Antigua and Barbuda’s National Hero and iconic West Indies batsman, Sir Vivian Richards, has hailed the accomplishments of St. Lucia's Julien Alfred and Dominica's Thea LaFond at the just-concluded Paris Olympic Games.

In fact, Richards, while sharing his excitement about the athletes' achievements, believes their historic feats are something that the entire Caribbean should be proud of, especially given the fact that both are from tiny islands with a combined population of 250,000.

“We all should be proud, and I feel like I am them [athletes] on the podium too, because you can feel it [the pride] when they hold their hearts. This is just a special time, and you have to big them up because it’s huge, especially coming from small territories as we do at times, and being able to make an impact in the world, and you have the world media saying beautiful things about you; there is no better feeling,” Richards said on the Good Morning Jojo sports show.

Alfred, 23, won gold in the women’s 100m in 10.72s, beating American Sha’Carri Richardson, the reigning World Champion, who was heavily favoured to take the race. The feat delivered St. Lucia’s first ever Olympic medal, before Alfred added another when she placed second in the 200m in 22.08s

Prior to Alfred's feat, LaFond again etched her name in history books for Dominica when she won triple jump gold with a leap of 15.02m. That was her country's first ever Olympic Games medal.

The accomplishments of both Alfred and LaFond followed their exploits at the World Athletics Indoor Championships earlier this year, where they also won their respective events.

19-year-old Jamaican triple jump star Jaydon Hibbert is grateful for his first experience at an Olympic Games.

The former University of Arkansas star and current NCAA Indoor, Outdoor and World junior record holder produced a best jump of 17.61m to finish just outside of the medals in Paris at the Stade de France on Friday.

Illustrating how close Hibbert was to a medal, Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez took bronze with 17.64m.

After qualifying sixth overall on Thursday, Hibbert opened Friday’s final with a 17.31m jump before going out to 17.61m in the second round.

He then jumped 17.53m in round three before fouls in rounds four and five and then passing on his sixth and final attempt.

“It was a good experience. Firstly, I have to thank God for what he has done,” Hibbert told Jamaican media after his final.

The former Kingston College standout competed in both qualifying and the final with a brace on his left knee, signaling that he was not 100% going into these championships.

“I almost boycotted the Olympics and I’m here standing on fourth place. I don’t know how many 19-year-olds can say they came fourth at the Olympics,” he said.

Hibbert said he felt even more pain during one of his attempts, at which point he decided to just prioritize the future rather than potentially doing even more damage.

“I got a hard fall on one of the jumps and I felt something so I kind of stopped competing right there,” he said.

“My coach was trying to convince me to go back but I told him ‘coach, I’m 19 and have a lot more years to come so I don’t want to risk injury,’” he added.

As for what’s next for Hibbert, he says his focus right now is rest and recovery.

“For now, I’m grateful for the fourth-place finish and it’s just road to recovery after this. I’m going to rest and re-evaluate a lot of stuff. I’ll be good,” he said.

Jamaican sprinting legend Veronica Campbell Brown, one of the most decorated athletes in the history of track and field, was recently honored with a series of prestigious awards at a ceremony in New York. The event, which celebrated Campbell Brown’s incredible contributions to the sport, saw her receive accolades from various prominent figures and organizations.

Campbell Brown, who won gold in the 200m at the 2004 Athens Olympics and successfully defended her title at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was recognized by the Jamaica Independence Foundation (JIFI) with the Trailblazer and Sports Icon Award. This recognition highlights her role as a pioneer and inspiration for countless athletes in Jamaica and around the world.

In addition to the honours from JIFI, Campbell Brown was awarded a Proclamation from United States Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, a Proclamation from New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker, and a Certification of Recognition from Mayor Eric Adams on behalf of the City of New York. These awards underscore her impact not only on the track but also as a cultural ambassador for Jamaica.

Reflecting on the ceremony, Campbell Brown expressed her gratitude for the recognition. "It was an honour to be recognized by the Jamaica Independence Foundation and the State of New York through several prestigious awards. It was a great night spent with a group of distinguished individuals," she shared.

Campbell Brown's illustrious career is marked by numerous achievements, including becoming the first Jamaican to win a global 100m title at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Her legacy as a trailblazer in sprinting continues to inspire new generations of athletes, and these awards serve as a testament to her enduring influence in the world of sports.

The ceremony in New York not only celebrated Campbell Brown’s athletic achievements but also her contributions to the broader community, both in Jamaica and internationally. As she continues to be recognized for her outstanding career, Campbell Brown remains a shining example of excellence and dedication in the world of athletics.

So it was in the beginning, so it is at the end.

