The three 100m medalists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics all looked extremely easy to win their semi-finals in 22.54, 22.68 and 22.85, respectively.
Jackson, who secured the 100m title on Friday, looked especially easy, completely shutting down in the last 100m of the race.
Natalliah Whyte (23.05), Ashanti Moore (23.21), Kevona Davis (23.33), Jodean Williams (23.21) and Dominique Clarke (23.29) will join them in the final.
Meanwhile, 100m Champion Yohan Blake led all qualifiers to the Men’s final with a season’s best 20.20 to win his semi-final ahead of Andrew Hudson (20.23).
2020 Olympic finalist Rasheed Dwyer will also contest Sunday’s final after producing 20.35 to win his semi-final ahead of Nigel Ellis (20.45).
Mario Heslop (20.52), Riquan Graham (20.66), Jazeel Murphy (20.67) and Antonio Watson (20.74) complete the line-up for the final.
NCAA Championships silver medalist Charokee Young (50.19), 2020 Olympic finalist Candice McLeod (50.85), Stacey-Ann Williams (50.87) and 2013 World Championship bronze medalist Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.67) led all qualifiers to the Women’s 400m final.
The men were led by Jevaughn Powell (45.38), Anthony Cox (45.43), Nathon Allen (45.52) and Akeem Bloomfield (45.59).
The qualifiers for the Women’s sprint hurdles final were led by Britany Anderson (12.45), Megan Tapper (12.61), 2015 World Champion Danielle Williams (12.59) and Demisha Roswell (12.84).
Reigning Olympic Champion Hansle Parchment (13.24), Orlando Bennett (13.27), Rasheed Broadbell (13.29) and 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Champion Omar McLeod (13.36) led the qualifiers to the Men’s 110m hurdles final.
In the field, 2019 World Championship silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.79m to win her seventh national title ahead of Lloydricia Cameron (16.96m) and Danielle Sloley (15.98m).
Wayne Pinnock added to his NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles earlier this season with a personal best 8.14m to win the Men’s long jump ahead of defending World Champion Tajay Gayle (7.97m) and Shawn-D Thompson (7.88m).
The meet is celebrating 50 years of existence and will return with 43 events in a 12-hour extravaganza.
PUMA, Television Jamaica, Wisynco and Digicel are the major sponsors along with 28 other business partners which have covered all 45 events for the meet.
Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Prof Rainford Wilks in expressing his delight is excited about two new events.
“The 60 meters open for Elite Men and Women should add to the thrill of the meet. We are also pleased with the planning for the milestone event.”
Back to its original schedule, which sees the meet starting at 9:00 am the morning session will have 20 heats and five finals up to 2:30; while in the afternoon session 40 finals are set to start from 4:00 pm.
The meet, known for its on time running, sees the last event the 4 X 400 meters High School Boys go off at 9pm.
The World’s fastest man, Dr the Hon Usain Bolt is the patron for the meet. At a press briefing, Bolt expressed his undying love for Jamaica and reflected on his own performances at the meet. Bolt last competed at that event in 2017 for the Racers Track Club en route to the World Championship in London the same year.
This year's staging continues with a full week of activities including a Church Service on February 19, the Howard Aris Memorial Lecture at UTECH on February 21 and an Awards Banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus on February 23 before the meet on February 25 at the National Stadium.
Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 20 at the ticket office at the National Stadium. Two categories are available for the grandstand: Finish Line - $5,000, Regular Grandstand - $3,500, Bleachers - $500.
Chairman Wilks would like to remind fans “this Gibson McCook Relays is where athletes from all ages compete.”
Williams, a finalist at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi two years ago, threw 53.22m to break former Edwin Allen standout Fiona Richards' Class One discus record 53.04m, set in 2017, with her only throw in flight one of the preliminaries.
Her record would last only a few hours, however, as Martin broke Williams' record with a 55.19m effort in flight two, setting up an interesting clash between the two in the final.
The Girls’ 400m at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships is shaping up to live up to expectations, as the medal favourites cruised into their respective finals after Wednesday morning’s semi-final rounds at the National Stadium.
The multiple-time Olympic and World Championship finalist comfortably won ahead of 1500m champion, Adelle Tracey, who ran a season’s best 2:01.11. Clemson’s Jessica McLean was third in 2:05.76.
On the men’s side, Rajay Hamilton, who entered the championships as Jamaica’s leader in the event with 1:45.91, got the better of last year’s winner and the national record holder, Navasky Anderson, with a 1:47.28 effort.
