Long Jump

The 25-year-old, who entered Thursday’s competition with a personal best of 6.82m set back in 2019, bettered that mark by .03m to add to her 2018 and 2019 crowns, achieving the automatic qualifying standard for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest later this year in the process.

Hickling produced a consistent card, bettering 6.50m with all her jumps.

Chanice Porter, also a three-time national champion, was second with a best jump of 6.72m while the University of Texas’ Ackelia Smith, the current NCAA champion and world leader with 7.08m done in May, was third with a best jump of 6.66m.

It was her second hold on the award and the first time an athlete has won it outright since 1997.

In two weeks, she will seek pentathlon redemption at the NCAA National Championships where she intends to break the collegiate record of 4703 points held by Georgia’s Kendall Williams.

“To win the Cliff Harper Award for the second time was definitely a good feeling. After my performance on Thursday, I was definitely down, I was definitely embarrassed, I was definitely upset but it’s all about the comeback. It’s all about how you come back from a terrible performance,” she told Sportsmax.TV.

“We are all human. We are all going to have those days as athletes but I was very proud of myself. This is my first time winning two gold medals at SECs and I was so happy to be able to put up 23 points. It’s reassuring knowing my team can rely on me and I know I can rely on myself to come back from devastating situations.”

Expected to do well in the pentathlon, after scoring a personal best 4612 points at the Texas Tech Invitational on January 29, things could not have gone worse for the 22-year-old Trinidadian in her efforts to defend the title she won in 2020.

The worst of those performances came in the long jump where she only managed to register a mark of 4.11m, well below her season-best of 6.62m.

She was forced to settle for sixth place, her score of 3818 points, a massive 703 shy of the 4501 scored by the newly crowned 2021 champion, Anna Hall of Georgia.

Despondent and embarrassed by her poor showing, Gittens turned to family for refuge.

“After talking to my family and talking to my sister, she played college volleyball, and she said anytime a negative thought would come in she would grab the thought and just throw it away and all of last night (Thursday) that is what I was doing,” she revealed.

“I wouldn’t even let it linger. As soon as I felt some negativity, I just grabbed it and threw it away and it worked because today (Friday) it was only positive and negative Tyra was out of sight.”

It worked.

Within an hour late Friday, Gittens won two gold medals for Texas A&M. First, cleared 1.89m – just shy of her personal best 1.91m - in the high jump to defeat LSU’s Abigail O’Donohogue and avenge her pentathlon loss to Hall, who were second and third, respectively, each having cleared 1.86m.

She then equalled her personal best (6.62m) to win the long jump ahead of LSU’s Aliyah Whisby (6.61m) and Georgia’s Titiana Marsh (6.39m).

“Today (Friday) was all about beating myself because yesterday I let the negative Tyra, the bad Tyra that we don’t like to see, overtake,” said an elated Gittens afterwards.

“I let her win yesterday and today (Friday) I relaxed, I had fun. I did everything that I wanted to do with executing and I cannot be happier. I am exhausted, but I am so proud of myself, and I am very happy.”

The comeback completed, redemption comes next and that will be the point of her focus over the next two weeks.

“These two weeks are going to be very important. I have a lot to work on,” she said. “I am going to use it to train and just get consistent and I am coming for the NCAA record.”

Also, new has emerged that Jamaica will not contest the re-run of the Boys U20 4x100m final that they won on Saturday night at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas. Jamaica won the relay in 39.68 with the Bahamas finishing second in 39.78.

Trinidad and Tobago finished third in 40.82.

On Monday, The Bahamas took gold and silver in the Girls U17 javelin as Kamera Strachan set a new championship record of 46.07m to win gold. Last year’s winner Dior-Rae Scott, who was the previous record holder, struggled to throw beyond 40m in her first two attempts, but was finally able to establish a mark of 45.13m to secure the silver medal.

It was her only throw beyond 40m.

St Lucia’s Naya Jules threw 42.92m to win the bronze medal in what was her only effort beyond the 40-metre mark.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Torian Cavien cleared 1.81m to win the U20 Girls high jump over teammate Deijanae Bruce, who cleared 1.78m. Keneisha Melbourne of Trinidad and Tobago won the bronze having sailed over the bar at 1.75m.

It was 1-3 for Jamaica in the U20 Girls Jade-Ann Dawkins who produced a season-best 6.14m on her fourth jump to take the crown.

