Shanieka Ricketts and Kimberly Williams advanced to the finals of the Women’s Triple Jump during the evening session of the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Wednesday. However, Jamaica’s third entrant Ackelia Smith fell short of the qualification standard and did not make it into the final.

Meanwhile, Dominica’s Thea LaFond also advanced with a record-setting performance as well as three-time world champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela.

Ricketts, the two-time World Championships silver medalist produced a season’s best effort of 14.67m, which is the best mark heading into the finals. LaFond was not far behind with her mark of 14.62, a new national record. Williams, who has been struggling for form this season, also produced a season’s best 14.30m to make it into the finals.

Rojas, who is going for her fourth title, just did enough to qualify. The world record holder bounded to a mark of 14.59m with medal contender Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk also through with her qualifying effort of 14.55m.

The in-form Leyanis Perez Fernandez of Cuba, whose mark of 14.98m is the second best in the world this year, soared out to 14.50m to book her spot. Jasmine Moore (14.13m) and Tori Franklin (14.13m) are also through.

Ackelia Smith’s best jump of 13.95m was 17th best overall and so she misses out on the finals set for Friday.

Jaydon Hibbert’s gold medal ambitions at the World Athletics Championships have been shattered. 

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.

 

Teenage sensation Jaydon Hibbert safely advanced to the final of the men’s triple jump on day one of the IAAF World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.

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.

 

 

Roshawn Clarke and Antonio Watson were among a number of Caribbean winners at Friday’s Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, a meet serving as a final tune-up for a number of athletes before the World Championships beginning August 19 in Budapest.

Clarke, the 19-year-old sensation fresh off a world junior record equaling 47.85 to claim his first national senior title last month, ran 48.52 to take the win at the Wolfe Track & Field Complex.

Nigerian Nathaniel Ezekiel, who took bronze at the NCAA Championships competing for Baylor University, was not far behind Clarke in second with 48.55 while American David Kendziera ran 48.77 for third.

Watson, the 21-year-old who will be competing at his first World Championships in Budapest, took a big scalp in the 400m with 44.69 to win ahead of Grenadian World and Olympic Champion Kirani James who produced 44.92 in second. American Justin Robinson ran 45.09 in third.

Watson finished second behind Sean Bailey at the Jamaican Championships last month in a personal best 44.54.

Moving over to the 100m where Oblique Seville, who finished third at the National Championships, ran 9.98 for second in the Invitational A-race on Friday.

The race was won by 2022 World Championship silver medallist, Marvin Bracy-Williams of the USA, in 9.96 while Christian Coleman, the 2019 World Champion, was third in 10.03.

BVI’s Rikkoi Brathwaite and Guyana’s Emmanuel Archibald were both top three finishers in the Invitational B-race. Brathwaite ran a personal best 10.09 for second while Archibald ran 10.14, also a personal best, in third. Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi ran 10.00 to take the win.

Jamaica’s Ashanti Moore and Natalliah Whyte ran 11.18 and 11.26 for first and third, respectively, in the Women’s Invitational B-race. The USA’s Maia McCoy ran 11.24 for second.

Guyana’s Jasmine Abrams ran 11.41 for second in the Women’s Open 100m behind the USA’s Candace Hill (11.29). Kristina Knott of the Philippines was third in 11.47.

Racers Track Club’s Michael Stephens ran 10.28 for second in the Men’s equivalent won by the USA’s Ameer Webb in 10.17. Demarius Smith ran 10.31 in third.

Two-time national champion, Andrew Hudson, ran 20.51 for third in the Men’s Pro 200m. Olympic Champion, Andre DeGrasse, ran 20.19 for a comfortable win ahead of the USA’s Kyree King (20.45).

Jamaica’s Natalliah Whyte ran 22.76 to win the Women’s Open 200m ahead of American Talitha Diggs (22.83) and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili (22.94).

In the Women’s Pro 800m, St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Shafiqua Maloney ran a personal best 1:59.94, her first time under two minutes, for second behind the USA’s Addy Wiley (1:59.00). Uganda’s Susan Aneno was third in 1:59.95.

The Men’s Pro 800m saw Jamaican national champion, Rajay Hamilton, run 1:46.72 for second behind Kenya’s Festus Lagat (1:46.72). American Abe Alvarado ran 1:46.82 in third.

