Britain’s Mo Farah secured gold in the 5,000 metres at the World Championships in Daegu on this day in 2011.

Having lost the 10,000m just seven days earlier, Farah managed to hold off competition from American Bernard Lagat to win the 5,000m in 13 minutes 23.36 seconds.

The Briton had faced competition from Dejen Gebremeskel, but the Ethiopian began to face with 100m to go and despite a late surge from Lagat, Farah held on to become the first British man to win a world title over 5,000m.

“I’m very proud, I just can’t believe it,” Farah said after winning the race.

“I just had to go out there and do what I did in the 10k but just get it right this time.

“I just want to thank everyone who’s helped me. It’s great to have my family behind me.

“I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, moving away from home where it’s comfortable relative to everything else and I’m glad I made that choice because it’s working. I’ve got the gold now. It just feels amazing.”

Farah had moved his family to Oregon in the United States to work with coach Alberto Salazar earlier in the year. Salazar has been banned from coaching since 2019 following an investigations by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Farah won double gold at the 2012 Olympics in London the following year before retaining his 5,000m and 10,000m titles at Rio 2016.

The six-time World Champion has confirmed that the Great North Run, taking place next Sunday, will be his final race.

Danielle Williams made it two wins from two starts on Sunday since her medal exploits in Budapest after hurdling to a comfortable victory at the ISATF Meeting in Berlin.

The 30-year-old two-time world champion cruised to victory in the 100m hurdles in an easy 12.71. She was well clear of Australia’s Michelle Jenneke, who clocked 12.89 for the runner-up spot. In third was the USA’s Amber Hughes, who crossed the line in 12.98.

The news was not so good for the other Jamaican in the race. Olympic silver medallist Megan Tapper did not complete the event.

However, Williams was not the only Caribbean winner in Berlin on Sunday. Olympic bronze medallist Ronald Levy, who has been making his way back to form after long-term injuries, won the 110m hurdles in 13.45, a season’s best.

Levy got the nod over Just Kwaou-Matthey of France, who was timed in 13.46 in a blanket finish. Italy’s Ndele Simonelli Lorenzo was not far behind in 13.50.

Bahamian star runner Shaune Miller Uibo did not finish her 400m race that was won by Norway’s Henriette Jaeger in a new national record of 51.03.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Jonielle Smith was third in the 100m. She ran a time of 11.33 in the race won by the USA’s Jenna Prandini in 11.24 with Belgium’s Rani Rosius finishing just ahead of the Jamaican in 11.32.

On Friday night, September 1, 2023, the University of Iowa celebrated the induction of Jamaican field-event athlete Peaches Roach Findlay into their prestigious Hall of Fame. The honor comes as a testament to her outstanding achievements during her collegiate career at the university, where she left an indelible mark on the track and field program.

During her time at the University of Iowa from 2003 to 2007, Peaches Roach Findlay emerged as a standout athlete. She was a four-time All-American, a 10-time regional qualifier, and a five-time Big 10 Conference Champion. In 2004, she earned the coveted title of Big 10 Freshman of the Year, setting the stage for a remarkable journey in the world of athletics.

Her athletic journey began at Alpha Academy in Kingston, Jamaica, before she embarked on a life-changing scholarship opportunity at the University of Iowa. Her dedication and talent led to numerous accolades, including a gold medal for Jamaica in the heptathlon at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.

Beyond her success in the heptathlon, Roach Findlay was a three-time Jamaican high jump champion. She also proudly represented Jamaica at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, where she secured a commendable fourth-place finish in the heptathlon.

Today, Peaches Roach Findlay has transitioned from her days as a star athlete to become a high school science teacher in North Carolina. She shares her life with her husband, Adrian Findlay, who himself represented Jamaica as a 400m runner and won a silver medal as a member of Jamaica's 4x400m relay team at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain. Together, they are proud parents of two beautiful children.

Upon receiving this prestigious induction into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame, Peaches Roach Findlay shared her heartfelt sentiments in an exclusive chat with Sportsmax.TV.

 "It means the world to me. This is a result of me making the right decision despite many questioning my choice to go to The University of Iowa. There were only 221 student athletes inducted in the last 34 years. So as a Jamaican field-event athlete, this puts me in the top one percent of all UI student athletes. That is an honor I don't take lightly,” she remarked.

