Following her victory in the triple jump at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco today, Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts said she feels like she is on track for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics that gets underway later this month.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce admits she was not happy to lose to Elaine Thompson-Herah at the 2021 Gyulai István Memorial in Hungary on Tuesday but says she has time to fix what went wrong in the race.

Thompson-Herah, the 2016 Olympic champion, stormed to victory in 10.71 to turn the tables on her compatriot and fierce rival, who had beaten her at the Jamaica Olympic trials on the night of Friday, June 25.

“If I am being honest, nobody is happy when they lose. It is what it is,” said Fraser-Pryce, who ran 10.82 for second place in Hungary.

“You know what you need to do, you know what happened in the race and you know what needs to be fixed and I think you have that time to fix it.

“You can always go back, you can watch the race and where your downfall was and how you work to make sure that it doesn’t happen in the Olympics. It’s a moment for learning and you use it to fuel you for the next one.”

However, the four-time world 100m champion said she is excited about the depth of talent among the Jamaican women that currently has several of the best female sprinters in the world including Shericka Jackson, Briana Williams, Kemba Nelson and Thompson-Herah.

With regard to the men, she believes patience is required.

“The men always have trouble. There are always some issues with the men,” she joked.

“On the female side, I think females are a lot more competitive so it’s almost as if its innate for them to always want to compete and do what’s necessary while for the men, I don’t know what’s the issue, but I definitely think that eventually, it will work itself out.

“It always happens. Before we had Usain, we had a lull, so I think we just have to give it time and I think they have to want it more for themselves than anything else and I think they don’t need to think about filling Usain’s shoes because those are huge shoes to fill. They just have to focus on them and what they’re able to do to show what they have to offer to the sport.”

Fraser-Pryce competes over 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco today. She will go up against Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Marie Josee Ta Lou in what is expected to be a competitive race.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz have established themselves as genuine title contenders in the flagship Concacaf Gold Cup.

Over the three consecutive editions, the Jamaicans were beaten finalists in 2015 (3-1 to Mexico) and 2017 (2-1 to the United States), and were losing semi-finalists in 2019 (3-1 to the U.S.), performances that underline their pedigree in the biennial tournament.

Having come so close to being crowned champions, the only thing left for the Reggae Boyz at this stage it seems is to lift the trophy.

Still, veteran Damion Lowe says while the team will be targeting the title, it’s a goal they aim to pursue with an air of cautious optimism, and with as little pressure as possible.

“There is no pressure because people always write us off, and even now people don’t give us the recognition that we deserve and how good we are as a team, especially in tournaments,” he said.

“Nobody expected us to become a powerhouse in Concacaf as we started from scratch and built the programme,” Lowe added.

When Jamaica kick-starts its Group C campaign against Suriname at Exploria Stadium in Orlando on July 12, Lowe notes that the plan is to let the country’s football do the talking.

“So for us, the job is the same and that’s to prove people wrong. We will do our best and let the football speak for itself,” said the Al-Ittihad defender, who will be participating in his third Gold Cup tournament.

Lowe, 28, says he has grown to love playing in the Gold Cup.

“Playing in the Gold Cup tournament is always a joy. We are grateful for the experience and how far we have come as a nation and we just want to move on to higher heights,” he said.

The Jamaicans, who are currently hosting a pre-tournament training camp in Orlando, have quality within their ranks with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon and Bailey and former Manchester United wonder kid Ravel Morrison.

With the pair, plus a host of English-born players and local-bred talent, the Boyz are quite capable of ruffling more than just a few feathers in the 2021 edition of the confederation’s marquee competition.

The Boyz also have group stage matches against Costa Rica and Guadeloupe.

Meanwhile, Lowe says he is still getting used to life playing in the Egyptian topflight.

The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), sports’ parent body locally, will be investing $15 million into its Equipment Grant to benefit its member bodies.

Financing for the program was secured through a three-year partnership worth $45 million with Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL). At the time when the agreement was signed in April, the JOA had made known its plans to make funds available to sporting associations for equipment, noting that it is critical to building capacity for sport and the performance of athletes.

This is the second activation of the Supreme Ventures partnership with the JOA after they invested $7.5 million in the Jamaica National Trials last month.

