On Thursday, Cuba secured two medals in the women’s 100m Hurdles as Greisys Acevedo took gold in 13.07 and her countrywoman, Kelly Ibanez won bronze in 13.33.
The Dominica Republic’s Fiordaliza Cofil was the star of the day with medals in both the Women’s 200m and 400m.
She won bronze in the 200m in 23.46 then returned to take gold in the 400m in 52.10.
Shalysa Wray of The Cayman Islands was fifth in the 400m in 53.47.
Ariliannis Vargas of Cuba took silver in the Women’s 400m Hurdles in 57.20.
The Caribbean also secured two medals in the Women’s Heptathlon as Marys Cabrera of Cuba took gold with 5663 points ahead of Grenada’s Janair Thomas who took home silver with 5484 points.
Marysabel Senyu of the Dominican Republic won silver in the Women’s High Jump with 1.81 metres.
In the Men’s 400m Leonardo Padilla of Cuba came second in 45.79, behind Luis Ferreiro of Mexico took gold in 45.59. Gamali Felix of Grenada and Michael Joseph of St. Lucia were fifth and sixth in 46.54 and 46.57 respectively.
Yoao Puentes of Cuba won gold in the Men’s 400m Hurdles with 50.91.
In the field, Ronald Zayas of Cuba was second in the Men’s Hammer Throw with 67.23.
On Friday, Juan Villalobos of Costa Rica won gold in the Men’s 1500m in 3:44.10.
Hector Pagan of Puerto Rico secured gold in the Men’s 10,000m in 30:20.48
The Caribbean also took another medal in the Men’s High Jump as Bahamian Kyle Alcine took bronze behind Erick Rodriguez of Mexico who took gold with 2.21 metres.
Rosa Santana of the Dominican Republic won the Women’s Shot Put with a 17.45 metres effort.
Her Caribbean compatriots Laysaelis Hernandez of Cuba, Kelsie Ross of Grenada and Treneese Hamilton of Dominica were fourth, fifth and sixth.
Yiselena Rojas of Cuba secured silver in the Women’s Javelin in 57.14.
Cuba secured another gold medal as Leyanis Hernandez won gold in the Women’s Triple Jump with 14.39 metres.
Chantoba Bright of Guyana finished second with a jump of 13.50 metres.
The 23-year-old, who switched allegiance from Cuba to Spain in November 2022, produced a championship record and world-leading 18.18m to take gold ahead of Portugal’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo and France’s Thomas Gogois.
Diaz Fortun led the competition after the first round with a 17.56m jump before Pichardo, who also switched allegiance from Cuba in 2017, produced the world’s first 18m jump since 2021 with 18.04m to take the lead in the second round.
The Spaniard’s next two efforts were 17.82m in the second round and 17.96m in the fourth round after a third-round foul, finding himself just short of Pichardo’s mark heading into round five.
In that fifth round, he produced what is now the third-longest triple jump of all time with a breathtaking 18.18m, only trailing Christian Taylor’s 18.21m and Jonathan Edwards’s world record 18.29m.
Diaz Fortun’s jump also established a new European Championship record, eclipsing Edwards’s 17.99m set back in 1998.
Pichardo’s next three best jumps after his monstrous 18.04m in round two were 17.55m in round three, 17.47m in round five and 17.92m in round six.
Gogois produced a personal best 17.38m in the sixth round to secure the bronze medal.
In a race where the first six athletes ran personal bests, Thomas, the 2018 World U20 110m hurdles champion, now a senior at LSU, took the win in a close finish over Iowa’s Jamal Britt, who was timed in 7.52.
Trey Cunningham of Florida State claimed the bronze in 7.53, just 0.02 seconds separating the three medalists. Former Jamaica College athlete Phillip Lemonius, who is now a sophomore at Arkansas, just missed out on a medal clocking 7.54 for fourth.