Anderson ran 1:47.67 in second while Mississippi State’s Tyrese Reid ran 1:48.45 for third.
On a night when champions proved their mettle, Hydel High’s Taiefa Gowe and St Jago’s Jade-Ann Dawkins delivered dominant performances to successfully defend their titles at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships on Friday.
Grand Slam Track™ has unveiled a stellar lineup of broadcast and in-stadium talent for its inaugural season, with Jamaicans Donald Smith and Trishana McGowan among the key voices set to enhance the spectator experience at the Kingston leg, scheduled for April 4-6 at the National Stadium.
“We will be awarding sixty scholarships to 60 athletes. ‘Sixty for 60’. Details will be announced at a later date,” she said while speaking at the official launch of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships on Tuesday.
“In 2020, after the decision was made to cancel CHAMPS, there was major disappointment by athletes, parents, coaches, schools, alumni and every sport-loving Jamaican. Many were uncertain about last year’s staging of Champs but again this team of school principals organized themselves within the very strict protocols outlined and produced a spectacular show with Jamaica College and Edwin Allen High School winning the titles,” added Grange while praising ISSA for continuing to set a very high standard in terms of sports organization and management and each year.
The Sports Minister also highlighted the importance of CHAMPS.
“The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships has become a special calendar event not only for Jamaicans but for other sport enthusiasts, administrators, athletes, school groups and media houses and talent scouts all over the world. This speaks to the development of the Championships and indicates the tremendous growth in our high school programmes, coached primarily by our home-grown coaches. The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships has been marked as the foundation of Jamaica’s athletic prowess and with the improvements in the field events, we are assured that the future of track and field in Jamaica is secure,” she said.
“There is another reason why Champs this year is special. Just one week after Champs, Jamaica will be hosting CARIFTA. Many of the athletes from Champs are expected to be on show again at CARIFTA, where the President of World Athletics Lord Sebastian Coe has confirmed his attendance,” she added.
Grange went on to recognize long-time sponsors of CHAMPS, GraceKennedy, and then offer a final word of encouragement to the athletes who will be competing in the 2022 edition.
“I am proud to acknowledge GraceKennedy who has been title sponsors of the Boys and Girls Championships since 2007 and will continue until 2025. Even with the uncertainties of the pandemic, they have been unwavering in their support. To all the other sponsors thank you, you continue to exhibit goodwill and I want to assure you that no investment in our youth is wasted,” she said.
“Whether you become a professional sportsman or woman, or continue to compete for the love of the sport, or use your talent as a bargaining tool to advance your educational aspirations, or never participate in another track and field event; the lessons you learn in training and in competition must serve you through life,” Grange added.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, congratulated all members of the team who participated in the resurfacing of the running track at the National Stadium.
“In 2021, even though CHAMPS was staged, it was done behind closed doors. This resulted in losses of $70,000,000.00. For this year, ISSA projects that their earnings will return to pre-COVID figures despite the significant increase in inflation,” said Minister Grange in a statement issued on Monday.
She also explained how Jamaica derives significant economic benefit from what is the premier secondary school athletic championship in the world.
“Because of the long and distinguished legacy of CHAMPS, there is a consistent increase in visitor arrival to Jamaica during the period leading up to the mega event. While the support from high school alumni and Jamaicans in the diaspora who invest in and return to Jamaica for Champs is unquantified at this time, there is a marked stimulation in the economy which can be attributed to CHAMPS,” said Minister Grange.
“The city of Kingston, for example, benefits from an increase in occupancy of hotels, guesthouses, AIR BnB type facilities and private homes. This is also reflected in the local retail and transportation sectors. Through CHAMPS, there is both a direct and indirect co-relation to educational and employment opportunities. We also see a lot of merchandising from the schools; there’s the broadcasting revenue, there are stage, light and sound, there are opportunities for the small peanut vendors as well,” she added.
The 2022 edition of Champs gets underway Tuesday and runs until April 9 at the National stadium.
“Welcome back CHAMPS; welcome back spectators. Let the Games begin,” said Minister Grange.
A five-time Carifta gold medalist, 2011 Pan Am Junior 100m champion and World U20 100 and 200m champion in 2012, things were looking up for the young Bahamian.
However, the intervening years have not been as kind. Injuries and a subsequent loss of confidence derailed the promising start to Strachan’s career and raised doubts about whether she would ever fulfil her promise.