Also, for some associations, the acquisition of equipment has been expensive and beyond their grasp, which has consequences for athletes whose daily regimen of exercise constitutes training with equipment, which is vital to their preparation and overall development.

The Equipment Grant is another facet of the JOA’s Olympic Invest initiative that was launched in 2020, which has, among its primary objectives, the sustainability and viability of Olympic and non-Olympic sports. Some of the members that will be benefitting from this grant are Jamaica Triathlon Association, Jamaica Wrestling Federation, Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation, Jamaica Cricket Association and Jamaica Lawn Bowling Association.

With an oft-expressed view to equip and empower its member associations by providing the means to opportunity and success, the JOA further maintains the provision of the equipment is enabling sport with the required tools of the trade.

This program follows upon the recently announced partnership with select members of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council to raise $200 million through a ‘Dollar Plan’ campaign that will be done later this year. These funds raised will be used to expand the JOA funding portfolio to support a wider diversity in sports over the next quadrennial.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is hopeful she will improve on her 200m lifetime best when she competes at the Diamond League’s Herculis meet in Monaco where she goes up against Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Marie Josee Ta Lou on Friday.

 On reflection, three-time Jamaica national 400m hurdles champion Janieve Russell can’t help but think that it was her destiny to compete in the event, after the fortuitous circumstances that led to her moving away from the long jump, a discipline near and dear to her heart.

After a superb run that led to her blowing away the country’s best athletes, in a season-best of 54.04 seconds, to claim the Women's 400m Hurdles title at the Jamaica National Championships, it was clearly a great choice but for a long time, one that wasn’t even on the cards.

In fact, Russell spent the majority of her junior career as a long jumper and competed successfully at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships for her high school, Holmwood, in the event.  The 2019 World 400m hurdles silver medalist now believes wholeheartedly that the track itself called her to her destined event after the unexpected way she ended up competing in it.

"I believe the track was choosing my destiny for me because I really love long jump; that was my main event back in high school and by some chance, I was entered to the 400m Hurdles because someone on the team had to pull out. And then, I just continued, went to MVP and the coach said you are going to stick to the hurdles, not the long jump,” Russell explained.

Russell has had a solid career, and in addition to the three national titles, has picked up wins at the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.

Winning her third national title was a special moment for Russell, who admitted that she fully expected to be up against a challenging field. Her top priority though was to finish in an automatic spot, then channel all her energy to focusing on Tokyo.

"It is a tough field in the 400m hurdles event this year, so I am just using these trials to work on my mental state and I am just really happy to come out on top because my aim was just to be in the top three and just be on the Olympic team,” Russell said.

Off the back of a rectus femoris injury (acute tearing injury of the quadriceps) that she suffered in 2016, Russell insists that she has gotten stronger physically and mentally. 

"My MVP team and I have been working hard on our mental training, been working on my physical (fitness), ensuring that I am not injury prone, because, trust me, two weeks or one week before any trials I have always had an injury. I have been very careful this year, I have been eating properly, I have been doing everything by the book and I am just really grateful again to be out here by the grace of God to compete injury-free and to be on top."

Though she is a decorated nine-time gold medalist at the CARIFTA Games and a double gold medalist at the 2012 World Junior Championships, Russell’s ultimate aim is to match the feats of Deon Hemmings and Melanie Walker who both won gold medals for the country at the Olympic level.

"I will definitely try, as I said before it is a very tough field. I am just going out there with guts and to just represent my country, come out with a personal best and just do the best I can."

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will run from July 23 to August 8.

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah legitimately feared missing out on a chance to defend her Olympic titles because of a longstanding, ongoing injury issue.

The athlete finished third in both the 100m and 200m at last month’s Jamaica National Championships but admits for a few weeks leading up to the event she was not sure she could have taken part.

The 29-year-old said that leading up to the national trials, she suffered from an Achilles injury that earlier forced her to withdraw from the Gateshead Diamond League event that she was scheduled to compete in on the 23rd of May.

“It’s that same Achilles injury, it’s been bothering me for almost five years now…it’s not that bad for surgery but it’s overworked I guess, so I have to monitor it properly, Thompson-Herah revealed.

The athlete put in a dominant performance at the Rio Olympics five years ago, where she won gold in both sprint events and silver in the women’s 4x100m relay.