In the men’s triple jump, University of Tennessee’s Carey McLeod was upset by Oregon’s Emmanuel Ihemeje, who produced a new personal best and collegiate-leading 17.27m for the win.
McLeod, the former Kingston College star only managed 16.93m for third. Going into the competition, McLeod held the collegiate-best mark of 17.17m set at the SEC Championships two weeks ago.
The silver medal was won by TCU’s Chengetayi Mapaya, who got a personal best 16.95m.
Later today, four Caribbean women – Joella Lloyd, Kemba Nelson, Kiara Grant and Halle Hazzard – will contest the women’s 60m final while Charokee Young of Texas A&M will go in the 400m finals.
The talented 18-year-old, the world leader with his mark of 17.87m was among the favourites to win the triple jump at the championships. He appeared to have suffered an injury on his first approach. As he leapt off the board, he aborted his attempt while clutching the back of his right leg.
Officially, he will take no further part in the competition.
In recognition of her historic accomplishments, Dominica’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth, Culture, Sports, and Community, Oscar George, has announced a series of celebratory events set to take place from August 24 to September 4, 2024, to honour Thea and her fellow Olympians Dennick Luke, Warren Lawrence, and Jasmine Scofield, who also represented the nation in Paris.
The celebrations will kick off on Saturday, August 24, with Thea’s arrival at Douglas Charles Airport at 2 pm. A welcome ceremony will be held at the VIP Lounge, where government officials, dignitaries, and family members will gather to greet the Olympic champion. This event will set the tone for the days of festivities to follow, as the island nation comes together to honour their national hero.
On Sunday, August 25, the festivities continue with a motorcade starting at 1:30 pm in Portsmouth, traveling along the scenic west coast to Rousseau. This event will offer the public a chance to show their appreciation for Thea as she makes her way to the capital city. The day will culminate in a grand celebration ceremony and concert at Windsor Park Stadium in Forecourt at 4 pm, featuring speeches from government and sports officials, as well as musical performances. The public is warmly invited to attend and participate in the celebration of Thea’s historic achievement.
Thea’s week of honour will also include a courtesy call to the Honourable Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt on Tuesday, August 27. An official cocktail reception in her honour is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, August 28 at the State House Conference Centre.
Throughout her stay in Dominica, Thea will visit various primary and secondary schools, as well as the Dominica State College, where she will engage with students and inspire the next generation of athletes and leaders. Her presence and words of encouragement are expected to leave a lasting impact on the youth of Dominica, motivating them to pursue their dreams with the same determination and dedication that led Thea to Olympic gold.
Minister George expressed the nation’s pride and joy in Thea’s achievements, stating, "The government and people of Dominica look forward to celebrating Thea’s remarkable success at the Paris Olympics, an achievement that has brought immense pride and joy to our nation."
As the island prepares to welcome Thea LaFond Gadson home, the celebrations promise to be a fitting tribute to an athlete who has not only made history but has also united a nation in pride and admiration.
The year 2022 was a massive one for the 29-year-old LaFond, who won gold at the NACAC Championships in The Bahamas and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham, England. She was also fifth in the finals at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. However, with that success she has no intention of resting on her laurels as the 2023 season continues to unfold.
"Last season's medals were truly an amazing experience," she told Sportsmax.TV. "To build on last year's success, I have gotten stronger and faster, and I'm eager to see how that translates through the season."
LaFond has set her sights on achieving a jump of 15m or more this year.
"15m plus is definitely one of the major goals for championships and beyond," she said. "This season, we are really focused on upping the energy and working on timing up the phases a bit better for even bigger and active contacts in the jumps."
Despite fierce competition from the imperious Venezuelan triple jumper, three-time world champion Yulimar Rojas, the current world record holder, who has dominated the event in recent years, LaFond maintains a positive mindset.
"I think that my mentality is that I am always battling it out for three medals. Always," said LaFond. "Rojas is very good, there is no denying that, but anything can happen at any meet. Coming into a competition with anything less of that mentality is setting yourself up for failure. I'm bringing my best and trying to win."