Dejour Russell ran 13.47 for second in the Men’s Open 110m hurdles. The race was won by the USA’s Michael Dickson in 13.37 while his countryman Dylan Beard ran 13.60 in third.

In the field, Chanice Porter produced 6.67m to take the win in the Women’s long jump ahead of USA’s Tiffany Flynn (6.46m) and Nigeria’s Ruth Usoro (6.42m).

Newly crowned Jamaican champion and national record holder, Rajindra Campbell, threw 21.59m for third in the Men’s shot put behind the American pair of Joe Kovacs (21.72m) and Tripp Piperi (21.67m).

Bermuda’s Jah-Nhai Perinchief produced 16.85m for second in the Men’s triple jump behind American Donald Scott (16.94m). Another American, Chris Bernard, jumped 16.77m for third.

Jamaican triple jump world leader, Jaydon Hibbert, and long jump world leader, Ackelia Smith, expressed excitement ahead of their Diamond League debuts in Monaco on Friday.

Hibbert will compete in triple jump while Smith will take part in the long jump.

“I’m really happy to be here in Monaco,” Hibbert said Thursday’s pre-meet press conference.

“I’m just super excited to see what the competition is like at this level and just to get my groove on and enjoy myself here,” he added.

Smith also offered similar sentiments before saying she was surprised to be invited to the press conference.

“It’s definitely an honor. As you can tell, my hands are a little shaky. It’s definitely been a great first experience,” she said.

“When I was on the plane, my coach said ‘you have a press conference’ and I thought he was talking to Julien (Alfred) because I did not expect to be here,” Smith added.

Both Hibbert and Smith are both in the midst of breakthrough seasons.

Hibbert, the reigning World U20 champion, in his freshman season at the University of Arkansas, won the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles before winning both NCAA titles as well.

In the process, he broke both the NCAA collegiate Indoor and Outdoor records. He produced 17.54m, a world U20 record which was recently ratified, to win the NCAA Indoor title.

A couple months later, the 18-year-old jumped a massive 17.87m, the furthest jump in the world this year, to win the SEC Outdoor title. He also jumped 17.56m to take the NCAA Outdoor crown.

Earlier in July, Hibbert successfully defended his title at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships with 17.68m.

“With all these accomplishments, I’m really grateful. Especially as a teenager, not even yet in my prime. I just want to give God thanks and say I’m really excited to continue,” Hibbert said

On Friday, Hibbert will be lining up against the likes of Americans Will Claye and Christian Taylor as well as Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango, whose season’s best of 17.81m puts him second in the world this season behind Hibbert.

“It should be a great competition tomorrow. Everybody’s a star out there. I truly look up to everybody, especially when I was younger. My coach would always tell me to look at these guys and try to replicate what they do,” Hibbert said.

He mentioned Cuban-born Portuguese Olympic and World Champion, Pedro Pichardo, when asked which triple jumper inspires him.

“I like how humble he is and how technical he is in the phases,” Hibbert said.

Smith, a sophomore at the University of Texas has also enjoyed a career-best season.

The 21-year-old jumped a world-leading 7.08m to win the long jump title at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in May and followed that up with a 6.88m effort to claim her maiden NCAA Outdoor title.

She finished third at the recently concluded Jamaican Championships with a best jump of 6.66m.

Smith has also excelled in the triple jump this year. She jumped a personal best 14.54m to claim silver at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was also runner-up at the Jamaican Championships with a 14.26m effort.

On Friday, she will be competing in a loaded field including the likes of Yulimar Rojas, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Ivana Vuleta, just to name a few.

Rojas is the current World and Olympic Champion and World Record holder in the triple jump. Davis-Woodhall is coming off a win at the US Championships and is currently second in the world behind Smith with 7.07m while Vuleta is a five-time Diamond League final winner, two-time World Indoor Champion and an Olympic bronze medallist.

 

Nafi Thiam’s world indoor pentathlon record of 5055 from the European Indoor Championships and Jaydon Hibbert’s outright world U20 triple jump record from the NCAA Indoor Championships have been ratified.

