Festus Lagat (1:46.72). American Abe Alvarado ran 1:46.82 in third.

Dejour Russell ran 13.47 for second in the Men’s Open 110m hurdles. The race was won by the USA’s Michael Dickson in 13.37 while his countryman Dylan Beard ran 13.60 in third.

In the field, Chanice Porter produced 6.67m to take the win in the Women’s long jump ahead of USA’s Tiffany Flynn (6.46m) and Nigeria’s Ruth Usoro (6.42m).

Newly crowned Jamaican champion and national record holder, Rajindra Campbell, threw 21.59m for third in the Men’s shot put behind the American pair of Joe Kovacs (21.72m) and Tripp Piperi (21.67m).

Bermuda’s Jah-Nhai Perinchief produced 16.85m for second in the Men’s triple jump behind American Donald Scott (16.94m). Another American, Chris Bernard, jumped 16.77m for third.

Clarke, who was a DNF in the Olympic final in Paris last month, ran a season’s best 47.49 to win in a stacked men’s 400m hurdles ahead of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (47.58) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.02).

Salmon, sixth place in the final in Paris, dipped below 53 seconds for the first time in her career with an excellent personal best 52.97 to win ahead of Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell (53.17) and Shamier Little (54.07).

Also, among the winners on Friday was Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock who produced a best jump of 8.17m to take top spot over rival and Olympic and World champion Miltiadis Tentoglu (8.02m) and Simon Ehammer (7.98m).

Two-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters threw 85.72m to take the win in the men’s javelin ahead of Germany’s Julian Weber (85.33m) and Japan’s Roderick Genki Dean (82.69m).

In a much-anticipated Olympic final rematch in the women’s 100m, American Sha’Carri Richardson (10.84) this time secured victory over St. Lucian Olympic champion Julien Alfred (10.88) and British 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith (10.89).

Puerto Rican Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran 12.36 to win the women's 100m hurdles ahead of Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.40) and Olympic champion Masai Russell (12.47).

2021 Olympic champion Hansle Parchment ran a season’s best 13.18 for fourth in the men’s 110m hurdles won by Olympic champion Grant Holloway in 12.99. Sasha Zhoya took second in a personal best 13.10 while Freddie Crittenden ran 13.15 in third.

Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic ran a respectable 19.87 for fifth in the men’s 200m. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo took the win in a fast 19.55, just ahead of American Kenny Bednarek (19.57). Erriyon Knighton ran 19.79 in third while Fred Kerley ran 19.81 in fourth.

The next stop on the Diamond League circuit will be the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 13 and 14.

Williams, who trains at the MVP Track Club in Jamaica under the tutelage of Stephen Francis, is her country’s biggest medal hopeful for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games having already qualified.

The 26-year-old will contest the women’s 400m event at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex in Bridgetown.

The Bajan national record holder has, so far, had a sub-par 2024 season by her lofty standards, failing to dip below 50 seconds in all five of her 400m races.

Her season’s best 50.71 came at the Oslo Diamond League on May 30.

Williams created history at 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon by winning 400m bronze in a then-personal best and national record 49.75 seconds.

Later that year, Williams became the first woman to run under 50 seconds at the Commonwealth Games with 49.90 to capture gold. She closed out 2022 with a third-place finish at the Diamond League Final in Zurich in 49.98.

She followed up that fantastic season with another bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Williams produced a personal best and national record 49.58 in the semi-finals before returning to run slightly slower in the final, 49.60, to claim consecutive bronze medals.

Also confirmed for the Barbados nationals are Olympians Mario Burke and Tristan Evelyn who are expected to contest the men’s and women’s 100m events respectively.

Burke, 27, has a personal best of 9.98 done back in 2019 and was an Olympian in Tokyo in 2021. In 2016, he took home 100m bronze at the World Junior Championships in Poland in 10.26. He has a season's best of 10.22 done at the Last Chance Sprint Series on June 7 in Sherman Oakes, California.