“I'm grateful to have achieved four All-American titles, five Big 10 Championship titles, and a standing school record for indoor and outdoor track and field in the high jump. It is exactly 20 years since I was just a freshman coming from Alpha, coached by the great Kavon Lewis of Kingston College, so to be here today with my husband and children after years of sacrifice, it's a blessing and I'm proud."

Reflecting on her favorite memory from her college years in competition, she reminisced, "My sophomore year, we had an intra-squad meet where I high jumped 6ft (1.83m). That was a moment I remember because it was the first time I got back to jumping at this height since leaving Jamaica. Freshman year was quite a transition, and even though I had a stellar first year earning Freshman of the Year, this jump was a personal milestone for me."

As an experienced international student athlete, the now retired athlete offered valuable advice to others embarking on a similar journey, saying, "Because things are different here, you have to seek out and utilize all of the resources - financial, educational, and mental -  that are available to you. People will help you when you ask and position yourself to receive."

The induction of Peaches Roach Findlay into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame serves as a testament to her dedication, talent, and the remarkable journey she has undertaken since her days as a student-athlete. Her story is a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes from her home country of Jamaica.

World champion Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic extended her rich vein of form in the women’s 400 metres with another victory at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Xiamen, China on Saturday.

Paulino, running from lane five, made her move off the curve and swept by Jamaica’s long-time leader Candice McLeod, to stop the clock in 49.36s. McLeod stayed on for second, equaling her season’s best 50.19s.

American Lynna Irby-Jackson (50.45s) was third, as she got by the tiring World Championships bronze medallist Sada Williams (50.95s) of Barbados.

Hansle Parchment closed out action at Saturday’s Xiamen Diamond League with a season’s best to win the men’s 110m hurdles

The 33-year-old Olympic Champion got his usual slow start but showed strength and excellent technique to blaze past his competitors, including reigning three-time World Champion Grant Holloway, in a season’s best 12.96, the joint-second fastest time in the world this year.

Daniel Roberts, who took bronze behind Holloway and Parchment in Budapest last week, was second in 13.03 while Holloway ran 13.12 for third.

Parchment’s winning time was the second fastest of his career and only the second time he’s gone below 13 seconds. His personal best of 12.94 came on July 5 in 2014 in Paris.

Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson clocked a new lifetime best 9.85s for second in the men’s 100m, behind American Christian Coleman, who equalled the World Leading time of 9.83s at the Wanda Diamond League in Xiamen, China on Saturday.

Thompson, who has been holding good form since his first sub-10 second clocking at Jamaica’s National Championships in July, produced a top performance, which not only shattered his previous personal best of 9.91s, but also makes him the fastest Jamaican this year. He overtook Oblique Seville at 9.86s.

Additionally, the 22-year-old Thompson’s time also makes him the sixth-fastest Jamaican of all time. Only Usain Bolt (9.58s), Yohan Blake (9.69s), Asafa Powell (9.72s), Nesta Carter (9.78s) and Steve Mullings (9.80s), have gone faster.

While Thompson’s achievement, which makes him the 22nd fastest man of all time and also earned him a spot in the Diamond League final, may come as a surprise to many, his coach Stephen Francis did indicate that there was more to come after his one-round run at the national championships.

“He would have run significantly faster but the most important thing is that he feels healthy and can look forward to the rest of the summer. Our plan is to ensure that next year, in the Olympic year, he will have the necessary race experience and a different attitude to tackle the full program,” Francis said then in an interview with Sportsmax.tv.

Thompson just failed to get back to Coleman, who equalled Noah Lyles World leading time, as they competed in a slight tailwind of 0.4 metres per second. American Fred Kerley (9.96s) was third.

Meanwhile, the other Jamaicans, Yohan Blake (10.04s), Rohan Watson (10.18s), were sixth and ninth respectively, while Ackeem Blake, who seemingly picked up an injury finished at the back of the pack in well over 25 seconds.

World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton lead a Jamaican 1-2-3 in the women’s 400m at the Xiamen Diamond League on Saturday.

