While their progressions were anticipated, Jamaica’s world leader, Nickisha Pryce, who enjoyed a rich vein of form throughout the season, was a big surprise casualty as she had her worst performance this year in semi-final two. Pryce went out hard but faded into fourth in 50.77s, behind Paulino (49.21s), who won comfortably ahead of American Alexis Holmes (50.00s).
Despite placing third in semi-final three, Sade Williams’ 49.89s was good enough for one of the two non-automatic qualifying spots to the final. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek (49.45s) won the race ahead of Great Britain’s Amber Anning (49.47s).
Jamaica’s Stacey-Ann Williams (50.79s) and Cuba’s Roxana Gomez (50.48s) were seventh and fifth in that semi-final, respectively, and both failed to progress.
Earlier, Jamaican Junelle Bromfield (51.93s) and Puerto Rico’s Gabby Scott (51.22s) were eighth and seventh in semi-final one, as they too missed out. The qualifying spots from that race went to Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser (49.08s), Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke (49.95s), and Norway’s Henriette Jaeger (50.17s).
The final is scheduled for Friday, August 9.
Jamaican sprinter Ackeem Blake showcased his speed in the 60-metre dash, winning his heat in 6.55. Although he stands as the third-fastest in the world this year at 6.45, Blake is fifth-fastest heading into the semi-finals. Notably, gold-medal favorite Christian Coleman dominated the heats with a remarkable run of 6.49.
Mario Burke of Barbados is also through to the semi-final round after he finished second to Coleman in 6.58. Also through is Rikkoi Brathwaite of the British Virgin Islands, who ran a season-best 6.62 for fourth-place in Coleman’s heat.
Coleman’s compatriot, Noah Lyles, who is also in contention for the gold medal won his heat in 6.57.
The 60m semi-finals and finals are set for later on Friday.
Rusheen McDonald, also from Jamaica, delivered a lifetime best performance in the 400m, clocking an impressive 46.25. He finished second in his heat behind the Czech Republic’s Matej Krsek (46.07), securing his place in the next round.
Trinidad and Tobago's defending champion Jereem Richards faced a close call in the 400m, finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 47.04. However, Richards secured a spot in the next round ahead of the USA’s Jacory Patterson, credited with a similar time.
In the women's events, Stacey-Ann Williams from Jamaica advanced in the 400m, clocking 52.16. Williams entered the competition with a season best of 51.86 and secured a spot as one of the fastest losers after finishing fourth in her heat, won by Netherlands’ Lieke Laver in 51.31.
Despite these successes, the challenges were evident. Charokee Young faced disappointment in the 400m, finishing third in her heat with a time of 53.06. Shalysa Wray of the Cayman Islands and Yanique Haye-Smith of the Turks and Caicos produced season-best performances but will take no further part in the competition.
In the 800m, Natoya Goule Toppin advanced to the semi-final round with a second-place finish in her heat, clocking 2:00.83. She opened her season in a competitive field, with Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu winning the heat in 2:00.50.
In the shot put final, Danielle Thomas Dodd threw a season-best 19.12m, earning sixth place. Canada’s Sarah Mitton claimed gold with a throw of 20.22m, followed by Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye with a lifetime best of 20.19m for the silver medal. The USA’s Chase Jackson (nee’ Ealey) secured the bronze with a throw of 19.67m.
The 19-year-old, who entered the meet with a personal best of 7.29 done last season, first produced an easy 7.14 in qualifying before returning to run her new personal best in the final to win comfortably ahead of Georgia’s Kaila Jackson (7.20) and Florida’s Grace Stark (7.21).
Lyston’s time is the third-fastest in the world this year, fourth-fastest in collegiate history and equals the LSU school record done back in 2018 by Aleia Hobbs.
The men's equivalent saw USC's Travis Williams run 6.63 for third behind LSU's Myles Thomas (6.62) and USC's JC Stevenson (6.61).
Jamaican World Championship 4x400m relay medallist Stacey Ann Williams ran 51.86 to win the women’s open 400m ahead of Americans Kendall Ellis (52.12) and Bailey Lear (52.49). World Championships 400m hurdles finalist Andrenette Knight ran 52.53 for fifth.
Arkansas Junior and reigning Jamaican National champion Nickisha Pryce ran 51.58 for third in the college women’s 400m behind schoolmate Amber Anning (50.56) and Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler (51.34).