Hurdlers Tia-Adana Belle and Rasheeme Griffith are also among the big names, along with quarter miler Desean Boyce and former CARIFTA sprinters Julian Forde and Kishawna Niles.

Griffith, a senior at the University on Tennessee, established a new 400m hurdles national record of 48.79 in the heats at the SEC Championships on May 9.

CARIFTA Games gold medalist Layla Haynes and Hannah Connell as well as national javelin record holder Kayla Thorpe are also set to compete.

The 2019 world championships bronze medallist won the 100m in 11.57 ahead of the USA’s Eboni Coby (11.66) and Cote d’Ivoire’s Karel Ziteh (11.68) before returning to win the hurdles in 12.95, comfortably ahead of the only other competitor in the race, Lindsay Cooper of East Tennessee State who ran (14.27).

Williams ran a season’s best 12.61 at the South Carolina Open on April 23^rd, a time that currently puts her seventh on the world rankings for 2022.

Former STETHS sprinter Dashinelle Dyer, now competing for Clemson, was second in the Men’s 100m in 10.37 behind the USA’s Mario Heslop (10.33). Another Jamaican, Noxroy Wright, ran 10.70 for third.

Davison ran a steady 10.25 to win heat four and advance while Nkrumie advanced after running 10.39 to win heat seven. Botswanan Letsile Tebogo, who got to the semi-finals at the recently concluded World Athletics Championships in Eugene, was the fastest qualifier to the semis with a championship record 10.00 to win heat three. Tebogo ran 9.94 in the heats in Eugene to break the world junior record.

Heat two saw Cuba’s Reynaldo Espinosa run 10.41 to finish second and advance to the semis while Grenada’s Nazzio John ran 10.47 for third to advance as one of the eight fastest non-automatic qualifiers.

In the field, Dominica’s Treneese Hamilton threw a national junior record 15.89m to advance to the Women’s shot-put final.

Bahamian Antoine Andrews was the fastest Caribbean qualifier to the semi-finals of the 110m hurdles after running a national junior record 13.36 to win heat three and advance.

Jamaicans Demario Prince and Dishaun Lamb will also be in the semis. Prince ran 13.80 to win heat two while Lamb 13.69 for third in heat seven.

Cuba’s Alejandro Parada jumped out to 7.95m to advance in the Men’s long jump. St. Vincent & The Grenadines’ Uroy Ryan will also be in the final after producing 7.64m.

Jamaica's Kobe Lawrence threw 19.85m to advance to the final of the Men's shot-put.

Clayton, who ran 11.09 to win the World Junior title in Nairobi last year, cruised to 11.38 to win the first heat. The Edwin Allen High standout sped to a personal best and national junior record 10.96 to win the Jamaican junior title in June.

Lirangi Tejada of the Dominican Republic finished fourth in heat one in 11.66 to advance as a fastest loser.

Joining her in the semis will be high school teammate Serena Cole, who was equally impressive in heat two, running 11.38 for victory. 

Barbados’ Kishawna Miles ran 11.58 for third in heat three to advance.

In the 400m, Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley won heat four in 53.70 to advance. Her teammate Rickiann Russell ran 54.63 to finish fifth in heat five and advance as a non-automatic qualifier.

Javonya Valcourt of the Bahamas also advanced as a non-automatic qualifier after finishing fifth in heat three in 55.31.

On the Men’s side, Jamaica’s Delano Kennedy and Shaemar Uter both safely got through to the semi-finals. Kennedy ran a personal best 46.24 for third in heat two while Uter finished second in heat three in 46.66.

Moving to the 400m hurdles, Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands was the second fastest qualifier to the semi-finals after running 58.33 to win the third heat. Jamaica’s Oneika McAnuff will also be in the semi-finals after a third-place finish in heat five in 59.45.

In the field, Jamaica’s Brandon Pottinger cleared 2.08m to advance to the final of the Men’s high jump.

She answered that question on Thursday with a post on social media saying, “I think I’ve reached a point where I have nothing to prove to anyone but, at the same time, I think I have a lot to prove to myself.

