60M

Alfred, 18, a sophomore at the University of Texas blazed to a fast 23.50 to win the 200m on Friday beating the likes of US collegiate star Twanisha Terry (23.55) and Nike athlete Teahna Daniels (23.97) in Section 1 of the 200m.

However, she was only just warming up.

On Saturday, in the preliminaries of the Women’s 60m dash, Alfred, who opened her indoor season with 7.18s in December 2019, clocked 7.13 to be the fastest into the finals. The time was a new personal best and St. Lucian national record.

She would go even faster in the finals, clocking 7.10 breaking her own PB and national record.  The time was also the seventh fastest performer in collegiate history and the fastest time ever recorded by a collegian in the month of January.

However, the time was only good enough for second as she was edged by Mikiah Brisco, who broke the tape in 7.08s.

Terry finished third in 7.15.

The 22-year-old became St. Lucia’s first ever global medallist with a joint world-leading 6.98 ahead of main rival Ewa Swoboda of Poland (7.00) and Italy’s Zaynab Dosso (7.05).

In a post-race interview, the 2023 Bowerman Award winner said she said she has long dreamt about being her country’s first ever global medallist.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for such a long time to come out here and give my country their first ever medal and I feel so happy and overwhelmed,” she said.

“I had so many feelings going through my mind and body. We had to wait such a long time to see our names come up and I just kept wondering is it me? Is it Swoboda? As soon as my name came up I just felt overwhelmed and happy knowing I can finally call myself a world champion,” Alfred added.

Alfred entered into the final as the second fastest qualifier with a time of 7.03 and watched Swoboda light up the track on her war to a world leading 6.98 to win her semi-final.

The former St. Catherine High and University of Texas standout was asked about whether or not Swoboda’s semi-final performance was on her mind going into the much-anticipated final.

“I think I’ve grown a little bit more compared to last year at the World Championships. Even if somebody runs faster than me in the semis, just don’t worry about it because there’s always a final,” she said.

As far as her tactical approach went, Alfred’s goal was to get a good start and maintain her composure through the line.

“Just get out! I think my semi-final wasn’t executed in the right way. I know my top end speed was there but I know that Swoboda has a great start so my main focus was just to get out and hang on and continue to push to the line,” added the former Texas standout.

With that said, “no,” was her response to a question about whether or not she executed her race perfectly.

“My start was there but I felt like the ending could’ve been much better had I just stayed relaxed and not pressured myself to go to the line,” she added.

Alfred's goal now shifts to some outdoor success at the Paris Olympics.

"Definitely! One step at a time, one race at a time and just practicing hard to execute when the time comes," she said.

The 22-year-old was the fastest man in the preliminaries with 6.90 before producing 6.86 to win the final ahead of DePaul’s Dominic Cole (6.91) and Eastern Illinois’s Cameron Yarbrough (6.92).

Toussaint finished third in the 100m at the St. Lucian Championships in 10.76 last year. His personal best 10.65 was done in the semi-finals of those championships.

Toussaint’s schoolmate, Barbadian Khristel Martindale, ran 7.63 for second in the women’s 60m which was won by Notre Dame’s Michelle Quinn in 7.57. Another Lewis University sprinter Rose Ogbuli was third in 7.68.

Martindale was a finalist in both the 100m and 200m at the 2023 Carifta Games in Nassau, finishing sixth in the 100m in 11.97 and fourth in the 200m in 24.25.

The 2012 double sprint World Junior champion ran 7.21 for victory in the women’s 60m. She finished just ahead of Poland’s Magdalena Stefanovicz (7.22) and Iran’s Farzaneh Fasihi (7.23). Jamaica's Tina Clayton ran 7.28 in sixth.

Reigning Jamaican National 100m champion Rohan Watson ran 6.65 for fifth in the male equivalent won by the USA’s Demek Kemp in 6.55. The Japanese pair of Shuhei Tada and Akihiro Higashida ran 6.58 and 6.59 for second and third, respectively.

The meet’s most impressive performance came in the women’s 60m hurdles where Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, coached by Jamaican Lacena Golding-Clarke, produced an African record 7.77 to win ahead of two-time World Indoor champion Nia Ali (7.89) and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin (7.91). Jamaica’s Megan Tapper and Amoi Brown were fifth and eighth with times of 8.03 and 8.11, respectively.