Pryce was a semi-finalist in the 400m at the World Championships in Budapest last August.
Florida Senior Jevaughn Powell ran 46.28 for third in the college men’s 400m behind USC’s William Jones (45.24) and Texas A&M’s Auhmad Robinson (46.15).
2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and World Championship 100m hurdles finalist Ackera Nugent ran 7.94 for second in the women’s open 60m hurdles won by the USA’s Tia Jones in 7.85. Christina Clemons ran 7.95 for third.
Jamaica’s Phillip Lemonious, who won the NCAA Outdoor title competing for the University of Arkansas last season, ran 7.68 for third in the men’s 60m hurdles. Interestingly, the top two finishers in the race, Texas A&M’s Connor Schulman and Jaqualon Scott, also ran 7.68. Their times when rounded up to the thousandths were 7.672, 7.673 and 7.675.
St. Vincent's Shafiqua Maloney ran 2:02.29 to take top spot in the women's 800m ahead of Sanu Jallow of Arkansas (2:02.60) and Gabija Galvydyte (2:02.82).
In the field, Arkansas high jumper Romaine Beckford, the defending NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion, improved his indoor career best to 2.27m with his victory on Friday evening.
The winning height moves Beckford to No. 4 on the UA all-time list and No. 3 on the Jamaican all-time indoor list with the equal No. 4 performance.
Having won the competition, Beckford opted for the Olympic standard of 2.33m as his next height and had three attempts with his last try coming closest to clearing.
Mississippi State’s Sherman Hawkins and USC’s Elias Gerald both cleared 2.17m for second and third, respectively.
Elsewhere in the field, Jamaican Oklahoma Junior Nikaoli Williams produced 7.86m for second in the men’s long jump behind Florida’s Malcolm Clemons (8.06m). Clemons’ teammate Caleb Foster jumped 7.68m for third.
Perhaps, the most impressive of those performances came in the men’s triple jump where Jaydon Hibbert of Jamaica delivered a remarkable leap of 17.33m, claiming first place using an unconventional eight-step run.
Jah-Nhai Perinchief from Bermuda secured second place with a jump of 17.13m, and fellow Jamaican Jordan Scott took third place with a jump of 17.05m.
On the track, in the women's 400m, Stacey-Ann Williams of Jamaica surged to victory with a commanding time of 51.71 seconds, outpacing her competitors to claim first place. Behind her, Jessika Gbai from Ivory Coast secured second place in 53.00 seconds, followed closely by Paola Moran of Mexico in third with a time of 53.21 seconds.
The men's 400m event saw Kirani James of Grenada exhibit his prowess with a winning time of 46.00 seconds, leading the charge for Caribbean athletes. Behind him, Alonzo Russell from the Bahamas claimed second place with a time of 47.05 seconds, followed closely by Demish Gaye of Jamaica in third with 47.15 seconds.
Shian Salmon displayed sheer excellence in the 400m hurdles, triumphing with a swift time of 56.59 seconds. Cassandra Tate of the United States secured second place with a time of 57.04 seconds, while Aminat Jamal from Bahrain finished third in 57.94 seconds.
In the men's 200m dash, Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago blazed to victory in 20.39 seconds, showcasing his speed and skill on the track. He was closely followed by Matthew Boling of the USA in second place with a time of 20.42 seconds, while Udodie Onwuzrike from Nigeria secured third place with a time of 20.61 seconds.
In her first 200m run in a year, the USA's Abby Steiner blazed to victory in 22.71. Her countrywoman Kynnedy Flannel took second in 23.01. Ashanti Moore of Jamaica was third in 23.12.
While Caribbean athletes shone brightly, world champion Noah Lyles of the USA stood out in the men's 100m dash, overcoming challenging wind conditions to clock 9.96 seconds and secure first place. Aaron Brown of Canada was the runner-up in 10.09 followed closely by Pjai Austin of the USA who ran 10.10.
Tamari Davis of the USA also impressed in a dominant victory in the women’s 100m. The young American stormed to a time of 11.04. In her wake was compatriot Kortnei Johnson who ran 11.27 just ahead of Jamaica’s Alana Reid (11.29).
Amber Hughes of the USA comfortably win the 100m hurdles in 12.57 with Ebonie Morris of Liberia and Yanique Thompson of Jamaica finishing second and third, in 12.80 and 12.86, respectively.