The result at the national trials might not have been exactly what she wanted, but Thompson-Herah maintains she is grateful that she managed to at least finish third in both events, and with that securing the chance to win back-to-back Olympic titles.

“It’s been a challenging month, over the last month I have been in a lot of pain. I drew God closer and said God I am talking to you now, help me to do this at the trials,” Thompson said.

“I spoke to my coach and asked coach ‘will I be able to go to the trials?’ because I was in so much pain. But, I can’t complain, I am not frowning I am smiling through my pain, I have made my second Olympics and I am super excited, the work has to go on.”

Despite the fact that she was hampered by the injury, Thompson-Herah knows that she had to work that much harder, as the competition to secure spots on the team remains fierce.

“A lot of females are out here, and they are hungry for the Olympics, it’s the Olympics, everybody wants to go to the Olympics. I am the reigning Olympic champion, so everybody wants to get to that line (first), myself included.”

As the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games inches closer, quizzed about her expectations, Thompson-Herah insisted she would not be placing any pressure unnecessary expectations on herself, as she focuses on herself and her well-being.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t put any pressure on myself, my main focus is me and my health, I just put in some more work, reset and refocus.”

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson continues to send clear signals that she will be a force to be reckoned with in the sprints this Olympics, after registering a convincing win over the Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo, at the Gyulai István Memorial meet, on Tuesday.

Jackson, who was formerly a 400m specialist, stepped down to the shorter distances this year and has had impressive results.  The sprinter clocked new personal bests of 10.77 and 21.82 last month at her country’s national championships.

In Hungary, on Tuesday, the runner continued in that vein, dismissing the field to finish first in 21.96.  Jackson seized control of the race early and comfortably held off a typically fast-finishing Miller-Uibo, who took second in 22.15.  Dafne Schippers, the 2017 World Champion, was third in 22.70.

In other action, both Caribbean athletes in the men’s 110m hurdles failed to secure a podium spot.  Jamaica’s Ronald Levy finished fourth with a time of 13.25 and Shane Brathwaite was 7^th in 14.10.  The race was won by the United States’ Grant Halloway who took the top spot with a time of 13.08.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaica’s Janieve Russell took third in a season’s best 53.68.  The race was won by Netherland’s Femke Bol in a meet record 52.81.

Reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah scored an impressive win over compatriot and rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, in the women’s 100m, at the Gyulai István Memorial meet on Tuesday.

Two weeks ago, it was Fraser-Pryce who beat Thompson-Herah to claim the Jamaica 100m national title.  This time around, Thompson-Herah turned the tables to lead virtually wire to wire to clock a fast 10.71.  The time was a new meeting record and just one 100^th of a second outside of her personal best.

Fraser-Pryce was second in 10.82, with Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou third in 10.86.  Another Caribbean athlete, Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle Lee-Ahye was third in 11.09, her second-best time this season.  Fraser-Pryce owns the fastest time in the world this year, and second-best all-time, after her 10.63 clocking last month.

Elsewhere, Stefanie-Ann McPherson continued her excellent run of form after clocking another sub-50 time to claim the women’s 400m.  Running from lane 4, the Jamaican national champion had all but covered the field by the halfway mark and was comfortable in getting to the line in 49.99.  The United States’ Wadeline Jonathas was second in 50.70, with the Netherlands ’ Lieke Klaver third in 51.29.

In other events, Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres claimed third spot in the men’s discus after registering a best of 65.08.  The event was won by Sweden’s Daniel Sthal who recorded 67.71.  Lithuania’s Andrius Gudžius was second with a mark of 66.71.

Rising stars Justin Burrowes and Emily Mayne have been named among a 12-member team that will represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships, scheduled for August 8-13 in Puerto Rico, where they will compete for the Hoerman Cup and George Teale Trophy, for men and women, respectively.

Veteran jockey Shane Ellis stylishly completed his 21st Classic triumph as the unfancied colt Calculus swept to a commanding upset win in Saturday’s Jamaica St Leger in his first run for trainer Gary Subratie.

The 4-5 favourite Miniature Man was a disappointing sixth as Calculus rebounded from a seventh-place finish in the early June 2000 Guineas to land the Betmakers JA$4.5 Million (US$30,126) St Leger by 6-3/4 lengths. He scored at 7-1 odds and handed Trinidadian owner Chevan Maharaj his second St Leger win at Caymanas Park in three years.

