Polish Indoor champion Ewa Swoboda is looking forward to facing decorated Jamaica sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Wanda Diamond League in August.

The duo has been booked to face off in the 100m, an event that the Jamaican has so far shown strong form in this season.  Fraser-Pryce has clocked the fastest time in the world so far this season, courtesy of a 10.67 clocking in Nairobi in May, which was equalled, in France, in June.

Swoboda, for her part, improved her personal best to 11.05 in Paris last month.

"I feel proud to have my name mentioned alongside Shelly-Ann's. She is an icon," Swoboda said.

"Each athlete dreams of achieving at least half of what Fraser-Pryce has and to stay at the top for this long,” she added.

"I hope it will be the best women's 100m race ever to take place on Polish soil. On 6 August I would like to finish as close to the legend as possible."

The two could, however, could also meet at the Oregon World Championships later this month, where Fraser-Pryce will be looking to defend her world title.

St. Lucia’s Julian Alfred can now call herself the inaugural Caribbean Games Women’s 100m Champion after winning the event at the Stade du Gosier in Guadeloupe on Friday.

Alfred ran 11.34 in the preliminaries before returning to run 11.07 to comfortably win the final ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Akilah Lewis (11.55) and Leah Bertrand (11.57).

Alfred goes into the World Championships in Eugene later this month on the back of some excellent form. The Texas standout ran a personal best and national record 10.81, the fourth fastest time on the world this year, at the Big 12 Championships on May 14.

She then went on run 11.02 to win the 100m at the NCAA Championships on June 11.

Meanwhile, Trinidad & Tobago’s Kion Benjamin ran 10.36 to win the Men’s equivalent ahead of Franquelo Perez Occena of the Dominican Republic (10.55) and Antigua’s Darrion Skerritt (10.72).

Jamaica’s Anthony Cox, who was named in their World Championships squad on Friday as well, ran 46.15 to lead all qualifiers into the Men’s 400m final while the Dominican Republic’s Fiordaliza Cofil Fernandez (51.11) led all qualifiers in the Women’s equivalent.

Elsewhere, Puerto Rico’s Paola Fernandez Sola won the Women’s long jump with a 6.15m effort ahead of Cuba’s Yani Carrion Cremdelly (5.81m) and Guyana’s Chantoba Bright (5.85m).

Antigua’s Sheldon Noble jumped 7.31m to win the Men’s equivalent ahead of the Cayman Islands’ Louis Gordon (7.23m) and Grenada’s Nishon Pierre (6.91m).

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville lead a strong 64-member Jamaica team named to compete at the 2022 World Athletics Championships from July 15-24, 2022. Also included as first-timers are 800m champion Navasky Anderson and Adelle Tracey, who will compete in both 800 and 1500m.

Tracey, an American-born middle distance runner, who also represented Great Britain, recently received her official status as a Jamaican athlete. Tracey, who spent a part of her early childhood in the parish of Manchester, will join newly crowned national champion Chrisann Gordon Powell and eight-time national champion Natoya Goule in the 800m.

Meanwhile, Fraser-Pryce, Thompson-Herah, Jackson and Kemba Nelson, will contest the 100m with Briana Williams listed as an alternate. Fraser-Pryce, Jackson and Thompson-Herah will take on the 200m with Natalliah Whyte named as the alternate.

Seville, Blake and Ackeem Blake will run in the 100m. Jelani Walker is listed as the alternate. However, Andrew Hudson, who won the 200m at Jamaica’s national championships last weekend misses out as he remains ineligible to compete for Jamaica until July 28, four days after the championships end in Eugene, Oregon.

In his stead, Akeem Bloomfield will compete in the 200m alongside Rasheed Dwyer and Yohan Blake.

Candice McLeod, Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Charokee Young will compete in the 400m with Stacey-Ann Williams named as the alternate. Jevaughn Powell, Nathon Allen and Christopher Taylor will take on the men’s event.

Demisha Roswell, the fastest Jamaican woman over 100m hurdles this year, is named as an alternate to national champion Britany Anderson, Megan Tapper and Danielle Williams. Damion Thomas is the alternate in the 110m hurdles that will be represented by Olympic champion Hansle Parchment, Rasheed Broadbell and Orlando Bennett.