“There’s a difference when you believe something and you know what you’re capable of or what’s within your reach. You want to make sure that you’re pushing yourself towards it and trying to accomplish it. I think that was me last year, where I just totally forgot about anybody else’s expectation and just focused on what I know I can do.”

The post reiterated sentiments expressed in a recent interview with Athletic Weekly, where she revealed her burning desire to run faster as the driving force behind her relentless pursuit of greatness. She states, "I used to refrain from stating clearly what I want, and I believe I can run faster – that’s really what has kept me here. I believe that with every fibre of my being."

Last year's consistent runs of seven 10.6 seconds showcased her immense potential, but Fraser Pryce firmly believes there is more to achieve. The prospect of dropping her time further propels her forward, as she remains steadfast in her pursuit of perfection.

What truly sets Fraser Pryce apart is her insatiable hunger for something new, something undiscovered. Despite her remarkable accomplishments, she remains excited and enthusiastic about her journey. The Jamaican sprint queen admits, "I wake up every morning and I go to practice and I’m like, 'man, I’m still doing this.' I still feel good, I still feel hungry."

As her career progresses, Fraser Pryce now views her role as an opportunity to inspire and impact the younger generation of athletes. She sees herself as a living example of what can be achieved with unwavering conviction and dedication. "It’s about impact, showing other athletes what you can do if you really have that conviction," she passionately states.

At 36 years old, Fraser Pryce understands that age should not limit her aspirations. She challenges the notion of ageism in sports, expressing frustration that other athletes in different disciplines can continue, while track and field athletes often face premature retirement. As long as she remains healthy, she vows to keep showing up, rewriting the record books along the way.

Fraser Pryce's dedication to her craft is unparalleled, and she is mindful of how she spends her time. Despite being a devoted mother, she prioritizes her training and even delegates cheering duties to her son's father during football matches. She knows that every second counts in her pursuit of greatness.

Surprisingly, after so many years at the pinnacle of the sport, Fraser Pryce remains humble and self-aware, acknowledging that she still has room for improvement.

 “I don’t have the best technique. I really have to work hard to cement it. It’s something that I have to go to the line and actively process in my head to say ‘this is what we’re doing, this is what we’re doing Shelly’ so I’m still learning to do that,” she states.

“I think one of the things is learning to do it being relaxed, as well as making sure that it’s automatic, it’s something that I can switch on and switch off if I need to. A lot of that takes concentration and replicating it daily in practice. It must be consistent and I think the more times I’m able to do it is, the easier it will become.”

The 23-year-old Jamaican, who ran the lead-off leg for Jamaica’s gold medal-winning 4x100 relay team at the World Championships in Doha in 2019, had run even faster in the preliminary round clocking 11.07s, her season-best.

However, taking the two races together, Whyte said she was happy with the overall performance.

“The first 100 metres of the season after not competing or doing much due to Covid this time last year, and with a time of 11.07 in the heats and 11.16 in the finals, I am satisfied,” she told Sportsmax.TV following her race.

She explained that the races were meant to provide her and her coach with indicators of what her progress is this season.

“It’s really just taking each race at a time and finding out my weak points and working on those so I can put everything together to get that perfect race,” said Whyte, who trains with Puma MVP International at their base at the Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

“I was hoping to go faster in the final run but, as I said, the race wasn’t perfect but there is still room for improvement. It’s the first race of the season and I think everything will come together as I move forward.”

Whyte did not compete indoors during the winter but does not believe it had any impact on her performances outdoors where she has run two 200m races recording times of 22.88 and 23.28 on March 20 and April 4, respectively.

“Not competing indoors doesn’t give you that early push that pushes you into outdoor. So basically, just training doesn’t give you a true benchmark of where you would want to be,” she explained.

“Competing with world-class athletes is what really sets the standard for what to work on and to just see where you are in your progress. So this meet was a great meet. It had a lot of world-class athletes so it was a true test of progress.”

Having run both short sprints so far this season begs the question, does she plan to compete at both at the Olympic this summer should she qualify at her national championships set for June? Whyte said it’s too early to say.

