The Caribbean contingent made a powerful statement in the 400m preliminary rounds at the Paris Olympic Games on Monday, with several athletes advancing to the semi-finals. Leading the charge were Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, Stacey-Ann Williams, and Junelle Bromfield, joined by Barbados’ Sada Williams and the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino.

 Pryce, Jamaica’s national record holder and the fastest woman in the world this year over the distance with a time of 48.57, displayed her class by cruising to victory in the second of six heats. Pryce clocked a comfortable 50.02, ensuring her place in the semi-finals without expending unnecessary energy.

Her compatriot, Stacey-Ann Williams, also delivered a strong performance, securing second place in the opening heat with a season’s best time of 50.16. Williams finished behind the 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who posted a swift 49.91, signaling her intent to reclaim her dominance in the event.

Bromfield rounded out the Jamaican qualifiers with a solid third-place finish in the final heat, crossing the line in 51.36. This heat was dominated by Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, who looked impressive with a winning time of 50.09, while the USA’s Alexis Holmes followed closely in 50.35.

Barbados’ Sada Williams, a two-time world championship bronze medalist, continued to impress with a third-place finish in Heat 4, clocking 50.45. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, the European champion, won the heat with a sharp 49.98, indicating that she will be a formidable competitor in the semi-finals.

Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the reigning world champion, demonstrated why she is a favorite for gold by easily winning her heat. Paulino clocked a blistering 49.42, the fastest time in the qualifying rounds, with Cuba’s Roxana Gomez finishing second in 50.38.

In other heats, Great Britain’s Amber Anning, a fellow Razorback of Pryce, won Heat 3 with a time of 49.98, narrowly edging out Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver, who finished in 49.96.

However, not all Caribbean athletes had a smooth path to the semi-finals. Aliyah Abrams of Guyana will have to navigate the repechage round to secure her spot, adding an element of uncertainty to her Olympic journey.

In a groundbreaking achievement for Jamaican athletics, three of the nation's top field athletes have advanced to the final of the men's discus throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Traves Smikle, Roje Stona, and Ralford Mullings have all secured their spots in the final, marking a significant milestone for Jamaica in the field events.

Leading the Jamaican charge at the Stade de France, Traves Smikle threw an impressive 65.91m, finishing fifth overall and fourth in Group A. Smikle's performance set the tone for his compatriots as Roje Stona followed closely, delivering a throw of 65.32m to finish sixth overall and second in Group B. Stona's strong showing reinforced Jamaica's emerging strength in this discipline, highlighting the depth of talent within the team.

Completing the trio, Ralford Mullings threw 65.18m, placing seventh overall and fifth in Group A. Mullings' performance ensured that all three Jamaican throwers advanced as the best non-automatic qualifiers for the final.

The upcoming men's discus throw final, scheduled for August 7, promises to be an exhilarating event, with the Jamaican trio poised to make history and potentially secure medals for their country

Jamaica’s Deandre Watkin, Sean Bailey, and St. Lucia’s Michael Joseph faced a challenging day in the men's 400m repechage, with none of the athletes advancing to the next round.

In a turn of bad luck, Watkin did not start in Heat 1, marking a disappointing beginning for the Jamaican contingent.

St. Lucia's Michael Joseph put forth a commendable effort in Heat 2, finishing fourth with a time of 45.64 seconds. Despite his valiant performance, Joseph fell short of advancing to the next round.

Jamaica’s Sean Bailey, competing in Heat 4, did not finish the race, adding to the series of setbacks. Bailey's race ended abruptly, further contributing to the run of unfortunate circumstances faced by the group in this event.

In contrast, Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands showed her steel in the women's 200m repechage round, successfully advancing to the semifinals.

Competing in Heat 1, Hodge delivered a strong performance, finishing in second place with a time of 22.94 seconds. Her impressive run ranked her fourth overall among all competitors in the repechage round, securing her a spot in the semifinals and bringing hope and pride to BVI.

Canada’s Jacqueline Madogo had the fastest qualifying time of 22.58 seconds, setting a new personal best in the process.

As the competition progresses, Caribbean athletes like Hodge continue to inspire with their performances, despite the challenges faced by their counterparts in other events. The semifinals promise to be an exciting and competitive stage, where Hodge will look to further her success and potentially bring home a medal for the British Virgin Islands.

