Jamaica's Andrew Hudson and Alexander Ogando of Dominican Republic failed to challenge for a medal, as American Noah Lyles completed the sprint double with another dominant performance in the men’s 200 metres final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Friday. 

It was heartbreak for the Caribbean which ended outside of the medals in a scintillating women’s triple jump competition that was worth savouring at the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Friday.

While Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas (15.08m) secured a fourth-consecutive World title ahead of Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (15.00m) and Cuban Leyanis Perez Hernandez (14.96m), Jamaica's duo of Shaneika Ricketts and Kimberly Williams, as well as Dominican Thea Lafond, were left empty handed. 

Ricketts (14.92m) and Lafond (14.90m), in particular, would have felt hard done, as their marks which were a season’s best and National Record, respectively, were not good enough on the day. Williams was seventh with a best jump of 14.38m.

There was an electrifying start to the event with the first four jumpers setting the tone for what was to come for the remainder of the event.

Ricketts opened at an initial season’s best 14.86m and Ukraine’s Bekh-Romanchuk, also opened at a season’s best 15.00m, while Cuba’s Perez Hernandez opened at 14.96m and Lafond rewriting Dominica’s National Record with a 14.71m leap to start.

That bettered the 14.62m Lafond achieved in qualifying.

As the competition progressed, the medal places continually switched hands with the women laying down marker after marker, with the Dominican and Jamaican going even further on their initial efforts. 

However, it was Rojas, like a true champion that shook off a shaky start to her series to cut the sand at the winning mark on her very last attempt.

Shericka Jackson defended her 200m world title on Friday at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Having lost the 100m final on Monday, Jackson left it all on the track on Friday, storming away from the stacked field to win in 21.41, breaking her own championship record of 21.45 set in Oregon in 2022. The time is also a new national record.

Jackson now has the second and third fastest times ever in the event.

In Jackson’s wake was American Gabby Thomas who clocked 21.81 for the silver medal. Sha'Carri Richardson, the 100m champion, picked up her second medal of the championships running a personal best 21.92 for bronze.

Julien Alfred of St Lucia, fifth in the 100m final, finished fourth in 22.05 while Daryll Neita of Great Britain ran a personal best 22.16 for fifth place.

Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas finished sixth in 22.29 with Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain close behind in 22.34.

Marie Jose Ta Lou was eighth in 22.64.

Jackson was winning Jamaica's third gold medal in Budapest and ninth medal overall.

Adelle Tracey successfully advanced to the final of the women’s 800m at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on Friday in Budapest.

Tracey produced a personal best 1:58.99 to advance to the final as one of the fastest losers after finishing fourth in the third semi-final. Mary Moraa (1:58.48), Athing Mu (1:58.78) and Halimah Nakaayi (1:58.89) were the top three finishers in the race.

This continues an excellent week for Tracey. She also competed in the 1500m, running a national record 3:58.77 in the semi-finals.

Natoya Goule-Toppin competed in the second of three semi-finals but failed to advance after running 2:00.78 to finish third behind Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie (2:00.28) and the USA’s Raevyn Rogers (2:00.47).

Jamaica secured their spot in the women’s 4x100m relays finals, after registering a comfortable victory in the heats, while Trinidad and Tobago missed out, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Friday.

Running from lane two, the Jamaican quartet of Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shashalee Forbes and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 41.70s ahead of Great Britain 42.33 and Switzerland (42.64s).

Trinidad and Tobago’s quartet of Akilah Lewis, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas, who ran a blistering 9.66s on the third leg, and Leah Bertrand, placed fifth from lane eight in 42.85s.

Unfortunately, that was not good enough to progress as one of the non-automatic qualifiers on time. Those spots were taken by Netherlands (42.53s) and Poland (42.65s), who were fourth and fifth respectively in heat two.

That heat was expectedly won by United States, who progressed as the fastest qualifiers in 41.59s, ahead of Cote D’Ivoire, who achieved a new Area Record 41.90s and Italy, who finished in a National Record 42.14s.