Thiam produced one of the standout moments of the European Indoor Championships on 3 March to win her third European indoor title, putting together her best ever indoor series.

She opened by equalling her 8.23 PB in the 60m hurdles and followed it with a 1.92m clearance in the high jump, after which she moved into the lead. An outright shot put PB of 15.54m gave her a comfortable margin at the top of the leaderboard and she followed that with a 6.59m leap in the long jump, putting her on course to break the world record.

Poland’s Adrianna Sulek had also been having the competition of her life and was close to world record pace too heading into the 800m. Sulek dominated that race, crossing the line in 2:07.17, but Thiam also ran well, clocking an indoor PB of 2:13.60 to give her an overall winning tally of 5055. Sulek finished second with 5014.

Thiam’s score added 42 points to the previous world record of 5013, set by Ukraine’s Nataliya Dobrynska on 9 March 2012 at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Sulek crossed the line before Thiam and so technically scored 5014 – higher than the pre-event world record – six seconds before Thiam finished the competition with 5055. But it is the position of World Athletics that only Thiam’s mark will be ratified.

Eight days after Thiam’s record-breaking feat, Jamaican triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert made history at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on 11 March.

The world U20 champion bounded out to a winning leap of 17.54m in the first round of the men’s triple jump. Not only did he break the collegiate record that had stood since 1986, he also broke the world U20 indoor record of 17.20m – previously set by France’s Melvin Raffin in Belgrade on 3 March 2017 – and the outright world U20 record of 17.50m set by East Germany’s Volker Mai in Erfurt on 23 June 1985.

Two months after winning the NCAA indoor title, Hibbert sailed out to an outdoor PB of 17.87m at the SEC Championships in Baton Rouge. The mark has been submitted for ratification; if approved, that will stand as the outdoor world U20 record, while his 17.54m leap will remain at the world U20 indoor record.

 

Jaydon Hibbert successfully defended his men’s triple jump title on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.

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.

 

Jamaican triple jump World Junior record holder, Jaydon Hibbert, has signed a NIL deal with Puma.

Short for Name, Image, and Likeness, an “NIL” refers to the way college athletes can receive compensation. “Using” an athlete’s NIL would involve a brand leveraging their name, image, and/or likeness through marketing and/or promotional endeavors.

The NCAA officially made it legal for athletes to profit off of their NILs on July 1, 2021. Since this initial passing, states have begun to pass their own laws detailing the rules for athletes that attend colleges in their state. Universities have also begun to produce rules and programs for their student-athletes.

Hibbert, still only 18-years-old, is currently a finalist for the 2023 Bowerman Award after a spectacular freshman season for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

He won the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles as well as the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor crowns. To take the SEC Outdoor title, Hibbert produced a personal best, world leading and world Under-20 record 17.87m.

 

Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert, a freshman at the University of Arkansas, is among the three male finalists for the 2023 Bowerman Award, collegiate track and field’s highest individual honor. The finalists that also include Kyle Garland of the University of Georgia and Leo Neugebauer of the University of Texas.

Hibbert, Garland and Neugebauer won a combined four NCAA titles, obliterated four collegiate records and notched 10 all-time top-10 performances in their respective events. This is just the second time in award history that all three men’s finalists broke at least one collegiate record (2017 was the first).

Eighteen-year-old Hibbert, formerly of Kingston College in Jamaica, is the undisputed King of the Triple Jump in collegiate history.

The Arkansas freshman completed the NCAA title sweep with a victory at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. Hibbert unified the indoor and outdoor collegiate records with a 17.54m effort indoors to win that NCAA crown, followed by a majestic, world-leading 17.87m outdoors at the SEC Championships.

Both marks are also U20 world records.

Prior to Hibbert taking the collegiate scene by storm, both of the collegiate records in the triple jump had stood for more than 35 years. Even more impressive might be the fact that Hibbert only needed 12 jumps all season to achieve all of those feats.

Hibbert is the third male athlete from Arkansas to be named a finalist for The Bowerman, joining 2016 award winner Jarrion Lawson and 2022 finalist Ayden Owens-Delerme. Hibbert is the fifth freshman man to be named a finalist and the youngest to be named a finalist in award history.