 Jamaica’s national champion Malik James-King, Roshawn Clarke, and Jaheel Hyde have all secured spots in the semi-final round of the 400m hurdles following the preliminary heats on Monday at the Paris Olympics. They will be joined by the British Virgin Islands’ Olympic hopeful Kyron McMaster, marking a strong showing for Caribbean athletes in this event.

James-King, who posted a personal best of 47.42 to win the Jamaican national championships in June, delivered a smooth performance in the heats. He clocked 48.21 to comfortably win the last of five heats, securing his place as an automatic qualifier.

Clarke, who finished second to James-King at the Jamaican trial won Heat Four in a time of 48.17, ensuring his advancement to the semi-finals.

Hyde, competing in the opening heat against gold medal favorite Rai Benjamin, crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 49.08. Benjamin took the heat in an effortless 48.82. McMaster followed closely, securing third place in 49.24 to move on to the next round.

Among the other medal favorites, Norway’s Karsten Warholm emerged as the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals, winning Heat Two in an impressive 47.57. Frenchman Clement Docus achieved a lifetime best of 47.69 to take second place, while Abderrahman Samba of Qatar finished third in 48.85.

In another heat, Estonia’s Rasmus Magi led the pack with a winning time of 48.62, followed by the USA’s CJ Allen, who clocked 48.64. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, another strong contender for a medal, secured his semi-final spot with a time of 48.85.

In a groundbreaking moment for Jamaican athletics, Shanieka Ricketts soared to win her first Olympic medal, a silver, in the women’s triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Her season-best leap of 14.87m not only secured her place on the podium but also marked the first-ever Olympic field event medal won by a Jamaican woman. Dominica’s Thea LaFond claimed gold with a personal best of 15.02 m, creating a historic moment for both athletes and their nations.

Coach Kerrylee Ricketts, the guiding force behind Shanieka’s journey, reflected on the meticulous preparation and decades of experience that culminated in this historic achievement. “Both of us are really happy, elated to be on the podium, first Olympic medal. We are so happy and over the moon,” he expressed, capturing the joy and fulfillment of their shared success.

Like all elite coaches, Kerrylee’s coaching philosophy centres on peaking at the right moment. “In terms of getting her ready, the programme is always written for her to peak at major championships. For the most part, we target whichever major championship, so we train through most of our competitions,” he explained.

With 20 years of coaching experience, Kerrylee has honed his craft through trial and error, learning valuable lessons along the way. “This year is my 20th anniversary of coaching jumps, and I have had time to practice, to get things right. I’ve made mistakes and learned from them both at the senior and junior levels," he recalled. "I’ve coached at St Elizabeth Technical High School, which is where I am back at the moment, having returned from England after living there for more than a decade.”

His foundational years at the high school level, particularly at St Elizabeth Technical High School and Manchester High School, provided him with the insights needed to succeed. “One of the things I learned at the high school level was to get it right for Champs. Champs is basically the level where I first got it right, got the knowledge and understanding of how to get it right when I want to get it right for the athletes.”

Transitioning to coaching professionals, Kerrylee applied his tried-and-tested methods to Shanieka’s training regimen. “When I started coaching pros with Shanieka, I basically had a programme structure already in place, a formula of how to get this done", he said. "And I have learned along the way as well even with Shanieka because sometimes it hasn’t been perfect all the way, but what I have learned is how and when to tweak the programme or when to prepare her to get her best at these major championships.”

Despite facing less-than-ideal weather conditions in Paris, Kerrylee maintained focus on their goal. “This year was no different. We were targeting her to get a season-best, a personal best, or whichever came at the Olympics. Sadly, the weather wasn’t conducive. We are grateful for the silver medal. It was our first Olympic medal, Jamaica’s first female field events medal as well, so we appreciate the fact that we did that and that she contributed to the overall medal tally for Jamaica.”

The emotional victory brought tears to both Shanieka and Kerrylee, who have been married for the past eight years. “Shanieka is happy, she is elated. Both of us cried. A lot of people counted us out, but we never counted ourselves out because we knew what we were doing and what the plan was. Medals are never won in May but major championships are always in August or September, and that is when we peak,” he said.

 Kerrylee highlighted their disciplined approach, focusing on their own performance rather than early-season results from competitors. “We never want to look at who is jumping big early. We stay in our zone and keep our eyes on the target," he said. "Last year (at the World Championships in Budapest), it wasn’t a good World Championships for us when she was fourth, even though she really had some good jumps. She had a season-best there, she had jumps that could have seen her on the podium, but she was giving up too much (distance) on the board.”

