It was, however, the way in which Jackson saw her bid for another individual medal slip away that left onlookers slack-jawed. Competing in heat 5, the athlete, one of the fastest women in the event this year, seemed well in control of the race early on but began to cruise closer to the line.
The Jamaican was passed by Portugal’s Lorène Bazolo and also Italy’s Dalia Kaddari at the finish. Kaddari finished third in 23.26, the same time as Jackson but advanced when the times were rounded down further. With the heat being one of the slower events Jackson was also unable to advance as one of the fastest losers. Jackson’s heat was won by the Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan.
There was no such trouble for Jackson’s compatriot, defending Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah who advanced from heat 6 after finishing in third position. The heat was won by Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel with Great Britain’s Beth Dobbin second.
100m silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also advanced in comfortable fashion after winning heat 2 in 22.22. Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi was second in 22.63, with the Netherland’s Dafne Schippers also securing qualification with her third-place finish of 23.13.
The women’s semi-finals will take place on Monday at 5:25 am.
The former Hydel standout has been recognized on the back of an exceptional performance last week where she set a world-leading high jump clearance of 1.97m to win the Texas A&M Alumni Muster.
The performance saw the jumper set yet another national record for her country and moved her up to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate list. It also bettered the previous Texas record, which she also held.
Diston, who was born in Hanover, has been on fire this season, clearing 1.93m in four of the five meets entered so far. Two of those meets have seen the athlete jumping over 1.96m.
For her country, Distin’s assault on the national record this season began with an opener of 1.96m, set during the Texas Relays, which bettered the previous national best of 1.93 held by Sheree Ruff since May 2010.
Tracey did not start in heat 1 of the event, this morning, leaving many fans to wonder why.
The 28-year-old took to his personal Instagram page to provide some clarity on the situation.
“A few days ago, while training, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my leg while running from the blocks," Tracey explained.
“The pain was enough for me to have to stop training for the evening," he said.
After doing an ultrasound, Tracey was under the impression that the injury was not serious. However, whilst getting ready for this morning’s heat, the sprinter said that the pain worsened. His injury was kept quiet in hopes that he would be ready to compete in round 1 but he did not recover in time.
Heat 1 was eventually won by the USA’s Ronnie Baker in a time of 10.03 seconds. It is not yet known whether he will be fit in time for the men’s 4x100 metre relay.
He ended his Instagram post by saying, “To everyone who supported me, just want to say thanks and I will make it up to everyone including myself. Nuff love and respect!”
The result followed up another big win for the team, after getting by world number one-ranked team Australia in Pool A. The Jamaicans are now scheduled for a rematch with the Australians in the final. The Australians defeated England 60-51 in the day’s other semi-final.
Against New Zealand, Jamaica captain Jhaniele Fowler had a perfect 54 goals from 54 attempts to lead her team. The Jamaicans got off to a strong against the world number two ranked team and ended the first quarter with an 18-9 lead. It was an advantage they never really surrendered, despite a strong fourth-quarter rally from the Kiwis. New Zealand were led by Grace Nweke who netted 24 goals from 24 attempts.
New Zealand will face off with England in the bronze medal match, which will also take place on Sunday. The appearance will be the first in the Commonwealth Games final for the Sunshine Girls, having previously won three bronze medals.
In the main, local track and field events have not been held on the island since March of last year, as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The government recently announced plans to re-start sporting events on a case by case basis and the event, called the JAAA Qualification Trial Series, will be the first approved for the track and field local governing body.
The trials will be on February 27, held across several venues across the island, and have specific events on offer. Among the events on offer will be the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 2000m SC, 3000m, 5000m, 70mH, 80mH, 100mH, 110mH, 400mH, 4x100m, 4x400m, 4x200m, 1600m SMR, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Shot Put, Discus and Javelin.
Athlete’s wishing to compete in the meet must sign a COVID-19 waiver, with waivers signed by parents for athletes under-18. The meets will feature no spectator with strict COVID-19 protocols in full effect at all the venues.
The 25-year-old was confident heading into the race and insists he and was not intimidated by a strong field. He had one job, and it was to be sitting on that flight to Tokyo next month. Three automatic spots were up for grabs and, he was optimistic about his chances.
"For me as long as I made the Olympic team, that was my goal. Just making the Olympic team because I was struggling all season long and came out here back-to-back each time running a season's best. For me, making the team, just making the team, that's all I wanted,” Minzie told SportsMax.tv following the men’s final.
It was not his best-executed race, as many looking on would have noticed. He was made to chase the big guns from start to finish. As a result, the former Class 1 Boys 200M champion had to do a lot to hold on to his fifth-place ticket to Tokyo.