The women’s 400m saw Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson finish second overall with a time of 54.66. The event was won by Portugal’s Catia Azevedo in 52.64 while Japan’s Nanako Matsumoto was third overall with 54.79.

According to LSU Head Track and Field Coach Dennis Shaver, the plan for the 19-year-old former Hydel High School star is to attempt making Jamaica’s team for the Olympic Games in Paris in both the 100m and 200m races.

Lyston gave an indication of her early readiness to be competitive this season when she ran a fast 7.07 to win the 60m dash at the Razorback Invitational last weekend. The time tied Aleia Hobbs’ school record and is the fifth-fastest time in the world this year.

Intriguingly, Coach Shaver revealed that the fast time was not really a surprise given how well Lyston had been training leading up to the meet but hinted that she could have gone even faster.

“Well, it's hard to predict what she would run. But I did know that when we're doing starts in training and so forth for 30, 40 or 50 meters, she was executing quite well in training, but it's always hard in the 60 to predict what their actual finish time is going to be. But I knew that, just based on what some of our other athletes that she trains with, what they were running, I had a pretty good idea that she was going to run in the 60 m this last week.

“And that's why we entered her always because we felt like, in communicating with her, we both felt that she was ready to execute the race well. And so I was proud of her. She just ran, I think, 14 (7.14) in the prelims and felt really easy. And I said, well, when you get in the final now, don't try to run real fast, just try to execute, and I think that's what she did.”

This early indicator, Coach Shaver believes, is why Lyston – all things being equal - will be in the mix when she goes up against her more experienced compatriots at the Jamaica national championships come June.

“She's going to be ready, and she's going to be able to run at the Jamaican trials and try to make the Olympic team. That's just one of the goals now. If we don't make it, it's not the end of the world. She's so young, but the reality of it is that I think the experience of her running in under 20s was a real positive thing,” Coach Shaver said of the 2022 World U20 200m champion.

“And so I think, the younger you are to make an Olympic team and be able to perform at Olympic level, it is one more year of experience you have for the next time that rolls around.”

Coach Shaver explained that even though Lyston is known more for her prowess over 200m, he is not ruling out her aiming for a spot on Jamaica’s 100m team to Paris as well.

“I wouldn't eliminate the 100 meters from the possibility either. And I know there are some great Jamaican 100m people, but I think she can be in that mix too, just based on that 7.07.”

The journey to this point has not been easy for Lyston, who has had a history of physical challenges during her high school career. That was pretty much the case when she arrived at LSU for her freshman year, Coach Shaver revealed.

 During her freshman year indoors, Lyston ran two 60m dashes peaking at 7.29 as well as a single 200m in which she ran 23.54 in New Mexico. Outdoors, she raced over 200m four times. She also ran in seven 4x100m relays and a single 4x400m relay.

Coach Shaver explained the reason behind why she ran such a limited number of races.

“Most people that know me know that I'm pretty patient. When I don't feel like somebody's really prepared to perform at an adequate level just based on training, I just don't race them. So last year I just felt like it was a big transition for Brianna. But I think that as we went through the year with her, she adapted more and more to what we were asking her to do. And I think she's just grown from there,” he said.

“She had a really good fall, this fall of training, and I think that led to what happened this (past) weekend. I just didn't feel like until now I really had her prepared to perform well and be able to do it safely and not injure herself.”

Injuries were something that the LSU coaching staff had to help the now bigger and stronger Lyston overcome during that difficult freshman year.

“There were things that we do in training that she did some things really good, but she didn't do everything really good. So until she got and adapted and started adapting to the training and then, of course, I just think this year there's a lot more focus more confidence, which is obviously very important and it's a tribute to her and believing in what we do and working within those parameters that we're asking her to do,” Coach Shaver said.

“I think also we've got an excellent medical staff that diagnosed things that needed to be worked on. It's just taking this long before I really feel like collectively we had her prepared to run fast and stay healthy.”

For her standout performance on the weekend, Lyston was named USTFCCCA Female Athlete of the Week.

Williams, 18, was supposed to have opened her season last December in Freeport, Bahamas but then withdrew citing issues with the meet promoters.

Since then, she was being put through her paces by Coach Ato Boldon, who revealed recently that the  2018 World U20 100 and 200m champion was straining at the leash, eager to compete. For her part, Williams, having had a taste of indoor running last year, said she is looking forward to doing to again.

“I am very excited and also grateful to be able to run in this meet coming up February 13. I have been eager to run and seeing everyone running well indoors, I wanted to give it another try,” she said.