In Paris, despite facing a challenging negative breeze during the competition, Shanieka’s preparation paid off. “That was something we tried to fix (Saturday), but we had a lot of negative breeze in our faces, and that restricted us from getting some good jumps, but it was a good night. We are happy. We came here for a medal, and we got a medal, and we are grateful for that.”

Noah Lyles says he put everything on the line to earn his first-ever Olympic gold by winning the men's 100m sprint final on Sunday.

In a tightly contested race, there was a photo finish, with the American getting across the line in 9.79 seconds, just five-thousandths of a second in front of Jamaica's Kishane Thompson.

He walked away with a personal best, having successfully started his bid to win four golds at this year's Olympics.

All eight of the athletes finished within 0.12 seconds of Lyles' time, making it the closest 100m final since Moscow 1980, and the 27-year-old says he was prepared to find his edge in what he expected to be a tight race.

"You couldn't have asked for a bigger moment. A guy in biomechanics comes down, and before I came out here, he said it was going to be this much," Lyles told BBC Sport, holding up his hand to show a narrow gap behind his index finger and thumb, "that's how close it is going to be and gosh was he right.

"I had to take every round as it was, and I was a little upset after the first round, so I came with the aggression, and after I ran that 83, and I was done with the aggression. My sports therapist told me you need to let go, you're holding on. Let go and release it.

"I hope you guys like Noah because I got a lot more coming!"

In his post-race press conference, he also admitted he did not think he had actually managed to get across the line in front of Thompson.

"We were waiting for the names to pop up, and I'm going to be honest, I came over [to Thompson] and I was like: 'I think you got that one, big dawg!'" he said.

"Something said I need to lean, and I was like, 'I'm going to lean' because it's that type of race."

Thompson looking to be leading for much of the race and was caught up with Fred Kerley to his left, with the American taking bronze.

"I'm going to be disappointed, but I'm super happy and grateful at the same time," Thompson said. "I just got to take it as what it is and just move forward from here.

"I wasn't patient enough with my speed myself."

Bobby Finke shattered the 1,500m freestyle world record on the final day of swimming at the Paris Olympics, successfully defending his gold medal.

The American stayed below the world-record pace throughout the entire race and finished the race in an outstanding 14 minutes 30.67 seconds, beating Chinese swimmer Yang Sun's time of 14:31.02 from London 2012.

His triumph also ensured a 124-year record stayed intact for the United States, continuing their run of having an individual male swimming champion at the Olympic Games.

Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri finished in second, while race-favourite Daniel Wiffen of Ireland earned a bronze, failing to secure a second gold after winning the 800m freestyle on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old became the first athlete from Team Ireland to win more than one medal in the Games in 28 years, bringing their tally up to six medals, equalling their best-ever haul from 2012.

Meanwhile, in the women's 4x100m relay, Team USA set another world record by winning gold in 3:49.63, breaking the record of 3:50.40 set by the United States at the 2019 World Championships.

The men's 4x100m relay team, however, were aiming to win an 11th-consecutive gold medal in the medley but were beaten to the wall by China, ending a 64-year unbeaten streak in the process.

Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards, Grenada's Kirani James, and Jamaica's Jevaughn Powell have successfully advanced to the semi-final round of the men’s 400m at the 2024 Paris Olympics following their performances on Sunday.

Richards led the Caribbean charge with an impressive time of 44.31, finishing second in Heat 2 behind 2022 World Champion Michael Norman of the USA, who clocked the fastest time of the preliminary round at 44.10. Richards' strong performance secures him a spot in the semi-finals and continues his quest for Olympic glory.

James, the 2012 Olympic champion, had a comfortable run in Heat 5, winning in 44.78. James finished ahead of Canada’s Christopher Morales Williams, who crossed the line in 44.96, ensuring his place in the next round.

Jamaica's Jevaughn Powell also made it through to the semi-finals, finishing third in Heat 6 with a time of 45.12. The heat was won by Great Britain’s Charles Dobson in 44.96, with Belgium’s Alexander Doom taking second in 45.01.