Despite the hard work put in during the off season, her indoor season-opener of 14.08m at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico was less than impressive but being a quick study, she made the necessary adjustments and did much better shortly thereafter popping a 14.60m jump. She cited approach issues for the relatively poor opener.
"One of the major takeaways was to be patient in my drive phase and to bring my knee higher so I'm not getting over-rotated in my second phase," said LaFond who is set to compete next in May at a meet in Savona, Italy.
She acknowledges the impact her recent success has had on the youth of Dominica and is grateful for their support.
“The Commonwealth and NACAC medals were received with such joy in Dominica. I think that as an athlete that lives and trains abroad, I’m really only privy to what people say online,” she said.
“I was grateful for the online posts of love and support that followed those medals. However, when I finally got to go home the love was overflowing. I really had no clue how much I impacted the youth of Dominica and how much I was seen as an inspiration. I am so grateful to have the support of my people and it is always an honor to represent my nation.”
LaFond is also focused on the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with her coach Aaron Gadson. "My plans for Budapest are to go and compete with all my heart. The goal is a medal and 15m. It's time for Dominica to have a woman World medalist, and I'm ready to do the work to get there," she said.
LaFond, who was fifth at the World Championships in Budapest with a personal best 14.90m, was one of only three athletes to jump further than 14m throughout the competition, with her best jump of 14.25m coming in the first round.
Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea produced 14.41m in the second round to take silver while her countrywoman and World Championships bronze medallist Leyanis Perez produced 14.75m in the third round to take gold.
The connection between these two neighboring nations, Dominica and St. Lucia, goes beyond geographical proximity, as they share cultural similarities that run deep. The impact of Julien Alfred's gold medal win in the 60m dash the previous night reverberated strongly for LaFond, eliciting emotional tears of joy.
"So Julien is from St Lucia, she is a neighboring country, Dominica. We share a lot of similarities cultural-wise, and I would be lying to you if I said I didn't cry last night (Saturday) when I saw her gold," LaFond expressed, reflecting on the profound connection that binds these two island nations.
Fuelled by the desire to replicate the success of her compatriot, LaFond reached out to her husband, Aaron, expressing her yearning for victory. His reassuring words became the catalyst for her exceptional performance, as she recalled, "I messaged Aaron, and I told him that I so desperately want this, I don't want to disappoint, and his words back to me were like, 'It's OK, it's your turn.'"
As LaFond stepped onto the track after the introductions, a powerful motivation fueled her. She envisioned a "1-2 punch for the Lesser Antilles islands," with Julien Alfred being the first punch the night before. Determined and inspired, she declared, "Let's do it. Let's do it."
The resonance of Julien Alfred's achievement echoed in LaFond's heart, transforming the competition into a celebration of the prowess of small Caribbean nations. "But it was amazing inspiration last night and filled me with such pride. And once again, these small countries doing such amazing things. And I knew St. Lucia was going to be so proud, and I wanted that same feeling for Dominica," LaFond shared.
Expressing her gratitude and congratulations to Julien Alfred, LaFond celebrated the shared success of their neighboring islands. "So, a huge thank you and congratulations to Julien Alfred for the inspiration late last night and of course that gold medal. Twinsies!" she exclaimed, celebrating the unique bond and collective triumph of the Caribbean athletes on the global stage.
Her achievements at the Jamaica National Championships, including winning the long jump with 6.53m and placing second in the triple jump with 14.44m, further demonstrated her ability to bounce back. Although short of the Olympic standards of 6.86m and 14.55m, Smith’s season-best performances of 6.79m (with an indoor jump of 6.85m) and 14.52m at the NCAA Championships, have earned her rankings of 21st in the long jump and 23rd in the triple jump, respectively. This means the University of Texas graduate, who recently signed a professional contract with Puma, is on track to compete in Paris.