The final will be contested tomorrow at 2:50pm Jamaica time.

Catch live action of the 2023 World Athletics Championships by downloading the Sportsmax app.

USA, Jamaica, Japan advanced to the final of the 4x100m relay on Friday.

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 Jamaica team’s Technical Director at the ongoing IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Maurice Wilson, is indicating that he intends to take legal action against sprinter, Tyquendo Tracey, for statements he deemed “libelous and defamatory” in relation to his non-selection to Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team at the Championships.

Tracey caused a stir on social media on Thursday when he uploaded a 15-minute video on YouTube accusing Wilson of “bias” and “favoritism” after it was found that Kadrian Goldson, a sprinter who attends the GC Foster College where Wilson is principal, was on the team and selected to compete in the heats of the 4x100m relay despite not qualifying for the team through the National Championships.

At those championships, Tracey was fifth in the men’s 100m final while Goldson was seventh. The usual protocol is that the top six finishers from the championships make up the relay pool.

In the video, the sprinter also claimed that Wilson has had a pattern of doing this while also calling him "a very evil and vindictive person."

According to Tracey, after he raised the issue with reporters in Budapest, he was contacted by Security Liaison Officer Steve McGregor and told his accreditation to the championships would be withdrawn and he would be asked to leave the team village.

“The utterances were libelous and defamatory,” Wilson said of Tracey’s allegations on Thursday night.

“My family is coming under attack on social media. The posts are out there. There is no way I will not have to seek redress in reference to my reputation. Track and field is a part of what I do. I’m also involved with youngsters that I mentor and try to assist so there is no way that I can allow this to just be a passing fire,” said Wilson, who is also head coach at the GC Foster College-based Sprintec Track Club.

“I’ve seen these things happen before. Tyquendo Tracey has been disrespectful before to management. He has made allegations on social media before about his former coach Stephen Francis so this is his modus operandi. It is very difficult for me not to seek some form of redress. This has to do with my reputation.”

Jamaican middle-distance runner Aisha Praught-Leer, the 2018 Commonwealth Games 3000m champion, is among the newly elected members of World Athletics’ Athletes Commission. The took place during the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Praught-Leer, who got 559 votes joins New Zealand’s Valerie Adams (NZL), who garnered 627 votes, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) who polled 604 votes, Spain’s Diego Garcia Carrera, who took in 553 votes, the USA’s Jasmine Todd (USA), who had 546 votes and Great Britain’s Adam Gemili, who got 542 votes on the commission that is tasked with empowering athlete representation in Olympic Movement decision-making processes as well as supporting athlete development in their sporting and non-sporting careers.

Six additional Athletes' Commission members will be appointed by the World Athletics Council over the course of the next month to bring the number back to its intended 18. The Chair and Deputy Chair positions will be voted on by the Athletes’ Commission once the membership is finalised.

All athletes accredited for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 had the right to vote in this year’s elections.

To be eligible for election, athletes needed to have competed in at least one of the past two editions of the World Athletics Championships, or in the most recent Olympic Games, or be a competitor at this year’s World Athletics Championships.

This year’s elections introduced a new method of voting. For the first time, voting was done electronically, on portable voting devices, rather than via paper ballots. This transition to electronic voting is in line with World Athletics’ commitment to sustainability, and was introduced to enable a more efficient polling and counting process.

Since 2019, the Chairperson and one other member of the Athletes’ Commission – one woman and one man – have been full voting members of the World Athletics Council.

Jamaica’s Lamara Distin advanced from the qualifying round of the Women’s high jump competition on Friday. However, her teammate Kimberly Williamson was eliminated.

The 23-year-old Commonwealth Games champion, who has been slightly off her best form this season, cleared 1.92m to advance from Group A along with medal favourite Yaroslava Mahuchikh of the Ukraine. Distin began jumping at a height of 1.80 and had a miss at 1.89m. She eventually cleared that height and then soared over 1.92m.