However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for all Caribbean competitors. Jamaica’s national champion Deandre Watkin and compatriot Sean Bailey will need to utilize the newly introduced repechage round for another chance to advance. Bailey ran a respectable 44.68 in Heat 2 but could only manage fifth place. Watkin, who initially looked strong, faded over the last 150m in the opening heat and finished seventh with a time of 45.97. This heat was won by Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith in 44.78.

Both Watkin and Bailey will hope for better performances in the repechage round set for Monday morning, giving them a final opportunity to make it to the semi-finals and keep their Olympic dreams alive.

The performances of Richards, James, and Powell highlight the strength and depth of Caribbean sprinting talent. As they move on to the semi-finals, they carry with them the hopes and expectations of their nations, aiming to make a significant impact on the Olympic stage.

In a thrilling semi-final round on Sunday, Shafiqua Maloney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines fought her way into the 800m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Maloney set a new national record, clocking in at 1:57.59 to secure second place in her heat and a spot in the final.

 Maloney's remarkable performance places her among the elite contenders, where she will once again face heat winner Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia. Duguma, who ran a personal best of 1:57.47, will be a formidable opponent in the final. The USA's Juliette Whittaker, with a personal best of 1:57.76, and Frenchwoman Renelle Lamote, who finished in 1:57.78, also advanced from the highly competitive heat.

 Medal favorite Mary Moraa of Kenya demonstrated her prowess by winning the first of the three semi-finals with a time of 1:57.86. She will be joined in the final by Worknesh Mesele of Ethiopia, who posted a time of 1:58.06.

 In contrast, Jamaica's Natoya Goule once again fell short of expectations. Despite being among the front runners, Goule faded down the home stretch and finished sixth in her semi-final with a time of 1:59.14, thus ending her Olympic campaign.

 The final semi-final heat saw gold-medal favorite Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain taking no chances. Hodgkinson stormed to victory in 1:56.86, leaving South Africa's Prudence Sekgodiso behind. Sekgodiso also secured her spot in the final with a time of 1:57.57.

 As the stage is set for the 800m final, Shafiqua Maloney’s impressive journey and record-setting performance have not only elevated her status but also brought pride to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The final promises to be a spectacular showdown as the world's best middle-distance runners vie for Olympic glory.

American Noah Lyles added the Olympic 100m title to his World 100m crown won last year in Budapest with a narrow victory over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and American Fred Kerley in the final of the men’s 100m at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.

Thompson, the Jamaican national champion and current world leader in the event, looked set to claim his maiden Olympic gold medal at about the 85m mark before Lyles used his trademark fast finish to just out-dip him in the end.

Both Lyles and Thompson ended with identical times of 9.79 but Lyles won by five thousandths of a second when the times were rounded down. Lyles’ time was 9.784 compared to Thompson’s 9.789.

Fred Kerley, the 2022 World champion, ran 9.81 for bronze.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine narrowly missed out on a medal running 9.82 in fourth while defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85.

Letsile Tebogo (9.86), Kenneth Bednarek (9.88) and Oblique Seville (9.91) rounded out the field.

Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville have the top two fastest times going into the 100m finals set for later today.

Thompson, the newcomer, easily won his heat in 9.80s, 0.01 faster than his compatriot Oblique Seville who cruised to a personal best 9.81 to win his heat while looking across at the brash American Noah Lyles who ran 9.983.

The USA’s Fred Kerley was second in Thompson’s heat in 9.84,  a season’s best.

Also through to the final are South Africa’s Akani Simbini (9.86), Letsile Tebogo (9.91), and reigning Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs, who ran a season’s best 9.92. The USA’s Kenny Bednarek is also through to the final in 9.92.

St Lucia’s Luc Chevrier has made significant strides in the men’s dinghy sailing event, climbing to 29th overall after a series of strong performances in races five through eight. Chevrier's consistent sailing has been key to his rise in the standings. In race five, he finished 11th, demonstrating his ability to compete with the world’s best sailors. Despite a challenging sixth race where he finished 28th, he maintained his focus and placed 27th in race seven. He continued his steady performance by finishing 29th in race eight.

Meanwhile, Aruba's Just Aanholt and the British Virgin Islands' Thad Lettsome experienced varied outcomes. Aanholt is now ranked 33rd overall, with a ninth-place finish in race six being a standout performance. He also placed 34th in race five, 23rd in race seven, and 36th in race eight. Lettsome is currently 38th overall, with consistent finishes of 38th in races five and six, 26th in race seven, and 37th in race eight.