Gannes Janae De of Trinidad and Tobago took the silver medal with her leap of 5.93m while Bruce followed up her silver in the high jump with bronze in the horizontal jump where she produced a leap of 5.78m.

Regarding to the relays, the judges in The Bahamas decided on a re-run of the relay after Barbados filed a protest claiming their lead-off runner was left at a disadvantage after the race was recalled when the Bahamian athlete claimed he did not hear the gun.

By then the lead off runners had sprinted about 50 metres.

However, reports said Jamaica’s head coach David Riley said Jamaica would not participate in the re-run because the officials had not declared the race null and void. Unconfirmed reports claimed that other countries who had teams in the final were planning to follow suit.

Reid, who ran a spectacular National Junior Record 10.92 to win gold in the Class 1 Girls 100m at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships last week, easily took home gold in 11.17 ahead of teammate Alexis James who ran 11.53 for second and Trinidad & Tobago’s Sanaa Frederick who ran 11.65 in third.

The Boys final did not have the same excitement due to the absences of Jamaica’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, who suffered an injury in the prelims, and De Andre Daley, who was disqualified in his semi-final due to a false start.

Nevertheless, Howell produced an excellent 10.30 for gold ahead of the Bahamian pair Carlos Brown (10.38) and Adam Musgrove (10.44). Brown and Musgrove both ran personal bests.

The Under-17 Girls final was won by the Bahamas’ Jamiah Nabbie in 11.67 ahead of St. Lucia’s Naomi London (11.72) and Trinidad & Tobago’s Alexxe Henry (11.81).

Jamaica’s Tramaine Todd took home gold in the Boy’s equivalent in 10.52 ahead of the Bahamas’ Ishmael Rolle (10.62) and Grenada’s Ethan Sam (10.71).

Moving on to the 400m, Jamaica secured the top to spots on the podium in the Under-20 Boys through Jasauna Dennis (46.43) and Delano Kennedy (46.50) while St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Amal Glasgow took bronze in 47.18.

Jamaica also took gold in the Girls Under-20 final through Rickiann Russell (51.84). Bahamas took silver and bronze through Javonya Valcourt (52.12) and Lacarthea Cooper (53.12).

Nickecoy Bramwell made it three 400m gold medals out of four for Jamaica by winning the Boys Under-17 final in 47.86 ahead of St. Kitts & Nevis’ Jaylen Bennett (48.59) and the Bahamas’ Andrew Brown (48.68).

Guyana’s Tianna Springer took gold in the Girls Under-17 final in 54.32 ahead of Jamaica’s Jody-Ann Daley (54.81) and St. Kitts & Nevis’ De’Cheynelle Thomas (55.46).

In the field, Trinidad & Tobago’s Immani Matthew took gold in the Boys Under-17 long jump with 7.13m ahead of Barbados’ Aaron Massiah (6.49m) and Cayman’s Junior Anthony Chin (6.48m).

Jamaica took the top two spots in the Boys Under-20 discus through Kobe Lawrence (60.27m) and Shaiquan Dunn (57.28m). Antwon Walkin of the Turks & Caicos Islands was third with 52.25m.

Jamaican World Junior Champion Brandon Pottinger teammate Chavez Penn shared gold in the Boys Under-20 high jump with clearances of 2.00m while Trinidad & Tobago’s Jaidi James took bronze with 1.95m.

Jamaica’s Imani Oliver secured a win in the women’s triple jump while the Bahamas’ LaQuan Nairn finished second in the men’s long jump at the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville on Friday.

Powell, who took third in the 400m at both the NCAA Championships and Jamaican National Championships in June, completed his final preparation for Paris with a 20.21 clocking for second in the 200m on Friday.

American Erriyon Knighton ran 19.92 to win while another American, Robert Gregory, ran 20.33 in third.

Bertrand, fresh off her second national 100m title in June, ran 11.18 for third behind American Candice Hill and Nigerian Favour Ofili. Hill and Ofili both ran the same time of 11.07.

The upcoming Olympic Games in Paris will be the first for the 21-year-old Ohio State Junior.

Bertrand's countrywoman, Tyra Gittens, was second in the long jump with a best mark of 6.37m in the sixth and final round. The event was won by American Tionna Tobias with a massive personal best of 6.94m while countrywoman Jasmine Todd was third with 6.17m.

Bahamian Charisma Taylor, who will be competing in the 100m hurdles in Paris, finished third in the triple jump on Friday with 13.63m.