There is also good news for Andrenette Knight, the fastest Jamaican woman over the 400m hurdles this year. Knight, who has run 53.39 this season, is the alternate in the event that Janieve Russell, Shian Salmon and Rushell Clayton will compete in at the championships.

For the first time ever, Jamaica will have two female high jumpers at a world championship as NCAA champion Lamara Distin and Kimberly Williamson, were both selected.

Chanice Porter has been selected for the long jump while defending champion Tajay Gayle has been selected along with NCAA champion Wayne Pinnock. Gayle injured his knee at the national championships and is in a race against time to prove his fitness.

Shanieka Ricketts, Kimberly Williams and Ackelia Smith will represent Jamaica in the triple jump while Jordan Scott will compete in the men’s event.

Danielle Thomas-Dodd and Lloydricia Cameron will contest the shot put for women. Samantha Hall competes in the discus while national champion Traves Smikle, world championship silver medallist Fedrick Dacres, and Chad Wright are set to compete among the men.

Jamaica will field strong 4x100m relay squads at the championships as Fraser-Pryce, Thompson-Herah, Jackon and Nelson will form the core of the team along with Olympic gold medallist Williams and Remona Burchell.

The men’s squad is comprised of Blake, Blake, Seville, Jelani Walker, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Conroy Jones.

The 4x400m squads will be comprised of McLeod, Young, McPherson, Williams, Roneisha McGregor and Natalliah Whyte while the men’s squad will include Powell, Allen, Taylor, Karayme Bartley, Javon Francis and Anthony Cox.

Junelle Bromfield, Tiffany James, Akeem Bloomfield and St Jago High School runner Gregory Prince will form the mixed relay team.

Sprintec head coach Maurice Wilson has been appointed technical director of the contingent and he will have Paul Francis, Bertland Cameron, Lennox Graham, Julian Robinson, Marlon Gayle, Reynaldo Walcott, Lamar Richards and Gregory Little as his team of coaches.

Jamaican long jump duo Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod will represent the University of Arkansas in the coming season of NCAA Track and Field.

Grenadian Javelin World Champion Anderson Peters is convinced the upcoming edition of the tournament in Eugene, Oregon will be an open affair with several men capable of winning the title.

On Thursday, Peters threw 90.31 to win the event at the Stockholm Diamond League meet, ahead of Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India who recorded 89.94 for a new personal best and national record.  Germany’s Julian Weber was third with 89.08 and The Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, who has thrown the second-longest distance this season, was fourth.

It is Peters who has put together the most impressive resume this season, however, holding the world lead of 93.07 and winning 8 of 11 events he has taken part in so far.  The thrower, however, believes he is yet to discover his best form and admits he is not yet fully fit.

“I am not really in a great shape - I have suffered a back injury. It is still getting better but I hope to be back in really good shape soon,” Anderson said following the meet.

“Getting the 90m throw was really good, I was very much motivated by Neeraj to get a 90m throw because he started the competition with a PB and a NR and that was pretty good for the start,” he added.

Ahead of the event in Oregon, the thrower is hoping to be in top shape.

“I am thinking about it - not having the minor injuries and I hope when I am like 100 percent fit, I want to see what the result would be. When I am able to get the technique, to get the rhythm, and my body would be 100 percent ready, I really want to see the result,” Peters said.

“The more I compete, the better I become…In Eugene, it will be anybody´s game”

Anderson Peters set a new meet record in the javelin while there were podium places for Rushell Clayton and Kyron McMaster at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, Sweden on Thursday.

Shericka Jackson sizzling performance on Sunday’s final day of Jamaica’s National Senior Championships made her the third fastest woman over 200m in history. Only Florence Girrifth-Joyner (21.34) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (21.53) have run faster than the 27-year-old Olympic bronze medallist.

The lifetime best 200m time also moved her above Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas as the best active combination sprinter in history by virtue of her times of 10.76 in the 100m, 21.55 and 49.47 in the 400m.

Only East Germany’s Marita Koch (10.83/21.71/47.60), Griffith-Joyner (10.49/21.34/50.89) and Marion Jones (10.65/21.62/49.59) are ranked higher than the affable Jamaica sprinter, who revealed that the jaw-dropping run on Sunday that left Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah (22.05) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (22.140 trailing in her wake, was the result of a lot of hard work.