As the competition progresses, the determination and skill of these Caribbean sailors are evident. They will look to improve their standings in race nine, scheduled for August 5.

Bermuda’s Adriana Penruddocke and Cayman Islands’ Charlotte Webster are navigating through a competitive field in the women’s dinghy sailing event, with recent performances highlighting both their successes and challenges.

Penruddocke is currently ranked 35th overall with 228 points, while Webster is in 41st place with 312 points. Their performances in races four through eight reflect their resilience and determination.

In race four, Penruddocke and Webster finished 35th and 41st, respectively. Penruddocke showed significant improvement in race five, securing an impressive 15th place, while Webster finished 36th. Race six saw Penruddocke placing 23rd and Webster 40th. However, Penruddocke faced a setback in race seven, being disqualified for a false start under the black flag rule, while Webster finished 32nd.

Race eight proved challenging for both sailors, with Penruddocke finishing 36th and Webster 43rd. Despite these hurdles, Penruddocke and Webster remain focused on advancing in the competition. Their next opportunity to climb the standings will be in race nine, scheduled for August 5, where they aim to showcase their skills and perseverance on the international stage.

Aruba’s Ethan Westera will not advance to the men's windsurfing semifinals after finishing fifth in the quarterfinals at the Marseille Marina, securing an overall eighth-place ranking in the event.

Westera began the race in third place but dropped to fifth by the third mark, where he ultimately finished. Despite this, Westera's performance in the competition has been impressive. He entered the quarterfinals ranked ninth in the series, with 120 total points and 90 net points.

His standout moment came in race 12, where he finished second, demonstrating his exceptional windsurfing skills. In race one, Westera finished 11th, demonstrating his athleticism from the start. In races two and three, he finished 12th, continuing his consistent streak.

Despite a big setback in race four, where he finished 17th, he rebounded in race five, rising to 10th. He finished 13th in race six.

Westera's performance began to change in race seven when he finished eighth propelling him into the top 10. Despite falling to 12th in race eight, he soon recovered by capturing third in race nine.  He continued to perform well in consecutive races, placing sixth in race 10, eighth in race 11, and seventh in race 13.

The 26-year-old won the 2023 Pan American Games iQFoil silver medal, completing his Olympic qualifying. He also won the silver medal at the 2015 IFCA Funboard Slalom Youth & Masters World Championships and gold in the 2012 IFCA Funboard Juniors Slalom World Championship.

 With a good season behind him, Westera has demonstrated his athletic abilities and proudly represented Aruba on the international scene making his mark at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

In a stunning turn of events and devastating news for the Bahamas, 2020 Tokyo Olympics 400m champion Steven Gardiner will not start in the 400m for the Bahamas at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where some of the Caribbean’s best athletes have suffered injuries.

Gardiner missed the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon with a foot injury and suffered a injury in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championships in Budapest last year. He was considered the best shot at a medal for the Bahamas at these Olympic Games as Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the islands’ other 400m star, is not in the best of health this season having withdrawn from the Bahamas national championships last month.

News of Gardiner’s withdrawal comes on the heels of withdrawals of Jamaican star sprinters Shericka Jackson from both the 100m and 200m and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the semi-finals of the 100m dash on Saturday.

Day 4 of track and field at the 2024 Paris Olympics saw three Jamaican women advance to the semi-final round of the 400m hurdles. Shian Salmon, Rushell Clayton, and Janieve Russell all secured their spots in the next round, where they will face stiff competition primarily from their American rivals for places in the final set for Tuesday, August 6.

Salmon emerged as the fastest Jamaican qualifier, running a solid 53.95 seconds to finish second in her heat. The heat was won by gold medal contender Femke Bol, who clocked an impressive 53.38 seconds.

Clayton also made a strong impression, comfortably winning the opening heat with a time of 54.32 seconds. Clayton’s smooth and confident run positions her well for a possible place on the podium come Tuesday assuming she advances from the semi-finals.

Russell faced a bit more competition but still managed to qualify with ease. She finished third in her heat with a time of 54.67 seconds. The heat was won by the USA’s Anna Cockrell, who crossed the finish line in 53.91 seconds.

In addition to the Jamaicans, the competition will be fierce with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the defending champion and world record holder, who cruised to victory in the final heat with a time of 53.60 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone remains the strong favourite for the gold medal.