Garland, who hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, starred in the combined events this year. He won the heptathlon crown at the NCAA DI Indoor Championships with a near world-record 6639 points and demolished the collegiate record in the process. Outdoors, Garland amassed two of the top-4 decathlon scores in collegiate history: the first coming at the SEC Outdoor Championships where he tallied 8589 points for what is now the fourth-best; the second in a runner-up effort at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships where he one-upped himself with 8630 points for the third-best.

Neugebauer, who hails from Germany, orchestrated a masterclass performance in the decathlon at the NCAA DI Outdoor Championships. It was on his home track in Austin, Texas, where Neugebauer amassed 8836 points to obliterate the collegiate record, set a German national record and climb all the way to No. 8 in world history.

Hibbert is one of two Caribbean athletes who are Bowerman finalists in 2023. On Monday, St Lucia’s Julien Alfred was among the three women finalists for the prestigious award.

Fan voting for The Bowerman begins Tuesday, June 27 on The Bowerman’s website and runs through Thursday, June 29. Paper voting also begins on Tuesday, June 27 and closes on July 14.

Zharnel Hughes sent shockwaves through the track and field world on Saturday when he sped to a personal best, world lead and British record 9.83 to take the win in the Men’s 100m at the USATF NYC Grand Prix at the Icahn Stadium.

The Anguilla-born Hughes, who currently trains under legendary coach Glen Mills at the Racers Track Club in Jamaica, recovered after being left at the start by Jamaica’s Akeem Blake and the USA’s Christian Coleman to obliterate his previous personal best of 9.91 done five years ago in Jamaica. Blake ran 9.93 for second while Coleman was third in 10.02.

Hughes, a former Class 1 100m record holder at the ISSA Boys & Girls Championships where he competed for Kingston College in 2014, broke the previous British record of 9.87, set by Jamaican-born Olympic and World Champion, Linford Christie, back in 1993.

In the Women’s equivalent, Aleia Hobbs was the only athlete to break 11 seconds, running 10.98 for victory.

Jamaica’s Briana Williams got her customary bullet start and was able to maintain her form and composure to run a season’s best equaling 11.04 in second while defending US champion, Melissa Jefferson, ran a season’s best 11.06 for third.

Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes ran 45.05 to take the win in the Men’s 400m ahead of Matthew Boling (45.58) and Trevor Stewart (45.85).

The women’s equivalent was won by American 400m hurdles world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, in a personal best 49.51 ahead of teammate Gabby Thomas (50.29) and Jamaica’s Charokee Young (51.02).

2015 World Champion Danielle Williams was third in the 100m hurdles. In a race aided by a 2.8 m/s wind, American former world record holder, Kendra Harrison, ran 12.29 for victory finishing narrowly ahead of Alaysha Johnson (12.30) and Williams (12.33). Olympic bronze medallist, Megan Tapper, was fifth in 12.68.

18-year-old Surinamese phenom, Issam Assinga, ran 20.25 for second in the Men’s 200m behind World Champion, Noah Lyles, who ran 19.83 for the win. The USA’s Elijah Morrow ran 20.30 for third. With that time, Lyles has now tied double sprint world record holder, Usain Bolt, for the most sub-20 times in the 200m with 34.

In the field, Dominican Commonwealth Games silver medalist, Thea Lafond, produced 14.47m to win the Women’s triple jump ahead of the USA’s Kenturah Orji (14.30m) and Canada’s Caroline Erhardt (13.80m).

Traves Smikle threw 65.36m to take the discus crown ahead of Samoa’s Alex Rose (64.63m) and Jamaica’s Kai Chang (63.17m).

2019 World Championship silver medalist, Danniel Thomas-Dodd, threw 19.38m for second in the Women’s shot put behind American world leader Maggie Ewen (19.68m). Chase Ealey threw 19.25m for third.

Jamaica’s Kimberly Williamson cleared 1.83m for second in the Women’s high jump behind the USA’s Vashti Cunningham (1.95m). Jelena Rowe cleared 1.79m for third.

 

Two-time World Championship silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts was the lone Caribbean winner at the 2023 Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on Tuesday.

The Jamaican, who also took gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, jumped 14.20m, her third furthest mark this season, to take the win ahead of Turkey’s Tugba Danismaz (14.03m) and Slovenia’s Neja Filipic (13.83m).