“I am just going to race happy, prepared. I feel strong and in shape. I just cant wait to see the times I’ll do and I just hope I do well.”

In February 2020, Williams, then 17, ran a personal best 7.18 while finishing third at the Millrose Games at the Armoury in New York.

Harrison Jr, 24, produced a personal best of 6.59 to win the men’s event ahead of Kasaun James (6.61) and Tennessee Sophomore T’Mars McCallum (6.63).

The American-born Harrison Jr’s previous personal best was 6.67 done in January 2022. That year also saw Harrison Jr claim the 100m title at T&T’s National Championships with a personal best 10.08 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The women’s equivalent saw Antiguan Olympian and Tennessee Senior Joella Lloyd win in a season’s best 7.27, just ahead of American Maia McCoy (7.29) in second and Kentucky Junior Victoria Perrow (7.31).

In the field, Jamaican Florida State Sophomore Jordan Turner produced 7.90m for second in the men’s long jump behind schoolmate Jeremiah Davis’ season’s best and facility record 8.20m. American Cameron Crump was third with 7.88m.

The Tokyo Olympic triple gold medallist clocked a season-best 7.08 after surging past Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambindji (7.11) and Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (7.13) to claim victory and become the fastest Jamaican woman in the event this year.

Briana Williams by virtue of her 7.09 run at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York on February 6.

Still, the fastest woman alive was not completely satisfied.

“It’s been a good one. I am healthy. I got a season-best, 7.08. I would have loved to have gone below seven seconds but I am not rushing it. I wish it had two rounds to get me warmed up but I am happy for the win,” she said afterwards.

She reiterated that her primary focus this season is the World Athletic Championships in Oregon in July where she plans to improve on her previous showings at the championships where she has never won a gold medal.

She plans to rectify that this year.

“I only have a silver medal from 2015 so I am just working towards having a world championship title in either the 100m or 200m.”

She also praised the fans in the stadium for the atmosphere they generated, especially coming off a season when fans were not allowed into the stands at the Olympic Games in Tokyo where she created history last summer.

“The crowd was awesome. They came out and they supported us. We wanted that last year; because of Covid, we had no spectators. I was just happy for the crowd to come out to see us dominating on the field.”

Thompson-Herah races next in Poland on Tuesday.

The World Female Athlete of the Year and nominee for Laureus Sportswoman of the Year is down to compete at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix on February 19 and at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup Indoor meet in Torun, Poland three days later, fueling speculation that following up on her success in Tokyo last year, that she would be attempting to break Irina Privalova’s record of 6.92 that has been on the books since February 11, 1993.

However, when Sportsmax.TV asked the five-time Olympic gold medalist if she harboured ambitions of breaking the record, emphatically dismissed the notion.

“I am not targeting the world record as I am not altering my program for indoor competition,” said Thompson-Herah, whose personal best of 6.98 was set on February 18, 2017.

She indicated that her reason for competing indoors is not about the record but is part of her preparation for the coming outdoor season.

“My indoor meets are for the improvement of my overall 100m race but I am feeling great that means anything is possible,” she said while suggesting that she is still mulling whether to compete at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia in March.

 “I haven’t decided yet on World Indoors, just taking it a step at a time,” she said.

Incidentally, Thompson-Herah’s 6.98 is tied for eighth all-time with compatriot and rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who ran her time in Poland in March 2014.

Last month, Thompson-Herah ran a 60m race outdoors in 7.19 (-1.9m/s) at the Queens/Grace Jackson Meet in Kingston.

“I’m so excited to race in Birmingham to start my 2022 campaign,” said the fastest woman alive by virtue of her 10.54 100m run in Oregon last August.

“I have enjoyed competing in the UK over the years and there is always a special atmosphere at this venue. I ran my PB at this arena in 2017, so competing here means a lot to me.

“This year is a huge one. I have big goals for the World Athletics Championships later this summer, but first I’d like to give fans something to cheer about in Birmingham.”

Last summer, Thompson-Herah clocked 10.61, an Olympic record, to win the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics and then claimed the gold in the 200m in 21.53, the second-fastest time in history. In achieving the double, the 29-year-old Jamaican became the first woman in Olympic history to win both sprints at consecutive Olympic Games.

She added a third gold as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a new national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time ever run for a relay.

