The Dominican Republic team of Lidio Andres Feliz, Fiordaliza Cofil, Alexander Ogando and 2022 world leader in the 400m, Marileidy Paulino, ran 3:12.22 to win the heat while the Jamaican quartet of Demish Gaye, Roniesha McGregor, Karayme Bartley and Tiffany James ran 3:13.95 for third. Ireland were second in 3:13.88.
The first heat was won by the USA in a world leading 3:11.75 ahead of the Netherlands (3:12.63) and Olympic champions Poland (3:13.70). Italy (3:13.89) and Nigeria (3:14.59) also advanced from heat one to complete the eight team field for the final scheduled for Friday night.
Jamaica’s quartet of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes and Tia Clayton produced a season’s best 42.29 fifth in the final at the Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Friday.
The American quartet of Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson combined to run 41.78 for gold ahead of Great Britain (Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt) who ran 41.85.
Germany ran 41.97 in third while France were fourth in 42.23.
The quartet of Ackeem Blake, 100m finalists Oblique Seville and Ryiem Forde and 100m semi-finalist Rohan Watson combined to run 37.76.
The USA’s dream team of Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes and Noah Lyles ran a world leading 37.38 for gold while Olympic champions, Italy, ran 37.62 for silver.
The 33-year-old American-born athlete, who won gold in the 3000m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia, ran a personal best 4:31.48 to finish fourth, bettering her previous best time of 4:32.86 done in Birmingham eight years ago.
Sinclair’s previous national record of 4:32.33 was set in 2005 in Gainesville.
Saturday’s race was won by Abigail Nichols in 4:29.12 ahead of Harvard’s Maia Ramsden (4:30.19) and Alli Cash (4:31.40).
In fact, it was a Caribbean 1-2 in the Women’s 60m Hurdles with Anderson running a personal best 7.91 to win ahead of Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas who ran 7.95 for second. Tonea Marshall of the USA was third in 7.99.
Former Calabar standout and Olympic 400m finalist Taylor ran 46.38 to win the Men’s 400m ahead of the USA’s Vernon Norwood in 46.45 and American 800m record holder Donovan Brazier in 46.55.
2020 Olympic 110m Hurdles bronze medallist Devon Allen won the Men’s 60m Hurdles, adding to his wins in the 2018 and 2019 Millrose Games, in a world-leading 7.53 ahead of Daniel Roberts who ran 7.56 for second while Shane Brathwaite from Barbados was third in 7.67.
Aleia Hobbs of the USA won the Women’s 60m with 7.11 ahead of teammate Mikiah Briscoe who ran 7.15. 16-year-old American Shawnti Jackson ran a US high-school record 7.18 for third while Jamaica’s Briana Williams was fourth in 7.22.
2019 100m World Champion Christian Coleman made a winning return to the track, after a 2-year suspension, with a time of 6.49 to win the Men’s 60m.
Trayvon Bromell finished second in 6.50 while Ronnie Baker was third in 6.54.
Jamaica’s former Olympic and World champion in the 110m Hurdles, Omar McLeod, was sixth in 6.70.
Jamaica’s Tovea Jenkins and Roniesha McGregor were third and fourth in the Women’s 400m in 54.14 and 54.24, respectively.
The event was won by Wadeline Jonathas of the USA in 52.51.
Jamaica’s Olympic 800m finalist Natoya Goule was second in the Women’s 800m 2:02.14 behind the USA’s Ajee Wilson who ran 2:01.38 for victory.
The team, who is in a rebuilding phase after dominating men’s track and field for almost a decade, finished in a three-way tie for fifth on the table with 20 points. Eight points are accumulated for first place and a point for eighth.
Hosts USA, thanks to standout performances from the likes of Noah Lyles, Michael Norman and Fred Kerley to name a few, absolutely dominated the Championships and finished at the top of the table with 118 points.
The rest of the top ten was rounded out by Kenya (46), Great Britain (28), Canada (24), Jamaica (20), Ethiopia (20), Uganda (20), Norway (17), Spain (17) and South Africa (12).
Jamaica’s only medal came in the 4x400m where the team of Akeem Bloomfield, Jevaughn Powell, Nathon Allen and Christopher Taylor ran 2:58.58 for silver behind the USA.
They also finished just outside the medals in the 4x100m where Akeem Blake, Oblique Seville, Yohan Blake and Jelani Walker combined to run 38.06 to finish behind Canada (37.48), USA (37.55) and Great Britain (37.83).
Individually, Seville had the best performance finishing fourth in the 100m in 9.97 behind the American trio of Fred Kerley (9.86), Marvin Bracy (9.88) and Trayvon Bromell (9.88).
Jamaica’s other two individual finalists to place in the top eight were Jaheel Hyde who finished sixth in the 400m Hurdles and Christopher Taylor who finished seventh in the 400m.
