Bloomfield, who is based in Florida at MVP International, stumbled and fell at the top of the straightway in the half-lap sprint and was seen clutching his leg while grimacing in pain. He was eventually helped off the track, triggering fears that he would have been out for some time, perhaps for the remainder of the season.
With the Jamaican Olympic trials coming up in June, there were even fears that he would not be able to compete and try to book a spot in the country’s contingent for the summer Olympics in Tokyo.
However, after an MRI examination, the 200/400m athlete posted some encouraging words on Instagram that would have his many fans breathing a collective sigh of relief.
“It did look like a bad injury on TV but the MRI results showed that there was no major tear or damage,” a relieved Bloomfield posted on Instagram.
Notwithstanding the good news, Bloomfield revealed that he is still in some amount of discomfort.
“My right glute and hamstring contracted really bad and as of right now are just really inflamed,” he said.
“I am expected to make a full recovery and hopefully I will be back in training soon.
“Again, thanks to everyone who took the time to reach out. The support means a lot.”
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 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.
Gayle, the 2019 World Champion, jumped a world-leading 8.27m to win the long-jump competition in which five jumpers went beyond eight metres. However, those who won medals were Holland Martin of the Bahamas who jumped 8.15m for second place while Damacus Simpson finished third with his best jump of 8.05m.
Meanwhile, Thomas-Dodd was a class above the rest winning the shot put with a mark of 19.17m, the third-best in the world this year. She was almost half-metre better than second-placed Magdalyn Ewen of the USA, who managed 18.69m for second place.
Ewen’s compatriot Jessica Ramsay finished among the medals with her best throw of 18.61m.
Three-time NCAA champion Jamaica’s Natoya Goule was among the best Caribbean performers, the Jamaican finishing second in the 800m after leading the race for about 750m before she was passed by her US rival Ajee Wilson who crossed first in 2:00.57. Goule’s clocked 2:00.92. Allie Wilson was third in 2:02.58.
In the men’s equivalent Jamaica’s Rahjay Hamilton, came out the worst in a three-way battle down the home stretch, finishing third in 1:48.32. Meanwhile, USA’s Kameron Jones, who led for most of the race was pipped at the line by Abe Alvarado who took the win in 1:47.29, three-hundredths of a second ahead of Jones, who clocked 1:47.32.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Cejhae Green ran a season-best 10.00 to finish third in the 100m won by Kyrie King in 9.97, just ahead of veteran Justin Gatlin, who ran 9.98.
Stephenie-Ann McPherson ran 51.09 for fourth and Chrisann Gordon-Powell 51.39 for sixth in the hotly contested 400m won by 400m hurdler Shamier Little in a lifetime best of 49.91, just holding off Quanera Haynes who was timed in 49.92.
Kendall Ellis made it a 1-2-3 finish for the USA as she was third in 50.48.
Thompson-Herah the Olympic 200m champion and Briana Williams, the 2018 World U20 200m champion, were fourth and sixth in 22.44 and 22.93, respectively in the half-lap sprint won by the USA’s Jenna Prandini in 22.29.
Bahrain’s Brittany Brown was second 22.39 with Candice Hill of the USA not far behind in 22.43.
The meet ended on a sad note for Jamaica’s Akeem Bloomfield, who fell to the track in the men’s 200m and did not finish. There was no official word on what was the nature of his injury in the race won by Kenny Bednarek in a windy 19.65. The race was run with a trailing wind of 4m/s, twice the allowable limit.
Emmanuel Matadi finished second in 20.20 while EJ Floreal was third in 20.41.
Jamaican fans spoiled by Usain Bolt, who won three consecutive 100 and 200m titles at the Olympics between 2008 and 2016 and a similar number of gold medals at the World Championships in 2009, 2013 and 2015 in both sprints, have been frustrated by the island’s seemingly inability to find someone to fill his massive shoes.
Seville, who made it to the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics and the finals of last year’s World Championships, has teased the Jamaican fan based about his prospects for the future. The former Calabar High School sprinter, who while at the Jamaica Pegasus on Tuesday was named among the athletes confirmed for the 2023 Racers Grand Prix in Kingston on June 3, told Sportsmax.TV, public expectations come with the territory.
“When you put yourself at a certain level, you have to expect the expectations from the people. You have to expect the expectations because you are the one who put yourself in that position so it’s just for you to fulfill the best you can be and the best version of yourself,” he said.
Seville, who turned 22 in March, said he is now healthy having overcome an injury that had impacted his preparations and is looking forward to the season ahead. He opened his season with a 60m dash running 6.42 at the Gibson/McCook Relays in February and is now working on being better than ever.
“Racers Grand Prix is preparation for the National trials. The little niggle that I had before I ran at the Gibson/McCook Relays, was a little back issue. I have recovered from it and going forward this season, I want to go under 9.86 (his personal best), that’s my aim for now and I’ll take it from there,” he said.
After finishing just outside the medals in the 100m finals at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, Seville said he came away with very important lessons that will make him a better sprinter when going up against the world’s best.
“The World Championship finals taught me a lot of things about what I should work on this season,” he said. “My biggest downfall was my start and I am now working on it. I will take my time and coach (Glen Mills) has been patient with me so I will see what I can do this season.”
Several Jamaicans have been listed for the preliminary rounds of the 100m on Saturday, including Ackeem Blake, Michael Campbell, Andrew Hudson and Oshane Bailey. The meet has also attracted Cejhae Green of Antigua and Barbuda, Eric Harrison Jr of Trinidad and Tobago and Ian Kerr of the Bahamas.