Monae Nichols of the USA jumped an impressive 6.91m to win the long jump. Jamaica’s Chanice Porter took second place with her effort of 6.62m while Jasmine Moore finished third having jumped 6.60m.
McLeod, a 27-year-old two-time World Championship 4x400m relay silver medalist, saw this performance as a personal triumph. Just a few months ago, she was unable to walk and had to undergo knee surgery on March 22, which significantly disrupted her training regimen.
“There wasn’t much to expect, to be honest. Sadly, I did knee surgery on March 22, so I really wasn’t expecting too much because it’s been just two months including rehab and everything, I really just started track work,” McLeod told Sportsmax.TV after the race. “It’s not something I want as an athlete but it is what it is and we have to work with it.”
The knee issue had been a persistent problem for McLeod, and the surgery became inevitable when she found herself unable to walk. Despite the setback, McLeod remains positive about her progress. “I am taking it step by step. I have a great support team. The challenge is more tolerable because I accept that I had to do surgery and I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t say I was sad about it but, to be honest, life goes on,” she shared.
When asked about her readiness for the upcoming national championships in four weeks, McLeod responded with cautious optimism. “The objective this season is to see where it takes me. I will just come out and do what I have to do each and every time and then we see where it goes.”
Reflecting on the difficulties she faced, McLeod emphasized the frustration of being unable to train and compete. “The difficulty was not being able to compete; the difficulty was not training because if you’re not training you won’t be able to compete. I was not training to the best of my ability but I am training every day, I just started running two weeks ago so to be out here running on the track is something good, to me.”
McLeod's journey back to the track is a testament to her determination and resilience. Her performance at the Racer’s Grand Prix may not have been her best, but considering the circumstances, it was nothing short of a triumph. As she continues her recovery and training, McLeod's focus remains on taking each day as it comes, with hopes of returning to peak form in the near future.
Jamaica’s athletes are expected to contest the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, as well as the Mixed 4x400m relay, at the two-day spectacle which will take place at the refurbished Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
Blake and Reid have been listed among the respective 4x100m relay pools, which also includes Kemba Nelson, Natasha Morrison, and reigning University champion Kadrian Goldson.
World Indoor bronze medallist Rusheen McDonald, World and Olympic relay medallist Janieve Russell, and World 400m hurdles finalist Roshawn Clarke, headline the pool for the 4x400m and Mixed 4x400m relays respectively.
Full team: Female 4x100m –Kemba Nelson, Alana Reid, Jodean Williams, Remona Burchell, Mickaell Moodie, Natasha Morrison, Yanique Dayle
4x400m & Mixed Relay –Stacey Ann Williams, Charokee Young, Leah Anderson, Ashley Williams, Junelle Bromfield, Janieve Russell, Tovea Jenkins, Roniesha Mcgregor
Male 4x100m –Ryiem Forde, Nigel Ellis, Bryan Levell, Kadrian Goldson, Odaine Mcpherson, Ackeem Blake, Javorne Dunkley
4x400m & Mixed Relay –Malik James-King, Rusheen Mcdonald, Zandrion Barnes, Roshawn Clarke, Demish Gaye, Anthony Cox, Karyme Bartley, Assinie Wilson, Sean Bailey
Management Team –Dennis May (Team Leader), Trevor Campbell (Team Official), Jennifer Brown (Team Official), Maurice Wilson (Technical Director), Paul Francis (Coach), Reynaldo Walcott (Coach), Mark Elliott (Coach), Yanique Weekes (Doctor), Garfield Simmonds (Medical)
The St. Lucian Texas senior Alfred continued her stellar form this season with 10.72 (2.4m/s) to win the Women’s College 100m ahead of Texas Tech’s Rosemary Chukwuma (10.85) and Ole Miss’s McKenzie Long (10.92).
The Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist also ran a new personal best and St. Lucian national record 21.91 to win the 200m on Friday.
The Women’s Olympic Development section saw Jamaican Kiara Grant produce a personal best 10.99 for victory ahead of Adidas’ Celia Barnes (11.05) and Maia McCoy (11.08).
Jones, the Bahamian Texas Tech junior, produced a massive personal best and world leading 9.91 to win the Men’s College 100m.
Jones, 20, won comfortably ahead of Texas Tech teammate Courtney Lindsey (10.04) and Florida State’s Amir Willis (10.08).