American’s Kenturah Orji and Jasmine Moore finished first and second with 14.08m and 14.06m, respectively.

Jamaica’s Skyler Franklin ran 51.01 for third in the women’s 400m behind Americans Aaliyah Butler (50.14) and Bailey Lear (50.51).

Pinnock, a freshman at the University of Tennessee won the long jump competition at the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in June while McLeod, a senior at Tennessee, was fourth. Both have decided to transfer to represent the Razorbacks in the coming season.

The University of Arkansas announced on Friday that two Jamaicans will join their programme, Marcus Weaver, who transfers from Wisconsin, Grant Williams from Celina High School as well Wyatt Green from Katy Cinco Ranch High School.

McLeod is a three-time SEC champion and six-time NCAA All-American and was the first male athlete from Tennessee track & field to qualify for Jamaica at the Tokyo Summer Games. However, his participation was blocked after he tested positive for Covid-19.

The 2020 Indoor SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Year owns the school record in both categories with marks of 8.26 meters in the long jump and 17.17 meters in the triple jump.

The Class I gold medallist in both the long and triple jump at last week’s ISSA Boys and Girls Championships jumped out to 7.62m to win gold ahead of St. Vincent’s Uroy Ryan (7.52m) and Barbados’ Aren Spencer (7.48m).

Hibbert will be looking for a second gold medal in the triple jump on Monday, an event in which he is currently the world U-20 leader with a massive 16.66m done to win gold at Champs.

Guyana’s Anisha Gibbons won gold in the U-20 Girls javelin with 42.54m ahead of the Barbadian pair of Vivica Addison (41.92) and Vanessa Greaves (41.17).

Dominica took gold in the U-20 Girls shot put through Treneese Eloui Hamilton’s 14.58m effort. Jamaica’s Brittania Johnson threw 14.19m for her second silver medal of these games while Suriname’s Alicia Grootfaam threw 12.97m for bronze.

In the 800m semis, Guyana’s 1500m champion from Saturday Attoya Harvey was the fastest qualifier to the U-17 Girls final in 2:15.76 ahead of Jamaica’s Andrene Peart (2:15.79) and her Guyanese teammate Narissa McPherson (2:19.89).

Bermuda’s Nirobi Smith Mills was the fastest qualifier to the Boys U-20 final with 1:55.11 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Nathan Cumberbatch (1:55.75) and Jamaica’s 1500m silver medallist Adrian Nethersole (1:55.89). 1500m Gold medallist J’Voughnn Blake also advanced to the final comfortably in 1:58.31.

The 800m finals are scheduled for Monday. Both the Girls U-20 and Boys U-17 800m will be straight finals.

Jones, 21, won in 20.21 ahead of Houston Senior Shaun Maswanganyi (20.41) and Jamaican Baylor Senior Demar Francis (20.60).

Jones also holds Bahamian records in the 60m (6.45) and 100m (9.91), alongside 2007 World Championship silver medallist Derrick Atkins.

The women’s 400m saw Jamaican Texas Sophomore Dejanea Oakley produce a personal best 51.75 to take gold ahead of Iowa State Sophomore Rachel Joseph (51.98) and Texas Senior Ziyah Holman (52.22).

Oakley completed an excellent individual meet with another personal best, 22.86, to take the runner-up spot in the 200m. TCU Junior Iyana Gray took gold in 22.71 while Texas Tech Senior Rosemary Chukwuma took bronze in 22.90.

The men’s 400m saw St. Lucian Kansas Junior Michael Joseph set a personal best and break his own national record to win gold in 45.46. Jamaican Texas Tech Sophomore Shaemar Uter ran 45.68 for silver while Baylor Junior Nathaniel Ezekiel took third in 45.73.

In the field, Jamaican Texas Junior Ackelia Smith was dominant in the women’s long jump, producing 6.74m to win comfortably ahead of Baylor Senior Alexis Brown (6.45m) and Texas freshman Aaliyah Foster (6.34m).

Texas Tech won the men’s team title by 60 points, finishing with 152 points. Oklahoma State (92), Texas (89), Kansas (81) and Iowa State (67.5) rounded out the top five.

On the women’s side, Texas won the title with 135 points while Texas Tech (104), Oklahoma State (103.5), BYU (71) and Baylor (44) rounded out the top five.

Alfred, the St. Lucian national record holder in the event, won her semi-final in 10.90 to be the joint-fastest qualifier to the final. Nelson also dipped below 11 seconds, running 10.97 to win her semi-final.