“Both events complement each other so at the moment I am using each event to get better at the other. The 200m really helps with speed endurance but eventually, when it gets closer to that time, my coach and I will decide based on how the season progresses, what will be best,” she said.

“At the moment, I am delighted for the opportunity to compete. I haven’t run the 200 consistently for the past few years so I am just trying to familiarize myself with the event again. So it’s really a learning process as I go along.  I am also trying to stay injury-free, which is my number one goal.”

Commenting on Richardson's phenomenal time, Whyte said: "Richardson's run was spectacular, she’s a very talented athlete."

The quartet of Lidio Andres Feliz, Marileidy Paulino, Alexander Ogando and Fiordaliza Cofil sped to a world leading 3:09.82 to secure gold ahead of the Netherlands (3:09.90) and the USA (3:10.16).

Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey ran 4:05.14 to advance to the semi-finals of the Women’s 1500m while Yohan Blake, Ackeem Blake and Oblique Seville all advanced to Saturday’s semi-finals in the 100m.

Seville ran 9.93 to win his heat while Yohan Blake (10.04) and Ackeem Blake (10.15) came second in their respective heats. American gold medal favourite Fred Kerley stole the show with a fast 9.79 to win his heat while countrymen and fellow medal favourites Trayvon Bromell (9.89) and Christian Coleman (10.08) also safely advanced to the semi-finals.

In the field, 2019 World Championship silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd needed only one throw to advance to the final of the women’s shot put with 19.09m.

Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock advanced to his first senior global final with a 7.98m effort in the long jump.

The 29-year-old sprinter was on Wednesday named the Track and Field News Female Athlete of the Year.

Thompson-Herah was voted the winner of the award by a 35-member international voting panel of the highly-respected track and field magazine, narrowly edging Venezuela's Olympic triple jump gold medalist and world-record holder, Yulimar Rojas.

The remainder of the top-five in voting included Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan, American 400m Hurdler Sydney McLaughlin and Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon.

During her history-making season, Thompson-Herah became the first woman to win the 100m, 200m sprint double at consecutive Olympics, winning the 100m in a time of 10.61, an Olympic record, and the 200m in 21.53 in Tokyo in July.

She would go even faster in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic in August, recording a 10.54-second clocking, the second-fastest time in history.

Thompson-Herah was also named World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year and the British Journal Athletics Weekly’s Female Athlete of the Year this month. She was also named NACAC Female Athlete of the Year and is favoured to be the RJR Sportswoman of the Year for 2021.

The 21-year-old Richardson, who won the NCAA National title in 2019 in 10.75, blazed to a world-leading time of 10.72 while easing up more than 10 metres from the finish line. The performance sent shockwaves across the athletics fraternity and threw the gauntlet down to defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and 2008 and 2012 champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won an unprecedented fourth world title in Doha two seasons ago.

Boldon thinks that the era of Jamaican dominance in the blue-riband event could be coming to an end.

“I’ve seen all I need to see from Sha’Carri yesterday. She’s the favourite no matter what and the whole industry knows it, track agents, shoe executives from all countries and other industry folks were saying as much post-meet yesterday,” said Boldon, who broadcasted from the meet held at the Ansin Stadium.

“Favorites don’t always win the Olympics but I think she will run 10.6 before the Olympic trials happen in June, maybe in Oregon if it’s not too cold, maybe at Mt Sac on May 9.

“Sha’ Carri is the 100/200 gold medal favourite for the Tokyo Olympics. Period,” Boldon said of the upstart American, who ran a personal best 22.00 at Montverde, Florida, in August last year.

The 21-year-old American is now the fifth-fastest woman in history as only Fraser-Pryce, Thompson-Herah (10.70), Marion Jones (10.65), Carmelita Jeter (10.64) and Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49) have run faster.

Finishing second in the race was the USA’s Javianne Oliver, who clocked 11.07 while Jamaica’s Natalliah Whyte was third in 11.16. Natasha Morrison crossed the finish line fourth in 11.22.