“It’s actually very tough because you start to ridicule and judge yourself and then you go on social media and you see people judging you,” said Strachan, who is now 28 and having her best season in a decade.
“I haven’t PB’ed in 10 years so I see people telling me that I need to hang it up, get a 9-5, all sorts of stuff but nobody knows what happens when the lights are off so I try not to take it to heart but it’s sort of difficult to judge yourself and also have people out there judging you.”
So far, 2022 has been good to her. She opened up with a personal best of 10.99 in the 100m at the John Wolmer Speed Fest on March 26 at the National Stadium in Kingston, where she trains with the MVP Track Club and then on Saturday, April 23, she ran 22.55 to win the 200m against a field that included multiple Olympic and World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Yes, the Pocket Rocket did slow noticeably over the last 50m but when you take into consideration the fact that Strachan ran a spectacular 23.24 into a -5.00 m/s wind at the Bermuda Games on April 9, you understand that the time she ran on Saturday night was no fluke.
So what exactly has brought about this pleasantly surprising return to form for the talented Bahamian sprinter?
She reveals that she accepted help and stopped putting pressure on herself to succeed.
“Because I had so many injuries it was difficult for me to trust coaching and other people or even trust myself and my coach told me to let somebody in to actually help me to help myself and that is what I have been trying to do this season,” she confessed.
“I stopped judging myself so hard and stopped piling on so many things and taking it one stride at a time.”
Strachan began to show a return to form in 2021 when she ran the 100m in 11.30, her best time since 2012 and 22.56 over 200m, her best time since 2014. She also made it to the semi-finals of the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics.
However, she had no idea that 2022 would have begun on a positive note.
“I bragged and boasted about opening up with a 10, but that was BS so now that it has actually happened I have sort of put it out there in the atmosphere and it sort of came through,” she said admitting that she is now a lot more confident than she has been during the past decade.
“It gives me plenty of confidence. I am trying to run all the times I can run right now to put myself in a better standpoint before the big girls come out to play.”
Lacovia High’s Sabrina Dockery had her dream of capturing the Class One sprint double shattered as she was disqualified from the 200m semi-finals for a false start at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships on Friday.
The 18-year-old Arkansas freshman, who already won the SEC and NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles this season, produced a best effort of 17.68m, a stadium record, for the win. Jordan Scott was second with a best jump of 16.32m.
Hibbert will enter the Budapest World Championships in August as one of the favorites for gold. He is currently the world leader in the event courtesy of his personal best and world under-20 record 17.87m done to win the SEC outdoor title in May.
Though ranked in the top 25 at joint 16th with his personal best mark of 2.27m, achieved at the NCAA finals in Austin, Texas last month, Beckford is by no means satisfied with his current position, as he wants to make certain of his spot in Budapest, Hungary next month.
The 20-year-old made the declaration after topping rivals in the high jump finals on Friday’s second day of action at the National Stadium.
His first-time clearance at 2.23m bettered MVP’s Christoff Bryan, who also cleared 2.23m, on a countback, while dethroned national champion Lushane Wilson (2.15m) of GC Foster College.
“This is my second year jumping as a senior, so it is really exciting to know to have won my first senior championship on this occasion and I am just excited about the win,” said Beckford, formerly of University of South Florida, who contested the event as an unattached athlete.
“But I am still trying to work on getting the (Automatic World Championships) height and at the same time, I am also trying to get as much points as possible so I can stay in the points ranking,” he added.
To say that it has been a very successfully season for Beckford so far, would be a great understatement, as he completed the double of the NCAA outdoor and indoor championship honours, with this national title, now topping the cards.
Beckford attributes those achievements to the experienced gained last year, particularly at the Commonwealth Games where he finished among the top eight finalists.
“The biggest thing for me was garnering all that experience last year, jumping with the seniors at the Commonwealth Games as well, I think it kind of boost my confidence to know that I can really get to the top by virtue of not only jumping with some top jumpers, but also finish close to them. So, I am just using that experience and just trying to fulfill my goals,” he shared.
Such was his confidence and form coming into the championships that even the strong winds that swept across the Stadium, couldn’t through Beckford off his rhythm.
“Most of track and field is a mental thing, just as it is physical, so you just have to keep your mind ready at all times for any condition and it is just how you execute on the day, so I just kept my mind steady and adjusted to the conditions,” Beckford noted.
That said, the soft-spoken pointed out that getting to and, by extension, producing a quality performance at the World Championships, marks the first target on his list of ambitions.
