Minister of Gender, Culture, Entertainment and Sports Olivia Grange confirmed that Pryce suffered a broken leg and has been taken to hospital.
“I can confirm that one of our young Jamaican athletes, Samantha Pryce, who represents Holmwood Technical High School, was injured while competing in the 4x800m at the Penn Relays today,” the Minister said.
“She has been taken to the Penn Medical Centre and we have been informed that she broke her leg when she fell in that race. She is currently being prepared for surgery.”
In her statement, Minister Grange explained that Pryce and all the Jamaican high-school athletes competing at the Penn Relays are registered on the Ministry’s Athletes’ Insurance Programme and that they were making arrangements to ensure that the Holmwood athlete gets the best care.
“I pray for a successful surgery and her speedy recovery,” the minister said.
McLeod, the 2016 Olympic champion, who missed out on a place in the Tokyo Olympics in Japan last year, ran a season-best 13.22 for second place in the Olympic Development Men’s 110m hurdles that was won by the USA’s Devon Allen.
The American, who ran a world-leading 13.12 in Annapolis a week ago, clocked 13.11 for a commanding victory in what will be his final full season in track and field. Allen, the 2021 Diamond League champion has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League (NFL).
Jaylan McConico was a distant third in 13.70.
In the College Men’s 110m hurdles, Phillip Lemonious claimed victory in 13.48. The Jamaican who attends the University of Arkansas was a comfortable winner over Jaheem Hayes (13.57) of Syracuse and Clemson’s Devon Brooks (13.62)
Goule, a finalist in the 800m at the Tokyo Olympics, ran a fast 1:24.09 in the Olympic Development Women’s 600m Elite event but was no match for the Olympic champion Athing Mu of the United States who was a runaway winner in 1:22.74, the fourth-fastest time ever run over the distance.
Nia Atkins of the USA took the final podium spot in 1:25.14.
Jamaica’s Rajay Hamilton lost out in a close battle with Ghana’s Alex Amankwah in the men’s 600m, clocking 1:16.00 to the Ghanian’s 1:15.88. Kameron Jones was third in 1:16.47.
However, there might be a way for Jamaican athletes to be involved in alternative meets planned.
The University of Pennsylvania Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics announced today that the meet that featured the best Jamaican high school and college athletes competing against their American counterparts since the 1960s, would be cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions on gatherings.
However, the university is hopeful of hosting a local collegiate-only meet on April 24, if conditions improve.
"It is disappointing that we once again have to cancel one of the landmark events of the spring in Philadelphia and in track and field, but collectively we want to ensure the safety of our athletes, campus, community, and spectators," said Dr M. Grace Calhoun, Director of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Our goal on campus has been to safely move through the Ivy athletic activity phases to host the competition and we remain hopeful that we will be able to provide some competitive opportunities for as many athletes as possible who have missed out on so much this past year."
Irwin Claire of TJB, the organization that provides nutritional and other support for Jamaican athletes while they are competing at the relays said he was not surprised by the news.
“We have been in constant dialogue with the Penn Relays organizers and have been kept apprised of the developments. Needless to say, we are disappointed but we recognize and understand the circumstances,” said Claire, who shed some light on some of those competitive opportunities that Dr Colhoun mentioned.
“In essence, there will be Penn relays but it will be confined to institutions within a 40-mile radius of the university.
“It will be broken into three extravaganzas, one for colleges in April. The second will be May 22, which they will have for professionals preparing for US trials and a meet for unattached high school athletes in June or July.”
Clare said efforts will be made to see how Jamaica’s participation in the virtual sense could be included on a streaming platform, adding that in prior dialogue with the organizers, TJB indicated that if Jamaican participation could be included somehow, that would be welcome, suggesting that if races were being held in Jamaica at that time, they could be streamed as part of the Penn Relays programming.