Clayton produced a meet record 53.56 to take the win ahead of teammates Andrenette Knight (53.87) and Janieve Russell (54.01).

Clayton is fresh off a personal best 52.81 to take bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last week. She also took bronze at the Doha World Championships in 2019.

Grenada’s Kirani James signalled that he is gradually getting back to his competitive best, as he clocked a season’s best 44.38s in winning the men’s 400 metres at the Wanda Diamond League in Xiamen, China on Saturday.

James, who was disqualified for a lane violation at the recent World Athletics Championships, ran his usual well-paced race from lane four to stop the clock in the winning time, which betters his previous season’s best of 44.50s.

He just edged American Quincy Hall, who was also given the same time, while Jamaican Rusheen McDonald (44.82s), was third. Another Jamaican Zandrion Barnes (45.29s) finished eighth.

2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor long jump champion Carey McLeod has signed a professional contract with German apparel giants Adidas.

The 25-year-old specializes in the long jump but has also competed in the triple jump.

McLeod has personal bests of 8.34m in the long jump and 16.40m in the triple jump. Both those performances came in 2021.

Indoors, McLeod jumped a national record-equaling 8.40m on March 10 this year to win the NCAA Indoor title. That jump put McLeod in a tie with James Beckford for 20^th all-time indoors.

Last week, McLeod narrowly missed out on a medal in the long jump at the World Championships in Budapest.

The Arkansas man had a best jump of 8.27m, the same distance as countryman Tajay Gayle, but was beaten to the bronze medal on countback.

His professional debut came at Thursday’s Zurich Diamond League meet where he jumped 7.60m for ninth.

As the curtains fell on the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the global track and field community bore witness to an unforgettable spectacle of talent, resilience, and passion. For nine consecutive days, athletes from around the world competed under sweltering heat in their pursuit of excellence.

Among these remarkable competitors, it was the athletes from the Caribbean who stood out, earning well-deserved praise from Keith Joseph, President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC).

In a message released on Friday morning, Joseph expressed his admiration for the outstanding performances of Caribbean athletes, acknowledging their dedication to representing their countries and the region on the world stage.

"The excitement of the athletics competition, once started, never abated," Joseph remarked. "The final event, the women's 4 x 400m relay, saw Jamaica's potential hold on the gold medal slip away, literally in the final strides, much to our collective CANOC chagrin. But this did not detract from the fact that on yet another occasion in the wide and wonderfully exciting world of track and field competition, Jamaica continued to carry the Caribbean cause on its back."

Joseph went on to highlight several standout performances that left an indelible mark on the championships. Shericka Jackson's remarkable victory in the 200m solidified her status as a global star in the sport. Antonio Watson's stunning triumph in the 400m, despite his status as an U23 athlete, showcased the immense potential of the region's younger talents. Danielle Williams added another gold medal to Jamaica's tally with her impressive win in the 100m hurdles.

Joseph also highlighted Hansle Parchment and Wayne Pinnock secured silver medals in the 110m hurdles and long jump, respectively. The women's 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relay teams also earned silver for Jamaica, while Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and Rushell Clayton contributed bronze medals to the nation's haul in the 100m and 400m hurdles events.

The president’s praise also extended beyond Jamaica in acknowledging, the Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino domination of the women's 400m, while the British Virgin Islands' Kyron McMaster made a triumphant return to form with a silver medal in the 400m hurdles. Barbados' Sada Williams displayed her prowess with a silver in the women's 400m, and Leyanis Hernandez of Cuba secured a bronze in the triple jump.

Cuba continued to make its presence felt in the championships, with Lazaro Martinez and Cristian Urria taking second and third place, respectively, in the men's triple jump. Grenada's Lindon Victor made his mark by earning a bronze in the men's javelin.

Amidst the celebrations, St. Lucia's Julien Alfred emerged as a rising star, placing fifth in the 100m and fourth in the 200m. Dominica's Thea LaFond held her own, finishing fifth in the women's triple jump.

Joseph acknowledged that there were disappointments along the way for some Caribbean athletes, but their spirits remained unbroken. He celebrated the resilience that defines the Caribbean people, inspiring their athletes to give their best, fully aware that they are motivated to go 'beyond possible,' defying every attempt to deter their commitment to success.