Minzie believes his struggles to secure one of the automatic spots are a result of the last phase of his race, he is convinced that the last forty metres of his race needs to improve before taking the track in Tokyo.
"(I am) working on my last forty metres, I believe that part of my race can get a lot better,” he added.
Minzie, the 2016 4x100m relay Olympic gold medalist, revealed that he will be aiming to finish in the top three of the 200m.
"Tomorrow in the 200 let’s see if I can make the team, stamp it, seal it this time around tomorrow for the 200m."
Minzie also took the time out to laud his mother, who he says gave him great motivation to finish strong at the national championships.
"My mommy called me last night and said, ‘guess what, run for your life' so that is what I just did, and I have made the team."
The finals of the men's 200m is scheduled for Sunday, at 8:45 pm. The former Bog Walk High Schoolboy will no doubt be looking to reclaim some of his Boys and Girls Championship glory.
Unusually, the 2016 Olympics 400m bronze medallist was not only registered in her pet event but also in the 100m and 200m as well.
The 25-year sprinter looked in exceptional form as she clocked a personal best of 11.02 seconds at the JAAA Destiny Series earlier this month. A solid time, but to compete with a talented women’s field that not only includes the likes of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, but also junior record holder Briana Williams, and seasoned 100m sprinter and World Championship relay gold medalist Natasha Morrison will take an extraordinary effort.
Morrison, who clocked her personal best of 10.87 earlier this season, has the fourth-fastest time in the world this year. Double world Under-20 sprinter Briana Williams ran her personal best of 10.97 earlier this month, and rising NCAA star Kemba Walker, who has run 10.98, could also figure in the mix. Chambers, however, believes Jackson could be in line to deliver something special.
“She was on the 2019 4x1 team and just based on what I have seen of her this year and her entire career, I actually think personally she runs the hundred and I think she will be top four,” Chambers said on this week’s episode.
“I think she will definitely finish top four. I think it’s a matter of whether she is second third or fourth, but I expect her to be in the top four,” he added.
With the schedule of the National Championships, however, it could be difficult for the athlete to do all three events and Chambers believes it could be a mistake to not compete in the 400m, with a possible gold medal up for grabs this year at the Olympics.
“Based on the schedule, three rounds of the 100, two rounds of the 200m, and two rounds of the 400, I don’t think she can do all events and a few of them overlap. So, let’s see what final decision she makes, I expect her to run the 100m and 200m and leave the 400m,” he said.
“It’s interesting though because if you look at what is happening in the women’s 100, if you are not going to run 10.7 it makes no sense, if you are not going to run 21 for the 200m, it makes no sense…Stephen Francis is an absolute genius, I hope he didn’t make a mistake this time but we will see how this one works out.”
Listen to the full episode below
The quartet of Serena Cole, Tia Clayton, Kerrica Hill, and under-20 100m world champion Tina Clayton took apart the field to stop the clock at 42.59. The mark improved on the previous record of 42.94, which was also set by a Jamaican quartet at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya last August.
The mark was also just outside of the 42.58 clocking set at the Carifta Games earlier this year, by Cole, Tina and Tia Clayton as well as Brianna Lyston, which was eventually rejected by World Athletics because one of the members of the team, Tina Clayton, was not drug tested at the completion of the race, due to a procedural issue.
The United States were a distant second in the event but also set a new national record after clocking 43.28. The USA was represented by Jayla Jamison, Autumn Wilson, Iyana Gray, and Shawnti Jackson. The home team quartet of Maria Alejandra, Marlet Ospino, Melany Bolaño and Laura Martínez took bronze in 44.59.
In the men's equivalent the Jamaican quartet of Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Bryan Levell, Mark-Anthony Daley, and Adrian Kerr crossed the line in third position behind South Africa and Japan but were upgraded to silver following the disqualification of South Africa.
This comes after a provisional suspension handed to Wilson by Anti-Doping Switzerland was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Wilson, a bronze medalist in the 200 metres at the 2018 European Championships, was handed the mandatory provisional suspension after an out-of-competition sample collected from him on March 15th revealed the presence of a metabolite, trenbolone, an anabolic steroid.
The Swiss sprinter blamed the presence of the prohibited substance on the consumption of contaminated beef he ate at a Jamaican Restaurant in the USA. Wilson then challenged the ruling at the Swiss Olympic Disciplinary Chamber and was successful, as they arrived at a ruling to lift his suspension on July 2nd.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), acting on behalf of World Athletics, along with WADA then successfully filed an application against the Disciplinary Chamber’s decision requesting that the provisional suspension be reinstated.
Head of the AIU, Brett Clothier, had this to say about the situation.