American Vashti Cunningham advanced from Group B alongside Australia’s medal prospect Nicola Olyslagers and Urkaine’s Iryna Geranshcenko.

Williamson’s best effort was 1.85m, which despite being a season’s best performance, was not good enough to see her advance.

Amidst the electrifying atmosphere of the 400m finals at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards found himself on the sidelines, watching the race unfold rather than participating in the fierce competition.

Richards' journey in the championships had been marred by a debilitating foot injury that forced him to bow out of the semi-finals, dampening his hopes for glory.

On Tuesday, August 22, Richards' campaign took an unexpected turn as he finished fifth in his semi-final heat with a time of 44.77. Incidentally, Jamaica’s Antonio Watson, the eventual gold medallist, won that heat in a lifetime best of 44.13.

For Richards, the disappointment of not being able to deliver for his country weighed heavily, prompting him to share his emotions on social media.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Richards expressed his gratitude despite the setback:

"In all things, give thanks and praise to God. Although I exerted maximum effort, it fell short today (Tuesday). These past three weeks have been challenging. During the national championships in the 200m event, I unfortunately suffered a torn plantar fascia and had to make a difficult decision of not participating in the final."

The injury was a blow to Richards, particularly since he values competing for his fans, especially his beloved family and friends, at the national championships. Determined to overcome this hurdle, Richards embarked on a rigorous journey to stay fit and prepared for the World Championships:

"Over the course of two long weeks, I engaged in pool workouts, mat runs, and cycling to maintain my fitness," he said.

Richards extended heartfelt gratitude to the medical professionals who played a pivotal role in his recovery and ability to compete at the World Championships:

"I am grateful for the exceptional medical support system that helped me navigate through this arduous journey. Special thanks to Dr Anyl Gopeesingh, Shaun Kettle, Alban Nicole, Keston Bledman, Lance Brauman, and Jerrica."

Navigating through uncertainty, Richards' determination and resilience shone as he found a way to grace the World Championships despite the challenges:

"Initially uncertain if I would be able to compete at the World Championships, by the grace of God I made it there. I extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who supported and prayed for me. I deeply appreciate your unwavering support. I will strive to continue giving my best to Trinidad and Tobago."

Antonio Watson produced a spirited run to claim his maiden World title in the men’s 400m final at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Thursday.

The 21-year-old, who produced a massive personal best 44.14 in the semi-finals on Tuesday, ran a measured first 300m before producing a magnificent final 100m to blaze past Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith who was second in 44.31. American Quincy Hall ran a personal best 44.37 to take bronze.

2011 World Champion Kirani James ran 44.52 for fifth while Sean Bailey ran 44.96 for sixth.

Watson’s gold medal is the second in the World Championships by a Jamaican with the first coming 40 years ago when Bert Cameron took gold in Helsinki.

Like she did in Doha in 2019, Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton secured another World Athletics Championships medal, after placing third in the women’s 400 metres hurdles final in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday.

Clayton, 30, who has been holding superb form demonstrated that much, clocking a new personal best 52.81s, just being edged by American Shamier Little, who clocked a season’s best 52.80s for silver.

The event was won by the impressive Dutchwoman Femke Bol, who finally got gold in 51.70s, to go with her bronze at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and silver at last year’s Championships in Eugene.

 Jamaica’s other finalists Janieve Russell (54.28s) and Andrenette Knight (55.20s) were seventh and eighth respectively.

Clayton's performance capped what was an exhilarating night for Jamaica, as her bronze, followed gold medal performances by Antonio Watson in the 400m and Danielle Williams in the women's sprint hurdles, as well as an historic silver and bronze medal winning performances by Wayne Pinnock and Tajay Gayle in the men's long jump finals.

By virtue of that, Jamaica moved to third on the medal standings with two gold, three silver and three bronze medals, heading into Friday's seventh day of competition.