In March, Smith faced a significant hurdle when she suffered a hamstring injury, with doctors predicting a six to eight-week recovery. Defying expectations, she returned in early May to win both the long and triple jumps at the Texas Invitational with wind-aided marks of 7.10m and 13.51m. “That injury that I had was a hamstring tear. That has definitely healed. Being in explosive events, I try to stay as technical as I can. I am not perfect but I try to be as close to it as possible and make sure I work on my recovery, and always do my treatments. You have got to take care of your body so you can come back and do that every day,” she said.
However, injury has not been her only challenge. At the Budapest World Championships in 2023, a massive leap deemed a foul prevented her from advancing to the final. Reflecting on the setback, Smith shared, “It was a big jump; it was very frustrating because as a young athlete this is your time and going in with the world lead, I really wanted to make the final. But sometimes what you plan is not what you get but it was a lesson and I have learned from it. I kind of left it late and now I know that if I am going to do it I have got to get it out of the way early.”
Balancing a rigorous training schedule with the demands of a competitive season, Smith is preparing for the challenges ahead. Drawing on her experiences from two World Championships, she and her coach have fine-tuned their training to peak at the right time. “You know, I’ve already been to two World Championships and those were later on in August after having a whole NCAA season. I use those as experience, me and my coach, and we say ‘Okay, we need to adjust training, we need to address everything else around it and the goal itself is the Olympics,’” Smith explained. “Even though we have the nationals, the NCAAs, and all that, I think my coach was like, ‘You’ve got to be ready for the Olympics.’”
As she prepares for the biggest event of her life, Smith plans to participate in more competitions to fine-tune her skills and honour her country. Her journey is not only about personal success but also about inspiring the next generation of athletes. “It’s really great but I think even better it is for the young athletes coming up because they think they have to choose one,” Smith emphasized. “Making it in both shows that you don’t have to; once you qualify you can just perform, and you can do good and you can make it in both.”
Williams, who hails from Punta Gorda, has been given the opportunity to further his education and athletic training in Jamaica, a country renowned for its track and field success.
This offer marks a significant milestone for the youngster, who expressed his surprise and optimism about the future upon his return to Belize from the games.
“The offer came out of the blue despite my performance at the Games,” Williams shared with Belizean reporters.
At the Games, Williams jumped 5.37m to finish 17th in the Under-17 Boys long jump and 11.36m to finish 13th in the triple jump.
Williams, who is set to start his new journey in September, also aspires to become a pilot.
Belize celebrated success at the CARIFTA Games through Demetrie Meyers’ in the 3,000 meters and Brooklyn Lyttle in the Under-17 girls’ long jump.
Meyers secured gold to add to his 1500m and 3000m gold medals from Nassau last year while Lyttle took bronze.
Fraser-Pryce ran her second sub 10.7 clocking this season, equalling her own world-leading 10.67 for victory ahead of Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (10.99) and Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou (11.01).
The eight-time Olympic and nine-time World Championship medallist previously ran 10.67 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya on May 7.
Bahamian Olympic 400m Champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo both also showed good form to secure 400m victories.
Gardiner, who is also the defending World Champion, produced a typically easy display of running to win in a season’s best 44.21, ahead of the Dominican Republic’s Lidio Andres Feliz (44.92) and South Africa’s Zakhiti Nene (44.99).
Miller-Uibo, on the other hand, went out extremely hard in the first three quarters of her race before shutting down with about 50 metres to go, to win in 50.10 ahead of Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek (50.24) and Anna Kielbasinska (50.28).
Bahamian Devynne Charlton ran a season’s best 12.63 to finish second in the 100m hurdles behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan who did a personal best and African record 12.41 for victory. Great Britain’s Cindy Sember ran 12.73 for third.