Jamaica’s Davis finished third in her semi-final with a time of 11.11 to advance while the Antiguan Lloyd finished second in her semi with 11.08. Davis and Lloyd also advanced in the 200m with times of 22.38 and 22.66, respectively.

The Jamaican pair of Stacey Ann Williams of Texas and Charokee Young of Texas A&M will both be in the 400m final. Williams ran 50.18 to finish second in her semi-final while Young won hers in a time of 50.46.

Texas Tech’s Jamaican junior Demisha Roswell ran 12.93 to finish second in her semi-final of the 100m hurdles and progress.

Texas senior and Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Tyra Gittens jumped 6.57m for third in the long jump behind Florida’s Jasmine Moore (6.72m) and Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah (6.60m).

Lacovia’s Rosean Smith was the fastest in Tuesday’s heats of the Class One Boys 100m on day one of the 2025 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The reigning NCAA Champion won ahead of teammate Bara Sajdokova who recorded a new personal best clearance of 1.83m while Arkansas’ Sydney Billington cleared the same height for third.

Jamaican 400m hurdler Jaheel Hyde opened his 2023 season with a second-place finish in the 200m.

Hyde ran 21.40 to win section one of the Men’s open 200m ahead of Americans Grant Williams (21.86) and Ian Braxton (22.88). American 2019 100m World Champion Christian Coleman was the overall winner with a 20.64 effort to win section two ahead of fellow Americans Will London (21.45) and Khallifah Rosser (21.70).

The 25-year-old Hyde is looking to replicate an excellent 2022 season which saw him win 400m hurdles silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Hyde also got to the final of the event at the World Championships in Eugene, finishing sixth in a personal best 48.03.

Elsewhere, Jamaican Arkansas senior Carey McLeod jumped 8.09m for second in the long jump behind Florida State junior Jeremiah Davis’s personal best and meet record 8.21m. LSU senior Brandon Hicklin was third with 7.97m.

The former Petersfield High standout and 2021 NACAC Under-23 champion produced three throws over 19m throughout his series to take the title ahead of Notre Dame’s Michael Schoaf (19.38m) and Wake Forest’s Thomas Kitchell (19.16m).

Jamaican Florida State sophomore Jordan Turner jumped 7.90m for second in the men’s long jump behind teammate Jeremiah Davis who jumped 7.97m for the win. Miami’s Russell Robinson was third with 7.82m.

Moving to the track where Lawrence’s schoolmate, Oneka Wilson, produced a personal best 13.00 to advance to the final of the women’s 100m hurdles as the fastest qualifier.

Another Jamaican Clemson standout, senior Tarees Rhoden, made it through to the final of the men's 800m with a 1:49.17 effort to finish second in his heat.

McLeod, a junior at Tennessee, jumped a personal best 8.34m for victory over the talented LSU junior Juvaughn Harrison, who jumped 8.24m for the silver medal. Bahamian Laquan Nairns, a senior at Arkansas, was third having jumped 8.04m.

The winning jump was a Bryan College-Station facility record and has McLeod as the fourth-best long jumper in Jamaican athletics history. Only 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle’s (8.69), James Beckford (8.62) and Alain Bailey (8.35m) have jumped farther.

McLeod, who had an indoor best of 8.26m, lost to Harrison at the SEC Indoor Championships in February, said he was not motivated by revenge.

“I am definitely excited that I won but I was not thinking about revenge on anyone but coming off indoors I made so many mistakes and I just told myself that I was not going to make the same mistakes,” he said.

“I know I am capable of jumping far and once I get it right I am going to fly so that’s what I had to do and everything just came together at the right time.

“It’s not every meet that you’re going to win so it was more about being patient; the jumps will come when it matters the most.  Indoors wasn’t my favourite, I love outdoors more so I take outdoors way more seriously.”

Notwithstanding his relative dislike for jumping indoors, McLeod carried his good form outdoors, which he believes he will carry into the summer for the Olympics in Tokyo where he intends to be at his best.

“From indoors I was jumping well so I just brought over the same energy and just started focusing on the simple things I was doing wrong. I made more technical adjustments like my approaches and my jump,” he said.

“I still wasn’t perfect on my 8.34m so there is a lot more in the tank. The peaking season is all the way down in summer at the Olympics so I am definitely looking forward to that, so I am taking it meet by meet, putting in all the preparation needed to be among the best because the long jump is going to be the event where everyone is jumping far and I want to be jumping far too.”