“That’s one of my biggest objectives because from Germaine Mason stopped jumping for Jamaica, we haven’t had a high jumper qualify for the Olympic Games. So that’s what I am working on to make sure I am one of those high jumpers that will perform on the biggest stage for Jamaica, so I am trying to pick up the legacy and set a good trend for myself,” Beckford ended.
Riddle,18, proved too good for rivals in the Under-20 girls’ triple jump, as she required only three jumps to achieve the winning mark of 12.69m in a 1.2 metres per second wind reading. She was just outside her personal best of 12.96m.
Jade-Ann Dawkins of St Jago was expected to make things interesting, but she struggled to find rhythm before eventually cutting the sand at a best mark of 12.63m in a 0.8 metres per second reading, while Jade-Ann Smith (12.22m) of Excelsior, was third.
Immaculate Conception’s Zoelle Jamel won the girls’ Under-17 javelin throw with a mark of 43.75m, ahead of Alliah Gittens of Edwin Allen, who achieved a best mark of 31.27m in the two-athlete contest.
Tarique Daley of Calabar launched the javelin to 54.72m to win the boys’ Under-17 event, ahead of Edwin Allen’s Dylan Logan (45.61m) and Alex Benjamin (43.41m) of Titchfield High.
The girls’ Under-20 javelin event only attracted two competitors and was won by Sheniela Williams of Edwin Allen. She launched the instrument to 36.14m to better Tamecia Binda of Dinthill Technical, who only mustered 28.36m.
Rohanna Sudlow of St Catherine High topped the girls; Under-18 long jump, as she cut the sand at the winning mark of 6.03m on her second attempt. She finished ahead of the Excelsior High pair of Shelley Ann Taylor (5.63m) and Xavi Harvey (5.24m).
Elsewhere in the field, St Jago’s Abigail Martin finished tops in the girls’ Under-20 discus throw, after achieving a best mark of 53.55m. She won ahead of the Johnson sisters Britannia Johnson (48.88m) and Britannie (43.74m).
Meanwhile, on the track, St Elizabeth Technical’s Javorne Dunkley headlined qualifiers to the semi-finals of the boys’ Under-20 100m, with a comfortable 10.28s-clocking.
Jeevan Newby of Motorcade Track Club was the next best qualifier at 10.39s, while Camperdown’s Junior Harris (10.45s), Orlando Wint (10.59s), also of St Elizabeth Technical and Excelsior’s Damor Miller (10.40s), are also in contention for the national title.
Holmwood Technical’s Class Four relay team was the only casualty among the medal contenders in the Girls’ 4x100m relays, as all other top prospects safely secured their spots in the final on day three of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Thursday.
Hill, who already won gold in the 100m on Wednesday, broke her own record of 12.89 which she set in the semi-finals on Friday. Her teammate Shania Myers was second in 13.27 and St. Catherine’s Asharria Ulett finished third in 13.35.
Hydel’s Malayia Duncan ran 10.38 to smash the Class IV Girls 70m Hurdles record and win gold ahead of Edwin Allen’s Arihanna Brown (10.58) and St. Jago’s Rihanna Anderson (10.62).
St. Jago’s Camoy Binger was next in line, blazing to a new record 10.87 to win the Class III 80m Hurdles ahead of her teammate Bryana Davidson (11.06) and Hydel’s Jody Ann Daley (11.18).
Oneka Wilson made it three records in the sprint hurdles for Hydel and four overall with a 13.00 clocking to win the Class I 100m Hurdles final ahead of Petersfield’s Alexis James (13.21) and Gabrielle Matthews of the Queen’s School (13.45).
Tahj-Oneil Gordon of KC won the Boys Class III 100m Hurdles final in 13.30 ahead of JC’s Javion Pladley (13.65) and Excelsior’s Demarco Bennett (13.76).
KC secured a one-two finish in the Class II 110m Hurdles with Jadan Campbell (13.67) and Kaheim Carby (13.68) finishing ahead of Daniel Wright of Excelsior (13.82).
St. Jago’s Jahvel Granville ran 13.56 to win the Class I Boys 110m Hurdles ahead of Calabar’s Dishaun Lamb (13.56) and KC’s Tajae Francis (13.75).
Moving into the field, KC’s Aaron McKenzie set a new record of 2.11m to win the Boys Class II High Jump ahead of JC’s Chavez Penn (2.00m) and KC’s Aaron Thomas (1.95m).