Cuba’s Jordan Diaz Fortun (17.66m) and Andy Diaz (17.65) were the top two finishers in the triple jump ahead of Olympic Champion Pedro Pichardo of Portugal (17.49m).
The Bahamian produced a world-leading 31.78 to win the men’s 300m ahead of American Matthew Boling (32.58) and British World Championship silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith (33.82).
The 28-year-old's time was also the second fastest ever indoors, only trailing his 31.56 done at the same venue in 2022.
Gardiner, who also took gold at the World Championships in Doha in 2019, was on his way to another undefeated season in the 400m before pulling up with an injury in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Budapest last August.
In the women’s equivalent in South Carolina, Jamaican Charokee Young ran 37.38 for second behind American Quanera Hayes who won in an excellent 36.36. Tierra Robinson-Jones was third in 38.44.
Two-time Jamaican national 200m champion Andrew Hudson ran 6.74 to take top spot in the men’s 60m ahead of Miles Stephens (6.89) and Doniven Jackson (6.92).
In the field, Guyanese Limestone College senior Lloyd McCurdy jumped 14.50m to win the men’s triple jump ahead of Wingate’s Dequan Thompson (14.44m) and Limestone’s Trevon Jenkins (14.18m).
Guyana's Lloyd McCurdy and Jamaican Sadiki Marsh were among the winners on the men’s side.
The 23-year-old McCurdy, competing unattached, jumped a personal best 16.04m to take the win ahead of Jamaicans Shemar Miller, who did 15.27m, and Rajaun Ricketts who did 14.99m. Both Miller and Ricketts attend Benedict College.
Marsh, also a student at Benedict College, won the 800m in 1:55.86 ahead of the Wingate University pair of Ben Aris (1:57.53) and Jakob Rettschlag (1:57.80).
Trinidadian Limestone College senior Che’ Lara ran a personal best 47.68 for second in the 400m behind South Carolina’s William Spencer Jr who ran 47.38 for the win. South Carolina’s Edward Richardson was third in 48.37 while Jamaican St. Augustine’s sophomore Sean Kalawan was fifth 48.96.
Lara’s Limestone College teammate, Grenadian Kurt Modeste, ran 21.33 for third in the 200m behind South Carolina’s Evan Miller (20.95) and Lenoir-Rhyne’s Trent Davis (21.23).
On the women’s side, Haiti’s Mulern Jean sped to 8.27 to win the 60m hurdles. Barbados’ Tia-Adana Belle was second in 8.40 while Jamaican Charleston Southern senior Chaneal Harris was third in 8.55.
Belle also enjoyed a top-three finish in the 200m, finishing third in 24.38 behind 17-year-old American sensation Shawnti Jackson (22.91) and Charleston Southern’s Lauryn James (24.16).
Dominica’s Mariah Toussaint was also a winner on the day, jumping 6.20m to comfortably win the long jump ahead of the University of West Georgia’s Pashience Collier (5.71m) and William Carey’s Zaniyah Wilson (5.68m).
The 18-year-old NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and record holder opened his qualifying series with a 16.99 effort before booking his spot in the final with a massive 17.70m in the second round.
That distance is the fourth furthest jump in the world this year and the second furthest of his career, trailing only his world leading and world junior record 17.87m done at the SEC Outdoor Championships in May.
Hibbert will enter Monday's final as one of the big favorites for gold, especially after the withdrawal of Olympic champion, Pedro Pablo Pichardo, on the eve of the championships.
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.
The former University of Arkansas star and current NCAA Indoor, Outdoor and World junior record holder produced a best jump of 17.61m to finish just outside of the medals in Paris at the Stade de France on Friday.
Illustrating how close Hibbert was to a medal, Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez took bronze with 17.64m.
After qualifying sixth overall on Thursday, Hibbert opened Friday’s final with a 17.31m jump before going out to 17.61m in the second round.
He then jumped 17.53m in round three before fouls in rounds four and five and then passing on his sixth and final attempt.