Another Commonwealth champion, BVI’s Kyron McMaster, took second in the Men’s 400m hurdles in 48.57. France’s Ludvy Vaillant took the win in 48.50 while American Khallifah Rosser was third in 49.16.

Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey, who won the 800m at the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Poland last week, was fourth in the 1500m in 4:04.65. The event was won by Ireland’s Sarah Healy in 4:03.85. Italy’s Gaia Sabbatini was second in 4:03.88 while Great Britain’s Ellie Baker ran 4:03.95 for third.

Trinidadian 2012 Olympic champion, Keshorn Walcott, threw 83.12m for fourth in the javelin. Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the event with a world leading 89.51m throw. Finland’s Oliver Herlander threw 87.32m for second while Germany’s Julian Weber was third with 85.82m.

2019 World Championships runner-up, Fedrick Dacres, threw 66.09m for fifth in the discus throw. Swedish World and Olympic champion, Daniel Stahl, won the event with a season’s best 70.38m. Reigning World champion, Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, was second with 68.67m while Austria’s Lukas Weisheidinger was third with 66.84m.

Arkansas’s Jaydon Hibbert has allayed any fears that he suffered an injury during his fourth-round attempt at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships on Friday.

Hibbert pulled up limping during his run up and appeared to have suffered an injury after he was seen limping during his walk back. However, the World Under-20 record holder said the limping was due to cramping.

“It was a good competition and I’m really grateful. Anything could have happened. Could’ve gotten injured but I came out healthy,” Hibbert said on social media on Friday.

“Ready for the rest of the season but we have to rest first,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, Hibbert jumped 17.56m to secure the triple jump title at the championships, adding to his stellar season which also saw him take the SEC Indoor and Outdoor crowns as well as the NCAA Indoor title.

At those SEC Outdoors, Hibbert produced a World Under-20 record 17.87m, the furthest jump in the world this year.

 

Arkansas superstar freshman Jaydon Hibbert has been named as the US Track and Field and Cross- Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Male National Athlete of the Week.

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.

Jaydon Hibbert, the University of Arkansas' SEC Freshman of the Year and reigning World U20 champion, has set the bar high for his competitors after an outstanding performance in the men’s triple jump at the SEC Championships last weekend. Hibbert believes that despite his world-leading 17.87m jump, his best is yet to come this season.

 Speaking after his remarkable performance at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rogue, Hibbert revealed that his target for the meet was nowhere close to what he eventually unleashed.  “The mark that I came out here with was 17.4/17.5 at max,” he said. “When I saw the 17.8, I just said ‘Okay, that’s it for me today,’ It’s all about trusting the process. God has shown me in plenty ways that I am talented. I am obviously favored. I do put in the hard work, but I have to give this one to God because I don’t think there is any 18-year-old that does the stuff that I do.”

 Hibbert, who also set a World U20 and NCAA Indoor record of 17.54m this season, believes that he needs to stop putting limits on himself. “I am going to reset, refocus, get ready for regionals. I don’t even know if I’m going to peak until World Champs because I am not even at my peak right now and I am already close to 18m, so I am just going to go back to the drawing board, see what Coach Travis Geopfert says, just have fun and take it from there,” he said.

 The 18-year-old’s jump is six centimeters farther than the previous world lead of 17.81m set by Burkina Faso's Hugues Fabrice Zango on May 5, and is also a World U20, NCAA, and Facility record. Hibbert's jump is the second-best jump ever by a Jamaican, trailing James Beckford’s national record of 17.92m set in Odessa, Texas in May 1995, by a mere five centimeters.

Despite his success, Hibbert is remaining humble, stating, “That’s a mark amongst the greats. I am just an 18-year-old that started the event like three years ago, so, I don’t even know what to say. It’s still soaking in at this point.” However, his competitors will have to contend with the prodigious young athlete, who is likely to make his debut as not only a medal contender but a gold medal contender at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

 

Arkansas’s Jaydon Hibbert and Roje Stona as well as Texas A&M’s Lamara Distin all secured wins on the third and final day of the 2023 SEC Outdoor Championships at LSU on Saturday.

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.

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