With times of 13.15 on May 17 and 13.10 five days later, the former St Jago High hurdler was among the best in the world and it seemed all but certain that that summer he would have been on a plane to the Tokyo Olympics as a part of a medal contending trio ready to take on the world.
However, mere days before Jamaica’s national championships were set to begin, Broadbell suffered an injury that derailed his season and his chance to compete at his very first Olympics.
Fast forward to 2022 and Broadbell is once again among Jamaica’s best hurdlers with times of 13.31 on April 23 and 13.36 on May 21 at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Series at the National Stadium in Kingston. The only two Jamaicans faster this year are the Tokyo Olympic champion Hansle Parchment and 2016 champion Omar McLeod 13.17.
The 21-year-old Broadbell has more than good health on his side this year. He is also armed with very important lessons learned from last season.
“I have started taking the strength programme more seriously and started going to bed early, little adjustments like eating correctly, staying focused and going hard every day in training,” he told Sportsmax.TV following his 13.31 run at the National Stadium a week ago, admitting that those changes have been making a difference.
“This is the strongest I have felt in a while, feeling stronger than last year so when the day comes and I get to the light phase it’s going to be crazy.”
Not making the Olympic team last year stung and it has been the motivation behind the changes for Broadbell, who last season moved from the MVP Track Club to Renaldo Walcott’s Elite Performance group where he is now training with the likes of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton.
“Last year was very promising, (to get hurt one week before the trials) anybody would be devastated,” he said. “So, this year, I am just trying to stay focused, stay healthy and locked in every day.”
Not that he needs any additional motivation, but Broadbell said he is both inspired and motivated going up against a deep pool of Jamaican sprint hurdles that in addition to Parchmentm McLeod as well as fellow rising talents Orlando Bennett, Damion Thomas, Phillip Lemonius and Lafranz Campbell.
“I look up to the older guys. Been watching them crushing it so I always want to come and see if I can match up to them and even do great things just like them. It’s good, the rivalry. It’s good,” he said.
McLeod, the 2017 world champion, is not among the 19 men who will contend for one of three spots up for grabs as the hurdlers vie for places at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August.
There has been no official word from the athlete or his representatives over his absence. He has raced sparingly this season, running twice indoors and once outdoors. On April 29, he ran 13.67 for a second place finish at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The 29-year-old McLeod has not had the best of fortune at Jamaica’s national championships in recent years. In 2021, he finished at eighth in the final at Kingston’s National Stadium and then infamously blamed the Jamaican authorities for mistreating him.
“I don’t think I was given or granted a fair opportunity to make the team with this ridiculous schedule that I have never seen in my years in track and field where they have semi-finals late in the evening and then, without recovery and the country was in complete lockdown so we were unable to go back to the hotel and get food,” he told media at a press conference in the United Kingdom days later.
“So, my team and I, we did the best we could and we went to a little lounge at the hotel and drank some soup and had a salad because that was all they had, trying to go back to the track and five in the morning for a final at eight, I mean, that’s stupid."
Then in 2022, he finished at the back of the pack once again after hitting a hurdle early into the race and failed in his effort to qualify for an attempt to win a shot at another world title.
Meanwhile, the event which is expected to be keenly contested, will feature a stacked that includes reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment, Olympic bronze medalist Ronald Levy and Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell, who are expected to be in the running for places on the Jamaican team to Budapest.
However, the battle for places will have to be earned as the likes of Phillip Lemonious the 2023 NCAA Outdoor champion and a resurgent Tyler Mason will also be targeting breakthroughs to the international scene.
Tokyo Olympic semi-finalist Damion Thomas and the talented LaFranz Campbell are also down to compete for spots.
Orlando Bennett, the 2022 NACAC bronze medallist, is also among the 19 as well as collegiate standouts Jaheem Hayles, Sharvis Simmonds, Michael Buchannan, Jordani Woodley, and Andre Douglas.
The multi-talented Dejour Russell will also be keen to get a look in on a team to a major senior championship.
The 2019 World Championships finalist cruised to a time of 2:01.07 finishing well clear of Sarah Hendrick of Kennesaw State, who crossed the finish line in 2:05.64. Andrea Foster of Clemson was third in 2:06.15.
The performance capped wins for Jamaican athletes at the two-day meet that began on Friday.
Trishauna Hemmings won yet another 60m sprint hurdles race, this time in 8.12 in a blanket-finish over Destinee Rocker (8.13). Jeanine Williams was third in 8.20.
The outcome might well have been different had 2015 World Champion Danielle Williams had not been disqualified for a false start. The 2019 World Championships bronze medalist had shaken off months of rust to win her preliminary heat in 7.97s.
The men’s event went to Clemson’s LaFranz Campbell in 7.85.
Filip Demsar was second in 7.93 while Tyson Williams was third in 8.02.