As Ellis surged to his fifth St Leger success and trainer Subratie his second in a row, the 3-2 second favourite Further and Beyond was second and the Fillies Guineas winner She’s a Wonder (9-2) third a further length and a quarter behind.

“Number five is very very sweet,” said Ellis after triumphantly reuniting with Maharaj, whose colt Supreme Soul had given the ex-champion jockey his first Triple Crown victory in 2019.

It was Ellis’s first race aboard Calculus as the colt, bred by Sensational Slam out of the Bernardini mare Trinket, recorded his third win from eight lifetime starts.

Out of the starting gates, the 2000 Guineas champion Miniature Man cruised out of the three-box to lead and went to the mile pole in front, chased by the 93-1 outsider Simba the Lion and last year’s champion two-year-old Further and Beyond.

Ellis made a sharp move forward leaving the six-furlong marker and in a flash had surged from seventh to fourth on the heels of the front running trio.

Calculus and Further and Beyond quickened away from a fading Miniature Man for a duel leaving the half-mile while She’s a Wonder accelerated into a challenging third position coming off the final bend.

Ellis was off the rail as he engaged reigning co-champion jockey Dane Nelson aboard Further and Beyond on his outside while She’s a Wonder darted to the rail for her homestretch challenge.

The battle was brief as Calculus responded to a few left-handed cracks of the whip and pulled clear for the big win that Ellis thinks makes him favourite for the August 6 Jamaica Derby.

“He’ll be the one to beat for sure,” said Ellis, who already has five Derby wins.

Calculus clocked two minutes 08 and 4/5ths of a second for the 10-furlong trip.

“It feels very good, I love my fans because they know when it comes to big races, Shane Ellis is the man,” added the 47-year-old who also won St Leger races aboard Typewriter (2012), Relampago (2014), Marquesas (2018) and Supreme Soul two years ago.

Subratie, who won last year’s St Leger with 31-1 outsider Nipster, only took charge of Calculus – coming from the Anthony Nunes stables -- in recent weeks. The colt arrived at his stables on June 7 when Maharaj purchased him from another T&T owner Shivam Maharaj.

In spite of Calculus’s failure to win from three starts since his Sir Howard Stakes Guineas prep victory in mid-March, Subratie said he anticipated a strong St Leger effort.

“I expected him to run very well because he has beaten those horses, some of them before. He had some issues, it took a couple of weeks to kind of figure it out,” Subratie said, adding that Calculus will be the horse to beat in the Derby. “Most definitely he just showed it.”

2011 World 100m gold medallist, Yohan Blake, has promised a return to ‘beast mode’ for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, reviving an association with a moniker he had given up several years ago.

Just a few months before competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Blake publicly stated that he wished not to be called 'the beast' anymore, an on-track persona that had seen him become the second fastest man ever over 200m, after clocking a lifetime best of 19.26secs in 2011.

On the back of a few serious injuries, however, Blake has failed to hit those heights since.  At Jamaica’s National Championships, after a disappointing second-place finish in the men's 100m finals, he was motivated to take the top spot in the 200m.

Unfortunately, things did not go as he had planned.  He was second-best yet again in his second final of the meet. 

With legendary sprint sensation Usain Bolt having retired in 2017, many will be fancying their chances of winning a prized gold medal, and among the hopefuls is Blake himself.

And, for the 32nd staging of the Olympic Games, Blake says he is taking back the 'beast mode' this summer.

"It was a transition that I thought that in myself that the beast represents evil but when I look at it, it’s just a fiction and for me, it’s just acting,” Blake said of the decision.

“It is not like I am taking on the beast, but I am drawing back for the beast, so the beast is going to be back at the Olympics,” he added.

 "I am feeling my old self, I am feeling everything and with God all things are possible. I am getting in my finishing touches and going back to my coach.”

Blake said that finishing second in both sprint events will not impact his confidence going into Tokyo because he is confident in his abilities.

"I know what I can do and definitely, I should have won that 100 with ease, but for some reason, God doesn't want the spotlight to be on me as yet. I just want to sneak up because I know I am not leaving that stadium without a medal."

A fully fit Leon Bailey has been included in Jamaica’s 23-man squad named today for the 2021 Gold Cup competition in the United States.