Ricketts produced a season’s best 14.89m to finish second behind Venezuelan world record holder Yulimar Rojas who produced a world leading 15.47 to win her third world title. Tori Franklin of the USA jumped 14.72m for bronze.
Ricketts, who had a slow start to the season because a knee injury that hampered her preparation, managed to get it together in time to produce her best performance when it mattered most.
She produced jumps of 14.89m, 14.86m, 14.37m, 14.40m, 14.62m and 14.80m for one of her best series of her career.
On the track, Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards advanced to the semi-finals of the 200m after running 20.35 to win heat 2. Richards won bronze at the 2017 London World Championships and won 400m gold at the World Indoor Championships earlier this season.
Mixed Relay gold medallist for the Dominican Republic Alexander Ogando was one of the most impressive qualifiers to the semis, easing down to a national record-equalling 20.01 to win heat 4.
100m semi-finalist and 2011 world champion Yohan Blake ran 20.35 to finish fourth in heat 5 and advance as one of the non-automatic qualifiers.
Finally, Rasheed Dwyer ran a season’s best 20.29 to finish second in the seventh and final heat to progress to the next round.
For the women, the usual suspects all booked their spots in the semi-finals.
Shericka Jackson, who became the third fastest woman in history with a personal best 21.55 to win at the Jamaican Championships in June, was impressive to easily win heat 1 in 22.33.
Heat 2 saw 100m bronze medallist and double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah cruise to 22.41 to finish second behind Namibia’s Beatrice Maslingi (22.27). Antigua’s Joella Lloyd ran 22.99 to finish fourth and advance as a fastest loser.
100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was also in cruise control in heat 3 running 22.26 for second behind Niger’s Aminatou Seyni who ran a national record 21.98.
Bahamian Tynia Gaither rebounded from the disappointment of being disqualified from her 100m semi-final on Sunday to finish third in heat 4 in 22.61 to advance.
Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich made the announcement this afternoon saying that the programmes to be discontinued include indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Radakovich said the university will honour the contracts of the coaches through to their full term, which means that the coaches will be paid up until June 2021.
Clemson Athletics will also honour the scholarships of all impacted student-athletes through their undergraduate years at the level of financial aid that they are presently receiving, the statement said.
The NCAA-maximum number of allowable scholarships for men’s track is 12. Clemson’s 12 scholarships are presently split among 26 student-athletes, 15 of whom are scheduled to graduate by August 2021.
Clemson also supports an additional 25 walk-on student-athletes in the program.
“This difficult decision is a result of an exhaustive examination of our athletics department over the past several months,” said Radakovich. “After careful analysis, we concluded that discontinuing our men’s track and field program is in the best long-term interest of Clemson Athletics. This decision impacts incredible student-athletes, and we know how hard they work and the effort and pride they take in representing Clemson University.”
Head Coach Mark Elliott’s phone went unanswered when Sportsmax.TV called today. He took the Clemson head coaching position in 2013 after spending 12 years as an assistant coach at Louisiana State University.
Notably, Jamaican Olympian and 800m national record holder, Natoya Goule, who won an NCAA title under Elliott’s watch, followed him to Clemson that year.
Assistant Coach Lennox Graham (hurdles and long sprints) joined the coaching staff in 2017 after spending a decade at Johnson C Smith University where he enjoyed tremendous success guiding 27 athletes to NCAA Division II championships titles, both indoors and outdoors.
In a brief comment to Sportsmax.TV, he said he just heard the news prior to being called and that he was still processing it.
Graham’s professional club, TRS, currently trains at Clemson. Danielle Williams, the 2015 World 100m champion, Kyron McMaster, the Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion and World Championship 400m hurdles finalist Leah Nugent are all members of the club.
Men’s track and field has been sponsored at Clemson since 1953, claiming 23 combined ACC Team Championships, 16 individual NCAA champions, 22 Olympians and four Olympic Gold Medalists.
In a keenly contested semi-final heat, the USA team of Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brendon Barnes and JT Smith, just managed to hold off the Jamaican quartet of Ackeem Blake, Oblique Seville, Ryeim Forde and Rohan Watson to win in a what was briefly a world-leading time 37.67.
It was a blanket finish that saw the Jamaicans close behind in 37.68 and the Japanese foursome of Ryuichiro Sakai, Hiroki Yanagita, Yuki Koike and Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, who were third in 37.71.
That world-leading time by the USA lasted mere minutes as Italy’s team of Roberto Rigali, Lamont Jacobs, Lorenzo Patta and Fillippo Tortu stormed to victory in the second heat in 37.65. South Africa’s team of Shaun Maswangnayi, Benjamin Richardson, Clarence Munyai, and Akani Simbine close behind in 37.72.
Great Britain was third in 38.01.