At the Texas Tech Invitational at Lubbock, Texas on Friday, Charokee Young won the 400m in 52.64 in a Texas A&M 1-2-3.
Syaira Richardson won the silver medal in 53.28 while Jania Martin (53.59) was third.
The former Kingston College standout jumped out to 8.00m to secure victory ahead of Florida State’s Jeremiah Davis, who also achieved 8.00m, a new personal best, while his Florida State teammate Isaac Grimes was third in 7.97.
Pinnock has now completed the NCAA double having won the indoor title in Alabama, in March, with a 7.92m effort.
The Caribbean will be well represented in the final of the Men’s 400m through Barbadian Olympian and Texas athlete Jonathan Jones and Jamaican UTEP and former Edwin Allen and Kingston College quarter miler Jevaughn Powell.
Jones ran a comfortable 44.97 to win his semi-final while Powell advanced after finishing third in his semi-final with 45.47.
Jamaican Mississippi State junior Navasky Anderson will contest the Men’s 800m final after running 1:45.94 to win his semi-final.
Barbadian New Mexico senior Rivaldo Leacock advanced in the Men’s 400m hurdles with a 49.86 clocking.
Jamaicans Jaheem Hayles of Syracuse and Lafranz Campbell of Clemson both advanced in the Men’s sprint hurdles with times of 13.44 and 13.48, respectively.
Trinidadian Olympian Eric Harrison of Ohio State ran 20.18 to win his 200m semi-final.
The Men’s finals will take place on Friday, June 10th while the Women’s section gets underway on Thursday, with the finals coming on Saturday.
Pinnock and McLeod, both former Kingston College standouts, now competing for the University of Tennessee, jumped 7.93m and 7.63m, respectively, to advance. They were also the top two finishers at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Alabama in March with Pinnock jumping 7.92m for victory against McLeod's 7.91m.
Former Jamaica College and current Purdue jumper Safin Wills produced 15.89m to advance in the Men’s triple jump.
On the track, Jamaica’s Yanique Dayle and Antigua and Barbuda’s Joella Lloyd will both compete in the sprint double at the NCAA Championships after securing their spots.
Dayle, formerly of Hydel High and now competing for Ohio State, ran times of 11.24 in the 100m and 22.64 in the 200m while Lloyd, competing for Tennessee, ran the same time in the 100m and 23.01 in the 200m.
The Women’s 400m also saw two Caribbean competitors advance from the East Region with Bahamian Kentucky standout Megan Moss (52.07) and Bermudan UMBC athlete Caitlyn Bobb (52.40).
Trinidadian Olympian and Kentucky senior Dwight St. Hillaire ran 45.63 to advance in the Men’s equivalent.
Clemson senior Lafranz Campbell of Jamaica and Cayman's North Carolina A&T senior Rasheem Brown both ran 13.63 to advance in the Men’s sprint hurdles while another Jamaican Clemson representative, Trishauna Hemmings, ran 13.13 to advance in the Women’s 100m hurdles.
Barbadian and Tennessee sophomore Rasheeme Griffith and Jamaica and Kentucky senior Kenroy Williams ran 50.91 and 50.96, respectively, to progress in the Men’s 400m hurdles.
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).
Despite finishing second in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 12.46, Williams displayed confidence and determination as she spoke about her performance and her preparations leading up to the national trials at the end of June.
Looking on, it appeared that Williams had an early lead before losing momentum mid-race which allowed world-record holder, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan to surge through to out-lean Williams at the line.
Amusan won in a world-leading 12.40 with the USA’s Christina Clemons finishing third in 12.54.
Williams explained what she believed occurred in the race.
"I didn’t feel like I slowed down in the middle of the race. I touched one of the hurdles which has been my Achilles heel so far," Williams commented. "Still working on it so that was probably what happened but I feel like I was still able to get back the momentum to through to the end. I feel like we’re going in the right direction."
Williams highlighted the importance of being healthy this season, expressing gratitude for her current condition compared to previous years. "Oh, we give God thanks for that because for the past few seasons this time of the year I’ve always been dealing with something," she explained. "So to make it so far and we’re doing very good, we’re managing the injuries, I think we’re in a good spot."
Looking ahead to the upcoming national trials, which are six weeks away, Williams deferred to her coach, Lennox Graham, but emphasized her confidence in her current form. "I don’t necessarily know how close we are," she admitted. "Coach Lennox Graham designed the workouts, I just show up so I don’t know where we are for that but I know we are in very good shape. We’re doing awesome in training, we’re healthy so we’re just giving God glory and thanking Him for bringing us so far and asking Him to carry us for the rest of the way."
The Jamaica Athletics Invitational also witnessed strong performances from other athletes, including Daniel Roberts of the USA, who won the 110m hurdles in 13.17, and Eric Edwards, also from the USA, who finished second with a time of 13.33. Jamaican hurdler Lafranz Campbell secured third place in the event with a time of 13.37.