“We were not satisfied with the national-level decision to lift the mandatory provisional suspension and so together with WADA we appealed the decision. This case reflects the AIU’s commitment to protecting the interests of clean athletes and ensuring a level-playing field in Tokyo.”
Wilson turned heads in the track and field world at the Georgia Games on July 18th with massive lifetime bests of 9.84 in the 100 metres and 19.84 in the 200 metres.
In what is expected to be the final race of his season, the Grenadian clocked 44.38, the same time as Van Niekerk, as the two battled all the way to the line and had to be separated by a photo finish. Another South African Zakhiti Nene was third in 45.75.
The time was the second fastest clocked by the athlete this season, behind the 44.26 recorded to win the Diamond League final in Zürich last week. For his part, Van Niekerk also impressive when he clocked a season-best 44.39 in the pre-program.
In the end, JC finished with 328.5 points, comfortably clear of second-place Kingston College (KC) who finished with 313. It was KC who began the fifth and final day in front but, predictably JC took the lead by midday and in the end sealed the title with two events to spare.
Calabar claimed third spot with 241.5, St Elizabeth Technical was next on 181, while St Jago closed out the top 5 with 129.
For the girls, Edwin Allen wrapped up a performance in which they rarely trailed. The eventual champions finished on 340 points, well clear of second-place St Jago who ended on 309.5, third place went to Hydel High on 301, Holmwood was next with 160.5 and Vere Technical 5th with 160.5.
The team sped to a new record in the Class 2 4x100m. Anchored by Tiana Clayton, the team recorded a time of 44.81. Clayton was securing her third gold of Champs 2021. The team beat the old mark of 44.88.
Aliyah Clarke, Tia Clayton, who false-started in the 100m, and Serena Cole were the other team members.
St. Jago won both boys’ and girls’ Class I 4x100m finals.
Lawrence made history by becoming the first-ever Jamaican woman to make an Olympic discus final.
She threw a distance of 62.27 metres in group A of the qualifying round to finish third and advance to the final. During the final, Lawrence fell just below her qualifying mark to throw 62.12 metres. That throw landed her a top-eight spot as she finished 7th.
The 25-year-old took to Instagram to share her gratitude and emotion. She posted a photo of her in the throwing circle along with a caption saying, “I want to thank God for bringing me this far. The journey was rough but he didn’t give me more than I could bear. The aim for this season was to make a top 8 finish at the Olympic Games. On the journey I found out I could do much more. A 7th place finish is what I’m blessed with and I am grateful”.
The second time Olympian went on to thank her coach, Julian Robison, whom she said believed in her from the start and never doubted her talent. She also thanked the University of South Florida where she attends school, for their support along her journey. Lawrence ended her caption by thanking her family for their support over the years and sent a special shout-out to her sister and mother.
The women’s discus was won by the USA’s Valarie Allman with a throw of 68.98. Silver went to Germany’s Kristen Pudenz and Cuba’s Yaime Perez gained bronze.
The two-time Olympic Champion released a statement on Instagram after winning the silver medal behind teammate Elaine Thompson-Herah in the Women’s 100 Metres at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of this historic moment. Gracing the podium in a 1-2-3 sweep for Jamaica on two separate occasions is a tremendous blessing,” Fraser-Pryce said.
The trio of Fraser-Pryce, Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson repeated the feat of herself, Sherone Simpson, and Kerron Stewart in Beijing 13 years ago, the only difference being on that occasion Simpson and Stewart shared the silver medal.
After thanking her friends, family, coach, and sponsors, Fraser-Pryce assured her fans that the job is not yet complete.
“I continue to keep my head in the game because there is still work to do.”
The multiple-time World Champion also offered some perspective on what legacy means to her.
“Legacy isn’t just about winning, it’s also about gracefully watching others shine too.”
Fraser-Pryce ended her statement by encouraging her fans to keep their spirits high for the 200 metres.
The heats of the women’s 200 metres begin on Sunday.
Antigua’s Joella Lloyd is one such athlete. She competed in the women’s 100 metres where she comfortably won heat 3 of the preliminary round in a time of 11.55 seconds. She then went on to finish 7th in heat1 with a slightly improved time of 11.54 seconds. That heat was won by the USA’s Teahna Daniels while Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith came second and Murielle Ahoure from the Ivory Coast finished third.
Via her Instagram account, she posted a photo of herself waving at the start of her race with the caption, “Walking out and lining up for the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics was everything I dreamt it would be.”
She then expressed gratitude to all those who supported her throughout the season.
The caption ended, “All the love and encouragement has not gone unnoticed and I’m extremely grateful for it. It was a pleasure representing Antigua and the Vols on the big stage. Antigua, I love y’all plenty plenty and we’ll be back at it next year!”