JC’s Zachary Campbell was also in record-breaking form in the Boys Class II Discus Throw with 56.49 to win ahead of KC’s Antwon Walkin (47.43m) and JC’s Delangelo Jackson (47.02m).
Shemonique Hazel of Hydel won gold in the Class III Girls Long Jump with 6.27m ahead of Excelsior’s Shelley-Ann Taylor (5.71m) and St. Jago’s Briana Campbell (5.71m).
Camperdown’s Brittania Johnson threw 14.06m to win the Girls Class I Shot Put ahead of St. Jago’s Jamora Alves (13.82m) and St. Catherine High’s Natalie Albert (13.40m).
Hill, who ran 11.16 to win gold in the 100m on Wednesday, equaling the record set by former Edwin Allen star Kevona Davis in 2018, sped to a brilliant 12.89 to break former Excelsior and current Baylor University sprint hurdler Ackera Nugent’s Class II record of 12.91 set in 2019. Hill’s time is also equaled Nugent’s world Under-18 record set at the Youngster Goldsmith Classic in the same year.
St. Catherine High’s Asharria Ulett was second fastest in qualifying with 13.28 while Hill’s Hydel teammate Shania Myers was third with 13.56.
Petersfield’s Carifta Trials Under-20 champion Alexis James ran 13.40 to be the fastest qualifier to the Class I final ahead of Hydel’s Oneka Wilson (13.54) and Manchester’s Janela Spencer (13.58)
The St. Jago pair of Bryana Davidson (11.04) and Camoy Binger (11.08) were fastest to advance to the Class III 80m Hurdles final ahead of Excelsior’s Shelley-Ann Taylor (11.34).
Qualifiers for the Class IV 70m Hurdles final were led by Edwin Allen’s Arihanna Brown (10.76), Hydel’s Malayia Duncan (10.79) and Immaculate Conception’s Ayanna Blake (10.83).
Kingston College’s Taj-Oneil Gordon led all qualifiers to the Class III Boys 100m Hurdles final with a swift 13.56. Excelsior’s Demarco Bennett (13.62) and Jamaica College’s Javion Pladley (13.75) were the only other qualifiers below 14 seconds.
The fastest qualifier to the Boys Class II 110m Hurdles final was KC’s Jadan Campbell with 13.67 ahead of Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon (13.68) and KC’s Kaheim Carby (13.71).
JC’s Jaheim Stern was fastest in the Class I 110m Hurdles semis with 13.67 ahead of St. Jago’s Jahvel Granville (13.69) and Excelsior’s Sharvis Simmonds (13.77).
Hydel High's Abigail Campbell produced a strong performance to successfully defend her Class One 400m title on day three of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships.
Herbert Morrison’s DeAndre Daley, who ran 10.55 to win at the Western Championships last week, was the fastest qualifier to Saturday’s final with a time of 10.30.
National Junior Champion Sandrey Davison of St. Catherine High was second fastest with 10.32, while Edwin Allen standout and finalist in the Men’s 100m at the National Senior Championships in 2021, Bryan Levell, was third fastest with 10.39. Jeevan Newby, running unattached (10.41), Bouwahjgie Nkrumie of Kingston College (10.55), Hector Benjamin of Jamaica College (10.57) and the St. Jago pair of Deshaun Gordon (10.59) and Odaine Crooks (10.61) make up the full field for Saturday’s final.
Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon (10.71), Gary Card of Wolmer’s (10.85) and Romario Hines of Spot Valley (10.98) were the fastest qualifiers to the Boys Under-17 100m final.
Edwin Allen’s Tia and Tina Clayton with times of 11.39 and 11.41 were the second and third fastest qualifiers to the Girls Under-20 100m final, respectively. Hydel’s Kerrica Hill was the fastest qualifier at 11.31.
The qualifiers for the Girls’ Under-17 final were led by Edwin Allen’s Theianna Lee Terrelonge (11.73), Hydel’s Shemonique Hazel (11.76) and St. Jago’s Camoy Binger (11.78).
J’Voughnn Blake of JC won the Boys Under-20 1500m in 3:55.45 ahead of STETHS’s Adrian Nethersole (3:59.91) and his JC teammate Omarion Davis (4:01.04). The Girls’ equivalent was won by Holmwood Technical’s Jody Ann Mitchell in 4:37.18 ahead of Edwin Allen’s Rickeisha Simms (4:37.50) and St Mary High’s Shone Walters (4:37.51).