It may not have ended how they would have wanted but Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock and Tajay Gayle had something to celebrate, as they took silver and bronze behind Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou in the men’s long jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday.

The intriguing contest saw Tentoglou, the Olympic Champion and last year’s World Championships silver medallist, snatching victory from Pinnock with his very last jump, while Gayle did the same in edging the other Jamaican Carey McLeod, for bronze.

Pinnock led most of the competition with his best mark of 8.50m and Gayle achieved his best, a season’s best 8.27m on his sixth and final jump, much like Tentoglou cut the sand at the winning 8.52m with his last attempt. McLeod, who also had a best mark of 8.27m, lost the bronze on the count back.

This was the first time Jamaica has won two medals in the long jump event.

Like it was in qualifying, Pinnock was again poetry in motion where execution is concerned, as he was perfect off the board and that propelled him to an opening mark of 8.40m.

Though Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece soared to season’s best of 8.50m on his opening attempt, Pinnock was not perturbed. Instead, he followed up his first effort with a big 8.50m on his second attempt, to overtake the Tentoglou on the countback, after the Greece athlete overstepped on his second effort.

With Tentoglou hitting 8.39m on his third attempt and Pinnock cut the sand at 6.39m, the stage was set for what was expected to be a mouth-watering clash on the three additional jumps.

However, Pinnock, only managed 8.03m, 7.96m and 8.38m during that series, while Tentoglou had a no jump, followed by 8.30m and the winning 8.52m.

Gayle, the 2019 World Champion, who wasn’t too convincing in qualifying, was again slow into stride with his first jump being an underwhelming 6.50m. However, he recovered well to cut the sand at 8.17m on his second attempt in a positive 0.4 metres per second wind reading, but later fouled his third attempt.

His last three attempts saw a foul, followed by 8.11 and 8.27m, as he found rhythm late.

It was a similar trend for McLeod, who opened with 7.90m, before cutting the sand at 8.27m in a positive 0.8 metres per second wind, on his second attempt, but overstepped on the third attempt where he landed awkwardly.

From there it was downhill for Carey, who registered 6.57m and 7.19m, with the other being a no jump.

You can catch live action of the 2023 World Athletic Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.

Just like she did in Beijing in 2015, Danielle Williams stunned the field to claim World Championship gold in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Thursday.

The 30-year-old got a bullet start and held her nerve to come across the line in a season’s best 12.43 ahead of pre-race favorite and reigning Olympic Champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, who was just behind in second with 12.44. Camacho-Quinn entered the final unbeaten in 12 races this season.

American former World Record holder, Keni Harrison, was third in 12.46 while Bahamian World Indoor Champion, Devynne Charlton, was fourth in 12.52. NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion, Ackera Nugent, ran 12.61 for fifth while World Record holder and defending World Champion, Tobi Amusan, ran 12.62 in sixth.

World 100m champion Noah Lyles remained on course for the sprint double after winning his semi-final heat in a fast 19.76s at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Thursday. Also through are Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Letsile Tebogo, the other medallists in the blue-ribbon sprint.

After initilally failing to progress with compatriot Rasheed Dwyer, Andrew Hudson was added to the medal event which will now see all nine lanes being occupied.

Lyles unleashed his superior speed and put distance between himself and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic who clocked in at 20.22 to seal his spot in the final.

Meanwhile, Tebogo show-boated down the home stretch looking across at Kenneth Bednarek of the United States, who won the heat in 19.96, with the Botswanian close behind in 19.97.

The USA’s Erriyon Knighton is also in the final after winning his heat in 19.98 with Hughes close behind in 20.02. Four athletes from the heat advanced to the final as Canada’s Andre DeGrasse (20.10) and Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh (20.21) took the spots for non-automatic qualifiers.

Hudson, who was fifth in his heat in 20.38, almost didn’t compete as the cart taking to the stadium collided with another and resulted in flying glass getting into his eye. As such, the officials felt it was only fair to give him a lane in the final.

Dwyer was sixth in the final heat in 20.49.