In Birmingham, she will face Britain's two-time Olympic bronze medallist Daryll Neita, who also had a strong year in 2021. Last year she recorded lifetime best performances over 100m (10.93) and 200m (22.81) and finished eighth in the Olympic 100m final in Tokyo. Her 60m best is 7.21 from February 2021.

“The last time I raced Elaine indoors was in Birmingham in 2017 when she won, and I was fifth. Although she remains faster than me, I have to believe that the gap has closed since then and that with the backing of our brilliant British supporters, I can be more competitive this time around,” Neita said.

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix is the fifth World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of 2022. There are seven Gold level meetings across the series, starting with Karlsruhe on 28 January and culminating in Madrid on 2 March.

Other athletes set to compete in Birmingham include Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis, world indoor 60m hurdles record-holder Grant Holloway, Olympic 1500m silver medallist Laura Muir and Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson.

On Friday, Lloyd, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, ran a personal best of 7.20 to win the 60m at the two-day Clemson Tiger Paw meeting that concluded on Saturday at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Complex in South Carolina.

The time erased her previous personal best and national record of 7.27 set in February 2019. She just managed to hold off Kentucky’s Abby Steiner who was a close second in 7.21 and Grenada’s Halle Hazzard, competing for Virginia, who clocked 7.26.

“Setting a new national in the 60m feels amazing,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

“The training I’ve undergone this season paid off in my race yesterday (Friday). This season we’ve been working a lot on improving my reaction time and holding my drive phase longer. Implementing more reaction exercises in my training and stepping up in the weight room has helped me improve in those two areas.”

The 18-year-old speedster also set a new national record on Saturday when she clocked 23.63 in her heat of the 200m, the fourth-fastest time overall.

Steiner was the fastest overall in a new facility record of 22.52. Delecia McDuffie’s 23.24 was the next best while Trishauna Hemmings ran 23.28 for third.

Williams won the event in 6.59, a meet record, ahead of Grenadian 2021 World U-20 Championships 100m finalist and Ohio State Junior Nazzio John (6.68) and UTEP’s Xavier Butler (6.74).

Williams, who previously represented the University of Albany, was a silver medallist in the 100m at last year’s NACAC U-23 Championships in Costa Rica.

The men’s 60m open saw a Caribbean 1-2-3 through Barbados’ Mario Burke (6.56), BVI’s Rikkoi Brathwaite (6.67) and Jamaica’s Christopher Grant (6.74).

The open women’s 60m saw 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and World Championship finalist Ackera Nugent run 7.30 for second behind American Jada Baylark (7.22). Kristina Knott of the Philippines was third in 7.35.

Grenadian Arizona State Senior Gamali Felix ran a season’s best 45.90 to win the men’s 400m ahead of Arkansas’ Steven McElroy (46.09) and USC’s Johnnie Blockburger (46.20).

The women’s 200m saw Jamaican UTEP Sophomore Niesha Burgher run 23.09 for second behind USC’s Madison Whyte 23.01. Whyte’s USC teammate Jassani Carter was third in 23.19.

In the field, seven-time Jamaican national champion Kimberly Williams produced 13.83m to win the women's triple jump ahead of ULM's Eunice Ilunga Mbuyi (13.13m) and Oregon's Ryann Potter (12.84m).

The men's equivalent was won by Bermuda's Jah-Nhai Perinchief with 16.36m. Bahamian Kaiwan Culmer was second with 16.26m while Jamaican Arkansas Junior Apalos Edwards was third with 15.86m.

Bahamian Laquan Nairn jumped 7.64m for second in the men's long jump behind South Plains Freshman Andrew Stone (7.70m). Oklahoma Senior Anthony Riley was third with 7.57m.

The diminutive Jamaican was among several Caribbean athletes, who delivered outstanding performances at the meet as Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards ran under 46 seconds indoors for the first time to win the 400m while Danielle Williams ran a lifetime best to win the 60m hurdles.

The 30-year-old Goule, who was second to Ajee Wilson at the Millrose Games on January 29, ran 1:59.62 to win the 800m ahead of Olivia Baker, whose 2:00.63 was a personal best. Isabelle Boffey also ran a personal-best 2:01.37 for third.

Goule said afterwards that she was very grateful for the performance because she went into the meet heavily loaded after a hard week of training.

Richards had an encouraging start to his indoor season when he sped to a personal indoor best of 45.84 to win the quarter-mile sprint.