“I have been working really hard on running the curve. I wanted to do that and I know that once I ran that curve and execute properly, just to relax down the home stretch, I knew I would have run fast but this fast I never expected it but I am grateful,” she said afterwards.

The bad news for the rest of the world is that Jackson believes she has even more speed in those powerful legs of hers, the speed that the world is likely to see at the World Athletics Championships that begin in Eugene, Oregon on July 15.

“The curve is one of the things I want to master. I think I did pretty good tonight. So many mistakes made so I know definitely coach will correct them,” she said.

“I never wanted to put any pressure on myself. People out there will put pressure but listening to my coach, execute properly, I know I can go faster.”

As he set out to qualify for this summer’s World Athletics Championships in the United States, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards had set a goal to run below 20 seconds in the 200m at the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NGC/NAAA) Open Championships.

On Sunday, he delivered.

Richards, the 2022 World Indoor 400m champion, sped to a fast 19.83 to win the half-lap sprint on the final day of the championships hence securing his spot to Oregon in July. It was a new lifetime best and the fastest time ever run over the distance on Trinidadian soil.

The time was run in virtually still but rainy conditions as the trailing wind was measured at 0.3m/s. None of that mattered to Richards, who has been in good form this season. “I was not concerned about the weather. I was just ready to run fast,” said the 28-year-old Richards who is also intent on defending his Commonwealth Games title after the World Championships conclude on July 24.

Kyle Greaux ran 20.56s for second place while 400m champion Dwight St Hillaire ran 20.68 for third.

Shericka Jackson ran the third-fastest time in history to cap an outstanding campaign at Jamaica’s National Senior Athletics Championships on Sunday.

Jevaughn Powell and Candice McLeod were crowned 400m champions on Sunday’s last day of the 2022 Jamaican National Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Running in rainy conditions, Powell, a finalist at the NCAA Championships earlier in June, produced a late burst in the final 50 metres of the race to produce 45.50 to win ahead of Nathon Allen (45.64) and Anthony Cox (45.65).

McLeod, a finalist at the Tokyo Olympics last year, produced a strong season’s best of 50.29 to win ahead of Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.49) and Charokee Young (50.76).

There was an upset in the Women’s 800m as eight-time national champion Natoya Goule ran 2:00.83 for second behind Chrisann Gordon-Powell (2:00.35). Adelle Tracey ran 2:01.18 for third.

National record holder and NCAA Championships silver medallist Navasky Anderson ran 1:48.53 to win his first national title ahead of Kimar Farquharson (1:49.36) and Tarees Rhoden (1:49.89).

Keshorn Walcott booked his ticket to the 2022 World Athletics Championships on Saturday when he comfortably won the men’s javelin competition at the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Open Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, on Saturday.

The 2012 Olympic champion threw a solid 85.17m to win ahead of Anthony Diaz (69.30m) and Nathaniel Mathura (64.52m), who were second and third, respectively.

 Andwuelle Wright also impressed on Saturday when he claimed the long jump title with an effort of 8.08m, which qualified him for the Commonwealth Games that begin in Birmingham, England on July 28.

On the track, Eric Harrison won the blue ribbon 100m dash in 10.08. Kion Benjamin finished second in 10.18, just edging Jerod Elcock, who was third in 10.19.

Dwight St Hillaire won the men’s 400m title in 45.46.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson all safely advanced to Sunday’s Women’s 200m final as action continued on day three of the 2022 Jamaican National Senior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.

The three 100m medalists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics all looked extremely easy to win their semi-finals in 22.54, 22.68 and 22.85, respectively.

Jackson, who secured the 100m title on Friday, looked especially easy, completely shutting down in the last 100m of the race.

Natalliah Whyte (23.05), Ashanti Moore (23.21), Kevona Davis (23.33), Jodean Williams (23.21) and Dominique Clarke (23.29) will join them in the final.

Meanwhile, 100m Champion Yohan Blake led all qualifiers to the Men’s final with a season’s best 20.20 to win his semi-final ahead of Andrew Hudson (20.23).

2020 Olympic finalist Rasheed Dwyer will also contest Sunday’s final after producing 20.35 to win his semi-final ahead of Nigel Ellis (20.45).

