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• A no-brainer: Bajan sensation Zane Maloney ditches Formula 2 ambitions to take up Formula E opportunity

  With opportunities at certain levels of motorsport only coming far and few in between, Zane Maloney could not pass up the chance to participate in Formula E.

  As such, the Barbados racing sensation made the decision to cut short his Formula 2 campaign after securing a seat to represent team Lola Yamaha ABT in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

  The event, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The racing series is the highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars.

  Though he currently occupies third position in the F2 drivers’ championship with two rounds remaining, Maloney, who recently inked a deal with Lola, is well aware of the significance of the Formula E opportunity presented to him and, as such, is eager to make the most of it at the expense of his F2 ambitions.

  “In one way, I wanted to win Formula 2 this year. I wanted to give myself the best chance to do that, but I live my life by the day and I understand the opportunity that I have for next year, and when I think about that opportunity, everything in the present moment kind of gets forgotten about to some extent,” the 20-year-old said.

  “So, of course, I know that coming to Formula E is a big opportunity for me and something amazing to show my skills in a world championship. I don’t really focus too much on the negative side of certain things. I try to focus on the positives, and I only see a positive thing coming into next year,” he added.

  Maloney, who won the opening two races of the Formula 2 season, believes Formula E has gained traction as a top-notch championship, which made his decision a no-brainer.

  “In F1, IndyCar, Formula E, and WEC as well, there’s not many seats that become available every year. There are a lot more drivers than there are seats, which makes it very difficult, and I think Formula E has always been a series that has amazing drivers, amazing manufacturers, and amazing teams. And of course, the media sees different motorsport genres a bit differently,” Maloney explained.

  “But within the group of motorsports, Formula E is very well recognized, and every driver that goes into it knows how difficult it is to perform, so from that side of things, I don’t really focus too much on anything other than driving a race car as fast as I can with the opportunity that I’m given,” he noted.

• Tebogo sets sights on Bolt’s 200m world record in the future- “It’s about 10 metres away from me”

  Newly crowned Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo has his sights set on Usain Bolt’s 200m world record in the near future.

  Bolt, who retired in 2017, has now held the title as the fastest man ever over 200m for 15 years thanks to his otherworldly 19.19 done to win gold at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

  The 21-year-old Botswanan ran a personal best and African record 19.46 to claim his first Olympic title recently in Paris.

  Tebogo’s time is the ninth fastest in history and makes him the fifth fastest man ever over the distance.

  Most recently, Tebogo cruised to an impressive 19.64 to take the win at the Lausanne Diamond League on Thursday.

  In an interview with The Inside Lane after Thursday’s race, Tebogo was asked about Bolt’s world record.

  “I see it but I don’t want to put myself under that pressure. If it comes it will come eventually,” he said.

  In terms of a timeline, Tebogo said the ideal time to try and go after it would be in about three or four years.

  “We don’t have to push it this year or next year. Probably when we are 24, that’s when we could attempt something like that,” he said.

  “I don’t think it will take long. Looking at what I did today and what I did in the 200m final in Paris, I don’t think it will take that long because I could see it. It’s about 10 metres away from me,” he added.

  Tebogo’s next race will be at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday.

   

   

• Jamaica's veteran coach Glen Mills praised for inspiring coaching seminar in France

  Renowned Jamaican coach Glen Mills, who has spent more than five decades shaping some of the world’s fastest sprinters, has been lauded by French track and field coach Yann Edu for the impactful athletic coaching seminar he conducted in Nanterre, France, shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

  Mills, 74, is a legendary figure in the world of athletics, having guided numerous athletes to global success. Among his most notable accomplishments is coaching Usain Bolt to three consecutive Olympic golds in the 100m and 200m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2012 London Olympics, and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Under Mills’ tutelage, Bolt also set world records in both events at the 2009 Berlin World Championships—records that still stand 15 years later.

  In addition to Bolt, Mills has also coached other elite sprinters, including Yohan Blake, who became the second-fastest man in history with times of 9.69 seconds in the 100m and 19.26 seconds in the 200m, and Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis, who won gold in the 100m at the 2003 World Championships in Paris.

  The seminar in Nanterre, which took place on August 12, was part of the first initiatives under the official City Twinning agreement between Nanterre, France, and Spanish Town, Jamaica. This agreement, signed on the margins of the Paris Olympics, aims to foster cultural and athletic exchange between the two cities. The signing was officiated by Mayor of Spanish Town, Councillor Norman Scott, and his counterpart in Nanterre, Raphael Adam, during a ceremony coinciding with Jamaica Day celebrations in Nanterre.

  Yann Edu, a track and field coach based in Nanterre, expressed his deep appreciation for the seminar, highlighting the invaluable insights he gained from Mills' vast experience. "It was very nice to see coach Mills. I benefited from his experience, and nobody runs faster than his athletes, so obviously it was a big opportunity for us to meet him and to learn from him," Edu said during an interview conducted by officials from Jamaica's Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport (MCGES).

  The seminar provided French coaches and athletes with a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest minds in track and field coaching. Mills shared his expertise on training methodologies, athlete management, and the nuances of sprinting techniques that have led his athletes to extraordinary success on the world stage.

  Mills' influence on the sport of athletics is undeniable. He holds the distinction of coaching both the fastest and second-fastest men in history—Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, respectively. His ability to develop athletes to reach their maximum potential has made him a revered figure in the sport, not only in Jamaica but globally.