The Trinidadian held his form down the home stretch to hold off Vernon Norwood of the USA, who was second in a personal-best 46.06. Khamari Montgomery was third in 46.24.

The women’s event was won by the USA’s Jessica Beard in a season-best 52.88. Kyra Constantine of Canada took the silver with her time of 52.96 while Jamaica’s Roneisha McGregor ran a personal best 53.01 for third.

Jamaica went 1-2 in the women’s 60m hurdles won by Williams, the 2015 world champion, in a season-best 7.83, just holding off her fast-finishing compatriot Britany Anderson, who ran a personal-best 7.88. The USA’s Gabrielle Cunningham clocked 7.92, a season-best, for third

The meet represented an opportunity for 19-year-old Briana Williams to rebound from her disappointing performance over 60m at the recent Millrose Games where she finished fourth in 7.22, beaten by Aleia Hobbs, Mikiah Brisco and 16-year-old high school student Shawnti Jackson, who ran a USA high-school record and personal best 7.18 for third, which was also Williams’ lifetime best.

On Sunday, Williams bounced back in style, uncorking a personal best 7.09 to win her preliminary heat and advance to the finals with the fastest time. It took a world-leading run of 7.07 from Brisco in the final to deny Williams, who ran a smart 7.11 for second place. The USA’s Destiny Smith Barrett clocked a personal best 7.14 for third.

Noah Lyles won the men’s equivalent in a personal best 6.56 ahead of Barbados’s Mario Burke, who crossed the finish line in a season-best 6.63. Travis Collins ran 6.64 for third.

In the men’s 200m, the USA’s Trayvon Bromell pulled out all the stops to hold off Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor and win in 20.64. Taylor stopped the clock in 20.81. The USA’s Elijah Hall was also in the mix, finishing third in 20.82.

Williams first won the second heat of the preliminaries in 7.37 before crossing the line in 7.25 in the final, narrowly behind Georgia sophomore Kaila Jackson who won in 7.19. Another Georgia sophomore, Autumn Wilson, ran 7.28 in third.

The men’s event was won by Jamaican Georgia freshman Jehlani Gordon. The former Wolmer’s Boys sprinter won the second preliminary heat in 6.74, the fourth fastest time in the prelims, before returning to win the final in a personal best 6.60, the third fastest time ever by Georgia athlete. Campbell senior Jamal Miller and Clemson senior Cameron Rose ran 6.64 and 6.65, respectively, in second and third.

A pair of Jamaicans, Lafranz Campbell and Gianno Roberts, finished first and second in the men’s 60m hurdles with times of 7.74 and 7.76, respectively. North Colorado junior Jerome Campbell ran 7.78 for third.

Clemson sophomore Oneka Wilson ran 8.31 for third in the women’s equivalent behind Amber Hughes (8.19) and Cortney Jones (8.21).

Charokee Young ran 1:29.45 for second in the women’s 600m behind Clemson freshman Gladys Chepngetich (1:28.22). Quanera Hayes ran 1:29.49 in third.

Clemson senior Tarees Rhoden was second in the men’s equivalent in a personal best 1:16.10. Garden State Track Club’s Jake Ulrich took the win in 1:15.94 while Georgia Tech senior Jameson Miller ran a personal best 1:18.83 in third.

In the field, Jamaican Clemson senior Marie Forbes dominated the field to win the women’s weight with a best throw of 22.20m, a season best. Kennesaw State junior Kali Tezra threw 19.32m for second while Georgia junior Kelsie Murrell-Ross threw 18.63m for third.

Forbes’ schoolmate and countrywoman, Shantae Foreman, produced a personal best 13.39m to win the women’s triple jump ahead of the Kennesaw State pair of senior Alana Mack (12.20m) and sophomore Victoria Joyce (12.05m).

Jackson, 28, boasts a personal best of 7.04, a time she ran in the final of the World Indoor Championships in Serbia in March 2022. However, she enters Saturday’s race having a pedestrian season-best 7.34 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on February 4.

Her time is significantly slower than the 7.04 run by Dina Asher Smith at the Init Indoor Meeting in Germany on January 27.

Asher-Smith’s compatriot Daryll Neita, the recently crowned British Indoor champion, has also run much faster this season having clocked 7.05 at the ISTAF Indoor Meeting in Berlin on February 10.

Jackson will be hoping for a much improved performance as she gears up for the outdoor season which involves another World Championships in Budapest in August.