Brazil who ran 38.19 and France 37.98 are also through to the final.
The 2011 World and 2012 Olympic Champion's winning time was 44.30, .14 ahead of American World Championship bronze medallist Quincy Hall in second. Another American, Vernon Norwood, ran 44.61 for third. Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald was fifth in 45.10.
This was the fourth Diamond League title for the 31-year-old who also previously won in 2011, 2015 and 2022.
Alfred, who ran 10.90 to win her semi-final on Thursday, sped to 11.02 to finish ahead of Jamaican Oregon senior Kemba Nelson who ran the same time, and Kentucky’s Abby Steiner (11.08).
Jamaican record holder Lamara Distin of Texas A&M produced a clearance of 1.95m to win the high jump over Abigail Kwarteng of Middle Tennessee State (1.94m) and South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn (1.86m).
Jamaican Texas A&M Sophomore and former Hydel standout Charokee Young ran 50.65 for second in the 400m behind Florida’s Talitha Diggs who ran a personal best 49.99 for victory. Texas’ Kennedy Simon was third in 50.69.
Alfred, the St. Lucian national record holder in the event, won her semi-final in 10.90 to be the joint-fastest qualifier to the final. Nelson also dipped below 11 seconds, running 10.97 to win her semi-final.
Jamaica’s Davis finished third in her semi-final with a time of 11.11 to advance while the Antiguan Lloyd finished second in her semi with 11.08. Davis and Lloyd also advanced in the 200m with times of 22.38 and 22.66, respectively.
The Jamaican pair of Stacey Ann Williams of Texas and Charokee Young of Texas A&M will both be in the 400m final. Williams ran 50.18 to finish second in her semi-final while Young won hers in a time of 50.46.
Texas Tech’s Jamaican junior Demisha Roswell ran 12.93 to finish second in her semi-final of the 100m hurdles and progress.
Texas senior and Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Tyra Gittens jumped 6.57m for third in the long jump behind Florida’s Jasmine Moore (6.72m) and Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah (6.60m).
In the race run with a trailing wind of 2.5m/s above the legal limit of 2.0m/s, Nelson was a class above the field defeating Kaelin Roberts of USC who clocked 22.99 and Kyra Constantine, who finished in 23.25.
Nelson, whose personal best over the 200 is 23.57 set in Kingston in June 2019. Under the conditions on Saturday, she would have likely lowered her personal best by more than 0.5.
Saturday’s run, taken together with her impressive win over 60m at the NCAA Nationals on March 13, when she ran 7.05, the second-fastest time in the world this year, makes Nelson’s progress this season impressive, considering she only joined Oregon in October 2020, less than six months ago.
She credits her coach and teammates for much of that progress.
“The environment mostly,” she told Sportsmax.TV after claiming her first indoor title, “the coaches and my training group helped me a lot to get back in shape because got there a few weeks late.”
“Everything must be done to assist Kemoy,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange.
The Olympian reported on social media that he underwent surgery on the weekend to replace an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in his chest after passing out while driving. He said the new device would also function as a pacemaker.
Minister Grange said she was “relieved that Kemoy was not hurt when he passed out while driving and that the surgery was a success.”
She thanked all those who have been attending to the athlete and said the Ministry “stands ready to assist him.”
Minister Grange said Campbell was covered under the Jamaica Athletes Insurance Plan — which provides health, life and personal accident coverage — and he is entitled to use it to deal with medical expenses.
Under the Group Health component of the Plan, Campbell can get 80 per cent coverage for hospital fees. Minister Grange said the Ministry would assist him with the balance if required.
“We continue to pray for Kemoy’s recovery and will do what is necessary to assist him at this time,” Minister Grange said.
Had it not been for an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) implanted in his chest last February after his collapse in New York, this story might have been about a tragedy.
Campbell, who has since retired from distance running, posted in his Instagram account on Thursday that he was driving when he began to pass out. Luckily, the ICD that was implanted in his chest, shocked his heart back into a normal rhythm.
He said that he was then able to pull over and call the emergency services.
He has since undergone tests including X-rays and Echo scans and an MRI as doctors try to determine a course of treatment for the Olympian.
On Saturday, February 9, 2019, Campbell collapsed after stepping off the track while running as the pacemaker in the men's 3,000 metres.
He fell unconscious and emergency responders worked for several minutes to revive him before transporting him to the Intensive Care Unit at the nearby New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Hospital where he spent the next three weeks undergoing tests.
However, doctors were unable to determine what made him collapse and eventually pass out.
Campbell would eventually announce his retirement in September on the advice of his doctors.
Campbell, who retired from track and field last September, seven months after collapsing at the Millrose Games in New York, was fitted with a new ICD. However, the new one will act as a pacemaker.