Meanwhile, fellow Jamaican Damion Thomas was second in the 110m hurdles. The LSU graduate clocked 13.25 losing to Alabama's Robert Dunning, who ran a personal-best 13.15. Thomas' LSU teammate Eric Edwards Jr was third in 13.27.

Lyston, who became the SEC and NCAA Indoor 60m champion earlier this season, won the third heat on Friday but her time was aided by a 3.1 m/s trailing wind.

Ole Miss’s McKenzie Long and South Carolina’s JaMeesia Ford finished first and second overall with times of 22.18 and 22.41, respectively, which they both did in the first heat aided by a 4.1m/s wind.

The women’s college 200m saw Mississippi State senior Rosealee Cooper run a personal best 23.60 to take the win ahead of Baylor’s Kayla Hunt (23.76) and Ohio State’s Columba Effiong (23.82).

In the men’s javelin, Bahamian Auburn sophomore Keyshawn Strachan threw a season’s best 76.25m for third behind Georgia’s Marc Minichello (81.03m) and Baylor’s Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi (78.90m).

Jamaican Florida State sophomore Jordan Turner jumped 7.87m for third in the men’s long jump invite behind Marquis Dendy (8.05m) and Cameron Crump (7.91m).

The LSU sophomore, who ran 22.31 on Thursday to secure her spot in the 200m final, came back a day later to run 11.09 to be the joint-fastest qualifier for Saturday’s final alongside collegiate leader Jacious Sears of Tennessee.

Bahamian Florida junior Wanya McCoy and Jamaican Georgia freshman Jehlani Gordon advanced to the men’s 100m final as the second and ninth fastest qualifiers with 10.09 and 10.17, respectively.

The women’s 400m prelims saw Arkansas senior Nickisha Pryce become the eighth-fastest Jamaican ever in the event.

Pryce, who is Jamaica’s reigning national champion, ran a personal best and collegiate leading 49.72 to advance to the final as the fastest qualifier ahead of teammate Kaylyn Brown who ran 49.86.

LSU sophomore Jahiem Stern produced 13.45 to advance to the final of the 110m hurdles.

In the field, the Jamaican Arkansas pair of Romaine Beckford and Wayne Pinnock won gold in the high jump and long jump, respectively.

Beckford had a best clearance of 2.22m to win ahead of LSU’s Kuda Chadenga (2.19m) and Ole Miss’s Arvesta Troupe (2.14m).

Pinnock, a sliver medalist at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, jumped 8.09m to successfully defend his SEC title.

Georgia’s Micah Larry produced 7.80m for second while Florida’s Caleb Foster was third with the same distance.

Lowe, with personal bests of 7.75m and 14.32m, for the long and triple jump, respectively, ranks among the best high school jumpers of the modern era in Jamaica. That talent attracted several suitors from NCAA Division-I schools before he finally settled on MSU.

“I’m very elated and happy to have received scholarship offers from multiple schools in the States, and being one of the first persons in my family to go to a university; that makes me overwhelmed,” he tells Sportsmax.TV.

“Mississippi State University was my preferred choice because we had a long talk about my future goals before the track season. The coach of MSU contacted me as soon as he heard about my accomplishments at Kingston College and then he saw some video clips of me. He told where I could be in the future and I was impressed by his response.”

Having decided where he wants to spend the next four years of his academic journey, Lowe reveals lofty goals for his NCAA career.

“I would like to be an NCAA champion, both indoor and outdoor, and set new records at MSU, and continue to make national teams for my country and make my family proud,” he said, explaining that his ambitions extend well beyond the boundaries of the NCAA.

“l would also like to be an Olympian while there, knowing I’m already a Youth Olympian and to win medals in both Olympics and World Championships.”

Lowe is likely to come against his former his KC teammate, Carey McLeod, who enjoyed an outstanding indoor season for the University of Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this past indoor season.

McLeod is the 2020 SEC Indoor long jump champion and the 2020 SEC Indoor triple jump silver medallist. He is also the 2020 USTFCCCA South Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year (Indoor), 2020 SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Year (Indoor), and was a member of the 2020 Indoor All-SEC First Team.

During their years together at Kingston College, Lowe and McLeod developed a bond of friendship, a bond that remains strong even though the latter has been at school in the USA.

No slouch himself, the Jamaica U20 long jump champion, said he looks forward to competing against his friend and former teammate.