Jones’ 9.91 equals Derrick Atkins’ Bahamian national record done to win 100m silver at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
The Men’s Olympic Development section was won by American 200m World Champion Noah Lyles in 9.95 ahead of Asics’s Joseph Fahnbulleh (9.98) and Adidas’ Kendal Williams (10.03).
Jamaican Sachin Dennis was fifth in 10.11 while the BVI’s Rikkoi Brathwaite and Trinidad & Tobago’s Eric Harrison ran 10.16 and 10.18, respectively, to finish sixth and seventh overall.
Moving to the one lap event, Trinidadian 2022 World Indoor 400m champion Jereem Richards and Jamaican Stacey-Ann Williams both produced personal bests to secure wins.
Adidas’ Richards, who also won 200m gold at the Commonwealth Games last year, produced an impressive 44.68 to win the Men’s Olympic Development 400m ahead of Alonzo Russell of the Bahamas, who also ran a personal best 44.73, and Adidas’ Noah Williams (45.22).
Elite Performance’s Williams, whose previous personal best was 50.14 done in 2021, ran 50.12 in just her second race of the season for the win ahead of Life Speed and Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams (50.77) and Adidas’ Brittany Brown (51.15).
The 2022 World Championships 100m finalist, who ran a wind-legal 9.95 at the Miramar Invitational on April 8, sped to a 9.94 clocking while shutting down over the last 15-metres to win the time trial.
Rohan Watson, whose previous best this season, was 10.32, shaved a massive 0.20s to be second overall after winning his section in 10.12.
Veteran sprinter Yohan Blake, the second-fastest man of all time, and who was second in Seville’s section in 10.15, was third overall.
The Women’s 100m provided a thrilling encounter between Olympic relay gold medallist Briana Williams, returning from a hamstring injury and Carifta U20 champion Alana Reid.
Williams exploded from the blocks and held a seemingly comfortable lead over Reid, who stormed back late to win in 11.16 over the 2018 World U20 champion, who ran a season-best 11.20.
Tia Clayton was third in 11.36.
The 200m races were no less entertaining as reigning world champion Shericka Jackson, in her first 200m of the season, cruised to victory in 22.25.
In her wake was Olympic 400m finalist Stephenie-Ann McPherson who ran 23.38 and Germany’s Tatiana Pinto, who was third in 23.74.
Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes was in a class of his own in the 200m, winning in a season-best 20.18.
Jazeel Murphy, who won Section six of seven, was second overall with a time of 20.76. Nigel Ellis finished second to Murphy, was third overall in 20.80.
Stacey-Ann Williams showed her class in the 400m winning in 51.43 while repelling the early challenge of Ashley Williams, who finished second in 52.11.
Shana Kaye Anderson was third overall in 54.27.
Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Kaliese Carter, who at 36, is making a comeback, ran a season-best 54.64 for fourth place.
In the field, Traves Smikle won the discus throw with 66.05m.
Kai Chang was second with his best throw of 62.78m.
Racquil Broderick threw 57.17m for third place.
In the high jump, Christoff Bryan cleared 2.20m for the win over Lushane Wilson 2.15m and Raymond Richards, who cleared 2.10m.
Reflecting on her journey, Williams shared, "This is my first individual Olympic team. I’ve been in fourth position for like three years. Last year I had an injury, so I’m happy and excited." Her perseverance and dedication have paid off, and she is now set to represent Jamaica on the grand stage of the Paris Olympics.
Williams clocked a season-best time of 50.56 seconds at the championships, inching closer to breaking the coveted 50-second barrier. She remains optimistic about her chances, stating, "I feel like it’s 100 percent possible. The aim was to make top three and, honestly, once it was top three that’s all that matters, for now." With her sights set on further improvement, Williams is determined to get even faster in time for Paris.
In addition to her individual ambitions, Williams is excited about Jamaica’s prospects in the 4x400m relay. She believes that the team, comprising herself, national champion Nickisha Pryce (50.01), and third-place finisher Junelle Bromfield (51.24), has a bright future ahead. "The future is very bright for the quarter-milers, finally. I am excited to be on the 4x400m with these ladies. It’s just exciting overall," she shared enthusiastically.
When asked about the possibility of winning medals in both her individual event and the relay, Williams responded, "I am, but I feel like for the 4x400m, we don’t know what colour yet. I think we will have to wait until Paris to know what colour it is." Her confidence in the relay team's potential is palpable, and she remains hopeful that they will be among the medals in Paris this summer.