“This is because, in order to give me medication for arrhythmias, my heart rate needs to beat faster. They are hoping this will help prevent any further incident,” Campbell posted on Instagram below a picture of him in a hospital bed.
Campbell was driving on Tuesday when he began to pass out. Fortunately, his ICD provided an electrical shock that got his heart beating again allowing him to pull over and call emergency services.
However, he is not out of the woods just yet, as he says he needs help in covering the expenses related to his surgery and medical care.
“Unfortunately, I am going to need everyone’s help again as the medical expenses will be high once again. If there is anything you can give it would really mean a lot,” said the Jamaican Olympian.
“Thank you for all the support I have received and all of the generosity. It really means a lot.”
You can donate to Kemoy’s cause at www.gofundme/f/67e5h-kemoy-campbell-support-fund
Based on how well she has been training, “there is no reason why I shouldn’t break 11 seconds,” she said.
The 20-year-old Grant, a junior at Norfolk State University, ran 11.29 for second place in the 100m and 23.25 to win the 200m at the Gamecock Invitational at Gregger Park on Saturday.
“This was my opener. I could have been better but they’re okay times for an opener,” she said, “so I know what I need to fix in practice. It’s to see how I can lower my times before regionals asap.”
She has about two weeks to those regionals and she believes that is more than enough time to get the required work in. “I have two meets to get those times down. I am a lot stronger and I have been putting the background work, so with the right competition I can get my times down,” she said confidently.
Grant, who has a personal best of 11.04, said she was expecting to run 11.1 or 11.0x on Saturday and around 22.9, said running her intent to go faster is not just for regionals but for the much bigger event this summer.
“That’s the biggest goal right now. I am up for the Olympics. It doesn’t get better than that. That’s why I am working on getting my times down,” she said.
“Sha’ Carri Richardson ran 10.7, we have to do something over these next two weeks. We have to apply some kind of pressure,” she declared.
Also among those delivering outstanding performances was Trishauna Hemmings of Clemson University and Owayne Owens of the University of Virginia.
The 20-year-old junior, who boasts a personal best of 7.20s over 60m, raced to a facility record 7.35 while winning the final at the Gamecock Opener in South Carolina on Saturday.
The former Jamaica national 100m junior record holder, beat back the challenge of Melissa Jefferson of South Carolina (7.49) and Mia D’Ambrosio of North Carolina State (7.70).
Meanwhile, Nugent, who holds the 100m hurdles World U18 record, got her collegiate career off to a winning start when she took gold in the 60m hurdles in 8.22s at the Corky Classic in Texas. Her teammate Kennedy Bailey was second in 8.33 while her compatriot Gabrielle McDonald, a senior at Texas Tech was third in 8.52.
At the Clemson Invitational, Hemmings, a senior at Clemson, ran a personal best 8.18 seconds to win her heat in the 60mh. However, she did not start in the finals.
Owens, who attends the University of Virginia, set a personal best 16.35m while winning the triple jump, at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Texas A&M’s Distin, who has yet to lose indoors this season, jumped 1.97m to win ahead of teammate Bara Sajdokova who produced 1.87m while Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko jumped 1.84m for third.
Distin’s mark equals her own outdoor national record which she did on her way to winning gold at the NCAA Championships.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist has now achieved winning clearances this season of 1.90m at the Razorback Classic on January 27, 1.94m at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic on February 3 and 1.97m on Saturday.
Elsewhere, 2019 World Championships shot put silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.74m to comfortably win the event ahead of Hannah Hall who threw 16.71m and Ana da Silva who threw 16.60m for third.
Jamaicans also occupied the top two spots in the Men’s triple jump as Virginia’s Owayne Owens produced 16.59m for victory ahead of Kentucky’s Luke Brown who produced 16.43m. Ohio State’s Clarence Foote-Talley was third with 15.88m.
The reigning NCAA Champion won ahead of teammate Bara Sajdokova who recorded a new personal best clearance of 1.83m while Arkansas’ Sydney Billington cleared the same height for third.
Jamaican 400m hurdler Jaheel Hyde opened his 2023 season with a second-place finish in the 200m.
Hyde ran 21.40 to win section one of the Men’s open 200m ahead of Americans Grant Williams (21.86) and Ian Braxton (22.88). American 2019 100m World Champion Christian Coleman was the overall winner with a 20.64 effort to win section two ahead of fellow Americans Will London (21.45) and Khallifah Rosser (21.70).
The 25-year-old Hyde is looking to replicate an excellent 2022 season which saw him win 400m hurdles silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Hyde also got to the final of the event at the World Championships in Eugene, finishing sixth in a personal best 48.03.
Elsewhere, Jamaican Arkansas senior Carey McLeod jumped 8.09m for second in the long jump behind Florida State junior Jeremiah Davis’s personal best and meet record 8.21m. LSU senior Brandon Hicklin was third with 7.97m.