"The World Athletics Championships are done," Joseph declared. "The performances of our athletes are now indelibly recorded in global athletics history. As CANOC, we stand proud of our athletes, medallists as well as those who missed out. Together, we affirm our commitment to our Caribbean-ness."

With these inspiring performances, Caribbean athletes have once again proven their mettle on the global stage, leaving an enduring legacy of dedication, perseverance, and pride in their Caribbean heritage. Their remarkable achievements continue to inspire and unite the region, setting the stage for even greater success in the future.

Despite another gallant effort in the men’s javelin throw, Grenada’s Anderson Peters had to settle for fifth in the event at the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday.

Peters, the 2019 and 2022 World Champion, who failed to defend his title in Budapest, struggled for rhythm in his series, registering 78.78m, 78.41m and 77.82m, before hitting his best mark of 81.01m on his final attempt.

The event was won by World Championships bronze medallist, Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, with a mark of 85.86m which came on his final attempt, as he denied newly minted World champion Neeraj Chopra (85.71m) India. Chopra’s mark was also on his final attempt.

Germany’s Julian Weber (85.04m) was third.

If anyone thought that Danielle Williams’ ‘surprise’ victory last week at the World Championships in Budapest was a fluke, she put all that to rest on Thursday when she stormed the victory against a quality field in the 100m hurdles at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich on Thursday.

Williams, the now two-time world champion, ran a clean race to win in 12.54s with a fast-finishing Alaysha Johnson and former world record holder Kendra Harrison, who ran 12.58 and 12.59, respectively for second and third.

Williams was ecstatic in victory. “It is a wonderful feeling coming out here as a World Champion. I mean, I have to give all the thanks for that. The race was a bit slower than I expected, but you know, I came out injury free, and with a win, so I can't complain,” she said.

“I haven't had much time to celebrate my big win in Budapest, it will probably the day after I finish my season. I am now onto my next meet, and I will try to celebrate after Eugene.”

There was never any question about whether or not two-time World 200 metres Champion Shericka would win the event at Thursday’s Wanda Diamond League, and though she didn’t promise a record time, many eyes were on the clock as she approached the finish in Zurich, Switzerland.

In the end, the Jamaican, showing very little signs of fatigue, stopped the clock 21.82s in a slight 0.8 metres per second head wind.

Jackson stormed off the curve and later opened up in the stretch run, leaving Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (22.25s), to finish best of the rest, with American Kayla White (22.33s) in third.

Bahamian Anthonique Strachan, who early contested the 100m, placed sixth in 22.65s.

Meanwhile, American Noah Lyles, also extended his rich vein of form, as he closed fast to top the men’s event in 19.80s, ahead of compatriot Erriyon Knighton (19.87s), with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (19.94s) in third.

Just as he did in Budapest last week, Greek superstar Miltiadis Tentoglu saved his best for last to deny a Jamaican victory at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday.

Tentoglu entered the sixth and final round of the men’s long jump in third place with a best jump of 8.04m behind the USA’s Jarrion Lawson and Jamaican 2019 World Champion, Tajay Gayle.

The 25-year-old then produced a winning jump of 8.20m in the sixth and final round. Gayle, who took bronze in Budapest, finished second with a best jump of 8.07m done in the fourth round while Lawson’s 8.05m done in round five was good enough for third.

This end of this competition was eerily similar to the competition in Budapest where Tentoglu entered the sixth round trailing another Jamaican, Wayne Pinnock, before coming up big with an 8.52m jump to take gold.

Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey and Natoya Goule-Toppin finished third and ninth respectively in the women’s 800 metres at the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday.

With none of the medallists from the World Athletic Championships in Budapest present, the event was left for the pickings, and it was Great Britain’s Laura Muir that proved best of the lot on the day, as the Jamaicans produced contrasting performances in their bid.

Muir, who assumed the lead at the 200m mark, left the field in her wake, as she went on to win in 1:57.71, ahead of Australia’s Catriona Bisset (1:58.77) and the fast-finishing Tracey (1:59.05), who left it late.

The front-running Goule-Toppin, who took the lead at the bell, faded into ninth in 2:00.10.