“It was a good experience. Firstly, I have to thank God for what he has done,” Hibbert told Jamaican media after his final.
The former Kingston College standout competed in both qualifying and the final with a brace on his left knee, signaling that he was not 100% going into these championships.
“I almost boycotted the Olympics and I’m here standing on fourth place. I don’t know how many 19-year-olds can say they came fourth at the Olympics,” he said.
Hibbert said he felt even more pain during one of his attempts, at which point he decided to just prioritize the future rather than potentially doing even more damage.
“I got a hard fall on one of the jumps and I felt something so I kind of stopped competing right there,” he said.
“My coach was trying to convince me to go back but I told him ‘coach, I’m 19 and have a lot more years to come so I don’t want to risk injury,’” he added.
As for what’s next for Hibbert, he says his focus right now is rest and recovery.
“For now, I’m grateful for the fourth-place finish and it’s just road to recovery after this. I’m going to rest and re-evaluate a lot of stuff. I’ll be good,” he said.
The 18-year-old Hibbert was easily the star of the day. The 2022 World Junior Champion produced an incredible personal best of 17.87m to take the Men’s triple jump crown ahead of Arkansas teammate Ryan Brown (16.43m) and Alabama's Christian Edwards (16.22m).
Hibbert opened the competition with a 17.02m effort before throwing down the biggest jump of his career so far in the second round. As he has done for most of the season to preserve his legs, he passed on his next four attempts.
Hibbert’s mark is also a new collegiate record, world lead and world junior record and puts him in a three-way tie for 13th on the all-time list.
Earlier in the day, Stona, also of Arkansas, produced a personal best 68.64m, the second furthest throw in collegiate history, to win the Men’s discus ahead of teammate and countryman Ralford Mullings (62.00) and Alabama’s Alan de Falchi (61.82m).
Distin continued her unbeaten run in the high jump this season with a 1.91m clearance to win ahead of Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko (1.88m) and Tennessee’s Cheyla Scott (1.85m).
On the track, Arkansas’s Ackera Nugent ran a personal best 12.43 for second in the Women’s 100m hurdles behind LSU’s Alia Armstrong’s 12.40. Kentucky’s Masai Russell was third in 12.47.
Another Jamaican Arkansas athlete, Phillip Lemonious, was second in the Men’s 110m hurdles in 13.63 behind Tennessee’s Devon Brooks (13.53). Another Tennessee athlete, Cayman’s Rasheem Brown, was third in 13.64.
The 18-year-old Jamaican demolished the World U20 record as well as the collegiate outdoor record in the triple jump this past weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championships when he produced a wind-legal 17.87m on his second attempt.
That added nearly one foot to the previous collegiate record of 17.57m, set by Keith Connor of SMU back in 1982.
Hibbert is now the holder of both the indoor and outdoor collegiate triple jump records. He shattered the collegiate indoor record in a winning effort at the NCAA Indoor Championships back in March when he jumped 17.54m.
The 19-year-old, in his first Olympic Games, produced a best jump of 16.99m to advance sixth overall in qualifying at the Stade de France on Wednesday.
That 16.99m came in his first-round jump. He then did 16.95m in round two before closing out his qualifying campaign with a foul in the third round.
The other Jamaican in the field, Jordan Scott, had a best jump of 16.36m to finish 24th overall in qualifying.
Medal contenders Pedro Pichardo, Jordan Diaz Fortuin and Hugues Fabrice Zango all successfully made it through to Friday’s final.
Hibbert opened his competition with 16.45m in the first round before going out to 17.14m in the second round, giving the National Stadium crowd a sign of things to come.
The third round saw him produce a then-meet record of 17.30m before, in round four, he produced a stadium record and world leading 17.75m to secure the victory.
O’Brien Wasome produced 16.64m for second while Jordan Scott was third with 16.06m.
“I was satisfied with the third and fourth jump of the series,” Hibbert said after the competition.