Mario Heslop (20.52), Riquan Graham (20.66), Jazeel Murphy (20.67) and Antonio Watson (20.74) complete the line-up for the final.

NCAA Championships silver medalist Charokee Young (50.19), 2020 Olympic finalist Candice McLeod (50.85), Stacey-Ann Williams (50.87) and 2013 World Championship bronze medalist Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.67) led all qualifiers to the Women’s 400m final.

The men were led by Jevaughn Powell (45.38), Anthony Cox (45.43), Nathon Allen (45.52) and Akeem Bloomfield (45.59).

The qualifiers for the Women’s sprint hurdles final were led by Britany Anderson (12.45), Megan Tapper (12.61), 2015 World Champion Danielle Williams (12.59) and Demisha Roswell (12.84).

Reigning Olympic Champion Hansle Parchment (13.24), Orlando Bennett (13.27), Rasheed Broadbell (13.29) and 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Champion Omar McLeod (13.36) led the qualifiers to the Men’s 110m hurdles final.

In the field, 2019 World Championship silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.79m to win her seventh national title ahead of Lloydricia Cameron (16.96m) and Danielle Sloley (15.98m).

Wayne Pinnock added to his NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles earlier this season with a personal best 8.14m to win the Men’s long jump ahead of defending World Champion Tajay Gayle (7.97m) and Shawn-D Thompson (7.88m).

Andrenette Knight went into Jamaica’s National Senior Athletics Championships on Thursday as the fastest Jamaican woman in the world over the 400m hurdles this year.

Newly crowned Jamaican national 100m Champion Yohan Blake expects Jamaica to be back in contention for gold in the Men’s 4x100m at the World Championships in Eugene to be held from July 15-24.

“The 4x100 is looking great,” he said in an interview after running 9.85, his fastest time in a decade, to claim the national title ahead of Oblique Seville (9.88) and Ackeem Blake (9.93).

“Our sprinting is up there again and we’re looking to challenge the world again,” Blake added.

The retirement of Usain Bolt after the 2017 London World Championships signaled a shift in the balance of the Men’s 4x100m relay at major championships.

Jamaica’s men won the 4x100m gold at three straight Olympics (2008-2016) and four straight World Championships (2009-2015).

The 2017 and 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Olympics all saw Jamaica fail to medal in the event but with Blake returning to his best and the rise of youngsters Seville and Blake, the sixth and eleventh fastest men in the world this year, the 2011 World 100m Champion expects things to go back to normal in Eugene.

Jelani Walker (10.00), 2014 Commonwealth Games 100m Champion Kemar Bailey-Cole (10.10), and Conroy Jones (10.10) finished fourth, fifth and sixth in the final and are expected to round out the relay pool.

Janieve Russell entered this season short on confidence. Years of injury resulted in disappointing performances that saw her missing out on individual representation for the last seven years. That all changed on Friday night when she won the national title in the Women’s 400m hurdles at Jamaica’s National Senior Athletics Championships in Kingston.

Trailing Andrenette Knight, who is the fastest Jamaican woman in the world this year, with less than 100m to go, the 28-year-old Russell seized on the moment after Knight hit the ninth hurdle and fell. Russell stormed through to pass Shian Salmon and win in her fourth national title in a season-best 53.63. She said afterwards it was good to be back on top once more.

“It is really refreshing and it shows that you should never give up,” she said.

“Of course, I had some doubts coming into the season. I am saying to myself since 2015 I haven’t made a world championships team in an individual event I was a bit worried but I put in the work. I am confident and I am a lot stronger than last year and faster.

“I just went out there and execute and the execution wasn’t as perfect as my coach wanted it to but I was glad I was in the top three.”

The 2018 Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion said winning has boosted her confidence, especially in light of the fact that her injury issues are seemingly behind her.

“It has given me a lot of confidence,” she said of the victory.

“This is the first season I can remember that I haven’t had any major injuries. I did start the season with some little niggles but nothing that kept me out of training so I feel really good; words can’t explain but for the World Championships I am just going out there to represent.”

There is still work to be done if she is to improve over the next three weeks before the championships begin in Oregon on July 15.

“I believe I am really ready. When I go back to training we will look back at the video to see where I went wrong and see what I need to strengthen and what I need to change. I know there is a lot to change,” she said.