“Carey McLeod, that’s my brother from another mother there. Well, the SEC is the most competitive conference in my opinion. Knowing that we went to the same high school and doing what he’s doing now in the SEC, I feel excited to compete against him,” said Lowe, who won the long jump silver medal at the 2019 ISSA Boys and Girls Championships.

“Carey taught me a lot while at Kingston College on how to train and how to be a leader, so I’m excited to be the underdog and I think I’m ready to face anyone in the SEC.

“The only place I’ve ever competed against him was in training because he’s three years ahead so now it’s all in the “big man league“ as they say, so I just have to work hard and try to improve every day.”

Incidentally, his contemporary at KC, Wayne Pinnock, will also be attending Tennessee.

Lowe said the only disappointing aspect of his impending collegiate career in the uncertainty around when he will actually depart for school given the COVID19 pandemic sweeping the globe.

“The pandemic virus has been a major setback for many athletes over the world not just in Jamaica. Whenever the Government opens the country I’ll leave for school when everything is cleared up because I have already sorted out everything,” he said.

“The pandemic has stopped my goals for the 2020 season but I’m glad that I got a scholarship secured and I’m looking forward to being in the NCAA and making a mark.”

Hendricks, a silver medallist at both the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships and the Carifta Games, threw an excellent 66.17m to take top spot in the High School Boys’ discus ahead of Bergen Catholic’s Benjamin Shue (61.55m) and Christian Brothers’ Ashton Hearn (58.42m).

Penn, who won the high jump and triple jump double at both the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships and Carifta Games, produced 15.38m to comfortably win the triple jump ahead of Wolmer’s Boys’ Nicardo Grey-Clarke (14.52m) and Cornwall College’s Obrien Bowen (14.49m).

Israel added to his long jump gold medal at Champs with 7.24m to take top spot Friday. KC’s Nathan Wade, who took silver at Champs, was once again second with 7.09m while Calvert Hall College’s Antoine McNair Jr was third with 7.09m.

Nkrumie, who equaled the previous national junior record by running 10.11 in the semi-finals earlier, sped to a spectacular 10.02 for silver behind Botswanan sensation Letsile Tebogo, who ran 9.91 to break his own world junior record of 9.94 set at the World Championships in Eugene in July.

South Africa’s Benjamin Richardson ran 10.12 for bronze.

Jamaica’s quartet of Jasauna Dennis, Abigail Campbell, Malachi Johnson and Alliah Baker ran 3:19.98 for bronze in the Mixed 4x400m relay final behind the USA (3:17.69) and India (3:17.76).

In the field, Cuba’s Alejandro Parada jumped 7.91m for silver in the Men’s long jump. France’s Erwin Konate defended his title from last year with a world junior leading 8.08m while Brazil’s Gabriel Luiz Boza jumped 7.90m for third.

Jamaica’s Kobe Lawrence threw a personal best 20.58m for silver in the Men’s shot-put won by the USA’s Tarik O’Hagan (20.73m). Germany’s Tizian Lauria was third with 20.55m.

The Pan Am Games champion in the Long Jump, began her season in phenomenal form with four straight 7 metres performances, but saw a dip in form as the season went on that culminated with her finishing a disappointing 12^th in the Olympic final with a 6.50 metres jump.

Malone, speaking on an episode of SportsMax.Tv’s On Point, said she was having injury trouble up to two weeks before the Games in Tokyo.

“A week prior to Chula Vista in April, I had to get a PRP injection in my hamstring because I found out I had a strain in my hamstring. Two weeks before the games, I strained my hamstring again. Prior to that my knee flared up,” said Malone.

The fact that she never really took a break from training after the pandemic also took a toll on her physically.

“You’re training at this high intensity and your body is like; Ok you’ve got to oil me. You want a Ferrari to run like a Ferrari you’ve got to treat it like a Ferrari. That was just what my body was saying to me after training at such a high intensity for so long because, at that point, it had been 2 years since I’d been training at that intensity,” said Malone.

The 2014 CAC Games champion says she was also affected mentally by her ailments.

“Mentally, that’s what took me out a little bit because I didn’t know if I could trust my body. I wanted to jump, and I knew the kind of shape I was in, but subconsciously you’re being a little hesitant with putting the foot down a certain way or just executing the way you need to. As I reflect on the Games that was one of the blocks that I had,” she said.

The full interview can be seen on the Sportsmax TV YouTube channel.