After heading into the final as a heavy favourite, the inclement weather did very little to slow the young Jamaican speedster as she pulled away from the field to take the title with a time of 22.65.
America’s Jayla Jamison chased the Jamaican to the line, to finish second in 22.77, a new personal best. Another Jamaican Alana Reid also clocked a personal best of 22.95 to take the bronze medal.
The Jamaicans also managed to add to their tally in the field, as high jumper Brandon Pottinger held his nerve to take the gold medal with a leap of 2.14m. Following a break in the competition due to a steady downpour, the Jamaican was the only athlete of six to clear the height. Brian Raats of South Africa and Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Sarâboyukov shared the silver medal with a mark of 2.10m.
Lower case counts across the UK and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s confirmation that the next stage of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown was on track last week meant that 2000 fans were allowed to attend the Wanda Diamond League opener in Gateshead.
In cold wet conditions, McPherson, the 4x400m relay Olympic silver medallist, had to settle for second behind the United States’ Kendal Ellis who crossed the line in 51.86. Mcpherson, who finished second in 51.96, however, admitted that conditions were difficult but turned also her attention to other things.
“I came out here just to see where I'm at but it wasn't good conditions to run in. I am grateful to come out here and finish injury-free,” McPherson said.
“To see people back in the stands is exciting and it's always good to have people to cheer you on.”
It was another Jamaican, Shanieka Ricketts, who stole the show after winning the women’s triple jump with a leap of 14.40m.
The reigning Olympic champion had failed to capture the world title on two prior occasions, at the 2015 and 2019 editions, where she was made to settle for silver. In Eugene, Oregon, the athlete, who claimed she would retire from the event after this season, seized the moment.
Miller-Uibo took charge of the race early on, before pulling well clear of the field down the stretch to stop the clock at a world-leading 49.11. The event ended with a Caribbean sweep of the medal places as the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino ran 49.60 for second and Barbados’ Sada Williams took a surprise third place in a new national record of 49.75. Jamaicans Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Candice Mcleod missed out on the podium spots after finishing 5th and 7th.
In the men’s equivalent, Grenadian Kirani James was forced to settle for second spot behind American Michael Norman who took the event in 44.29. James was second in 44.48 with Matthew Hudson-Smith third in 44.66.
Two other Caribbean athletes in the event Christopher Taylor of Jamaica and Barbados’ Jonathan Jones were 7th and 8th respectively.
The 26-year-old looked in imperious form as she hurried from the blocks and hardly seemed to let up, in the end, claiming the event by a comfortable margin. Miller-Uibo stopped the clock at 50.21, well clear of second-place Waldine Jonathas of the United States, who was second in 51.95, and Jessica Beard who finished third in 52.60.
In the less frequently contested men’s 300m, Jamaica’s Christopher Taylor also set a national record but was second behind Jereem Richard who clocked a speedy 32.17. The USA’s Kahmari Montgomery finished third in 32.96.
Jamaica’s Briana Williams clocked 7.22 to qualify for the women’s 60m final but did not face the starter for the final. The event was won by Kayla White in a personal best of 7.15, with Hannah Cunliffe second in 7.17 and Candace Hill third in 7.19.
In the women’s 60m hurdles, Jamaica’s Britany Anderson finished outside of the top three spots, with a time of 7.99. The event was taken by Keri Harrison in a world-leading 7.82, with Tiffany Porter second in 7.89 and Gabrielle Cunningham third in an identical time.
The Bahamian will head into the event as favourite, on the back of a strong indoor season where she added the Indoor title to her medal collection, in Belgrade. The Doha meeting will feature the first match-up between the trio since the Olympics, where Miller-Uibo took gold and Mcpherson and McLeod finished just outside the medals.
In the half-lap event, Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson will battle reigning 200m champion Diner Asher-Smith of Great Britain, who will be opening her season in the event. The field is also set to feature a rejuvenated Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas and Olympic finalist Gabby Thomas of the US.
There will also be a strong Caribbean presence in the women’s 100m hurdles with the Jamaican duo of Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper facing off with compatriot Britany Anderson. The Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton will also be part of that field.
The meet will be the seventh in the series, which runs off with the Doha Diamond League meet on May 13. An appearance at the Paris meeting, scheduled for June 18, could mark a long-awaited return to the city for the reigning 400m Olympic Champions.
Miller-Uibo, who has won the 200m event at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 editions and the 400m, at the 2017 event, has not appeared at the Paris meet since 2011. Gardiner has yet to win the title and last made an appearance in Monaco in 2019.
The duo has been in splendid form early this season with Miller-Uibo claiming the 400m title at the World Indoor Championship and Gardiner registering a number of impressive times indoors before opening the outdoor season with world-leading 44.22 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.