Jamaica’s bad luck at the Paris Olympic Games, particularly on the female side, again reared its ugly head as the country’s quartet suffered a mishap in the 4x400m relay final and failed to finish at the Stade de France on Saturday.

With Shanieka Ricketts’ silver medal in the triple jump being the only medal won by a female athlete among Jamaica's six medals tallied ahead of the much-anticipated curtain call relays, the quartet of Stacey-Ann Williams, Andrenette Knight, Shiann Salmon, and Stephanie Ann McPherson would have hoped to end the athletics segment on a high.

However, it was not to be, as Knight, while in second position on the second leg, had the baton knocked from her hand by an Irish athlete, and as the instrument clattered on the track, so did the country’s hopes of a medal.

McPherson shared the team's disappointment.

"I don't know what happened; I watched the replay three times before I realised what happened, but it was like World Relays all over again. So, of course, we are disappointed. We all trained really hard for this," an emotional McPherson said, her eyes filled with tears.

Salmon tried to put on a brave face.

"My face might not be showing it but I am very heartbroken. The aim was to finish on the podium, and I am sure that everybody is disheartened that we didn't even get to finish the race, but sometimes things happen that we have no control over, and we have to just move on from them. The overall (Olympic) experience for me was excellent; I can't complain about it. I got two lifetime bests in this championship, and I thank God I finished healthy, so I am just looking forward to the rest of the season," Salmon shared. 

The event was won by the United States with an Area Record of 3:15.27, just shy of the longstanding 3:15.17 World Record. The Netherlands, through a blistering anchor leg from Femke Bol, took second in a National Record of 3:19.50, while Great Britain also clocked a National Record of 3:19.72 for third.

While the disappointment of a majority of Jamaica’s athletes and fans alike will be profound, after the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson suffered injuries ahead of their events and Ackera Nugent clipped a few obstacles, which ruined her chance at a medal in the women's 100m hurdles final, among other misfortunes, the country still had much to celebrate.

Rajindra Campbell won an historic bronze in the men’s shot put; Kishane Thompson copped silver in the men’s 100m; Wayne Pinnock was also a silver medallist in the long jump; and Rasheed Broadbell won bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles.

But the biggest accomplishment of the Games came for discus thrower Roje Stona, who achieved an Olympic record to land Jamaica’s solitary gold medal on his debut at the global multi-sport showpiece.

Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford had a best clearance of 2.22m for 10^th in the final of the Men’s high jump at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

The 22-year-old had a first-time clearance at 2.17m before clearing 2.22m on his second attempt.

He then exited the competition after three failures at his season’s and personal best height of 2.27m.

New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr took gold over the USA’s Shelby McEwen after a jump-off.

Both men had identical cards after successful first-time clearances at 2.36m, an Oceania record for Kerr and personal best for McEwen, and three failures at 2.38m.

In the subsequent jump-off, both men failed at 2.38m and 2.36m before Kerr successfully cleared 2.34m after a failure from McEwen.

Bahrain’s Mutaz Essa Barshim secured his fourth Olympic high jump medal with a season’s best 2.34m in third.

Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn is now a two-time Olympic medallist after securing bronze in the final of the Women’s 100m hurdles at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

The three medallists in Saturday’s final at the Stade de France were separated by just three hundredths of a second.

Camacho-Quinn, who won gold in Tokyo three years ago, took bronze this time around in 12.36, just behind France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.34) who took silver.

American Masai Russell, whose only other win this season came in the final at the US Trials, held her nerve to take gold in 12.33.

Bahamian World Indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton ran 12.56 in sixth while Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent failed to finish.

Cyrena Samba-Mayela delivered France's first track and field medal at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, but she had to settle for silver after losing narrowly to Masai Russell.

Team USA star Russell, who is competing at her first edition of the Games, came flying up on the inside to beat Samba-Mayela by one-hundredth of a second at the Stade de France.

Samba-Mayela collapsed in tears on the track after claiming France's first athletics medal on the penultimate night of their home games, with president Emmanuel Macron watching on.

Russell's victory came on the back of Grant Holloway's triumph in the men's 110m hurdles on Thursday, and represents Team USA's 12th track and field gold at these Games.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico took bronze, finishing just three-hundredths of a second behind Russell in a fiercely contested race, while the Netherlands' Nadine Visser missed out on a medal in fourth.

A mostly disappointing day for the Caribbean ended in more disappointment at the Paris Olympic Games as Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke and Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands had tough outings in the men’s 400m finals at Stade de France on Friday.

McMaster, who has endured a topsy-turvy season, placed fifth in a season’s best 47.79s, while Clarke, who was up with the front runners at one point, lost his form, clipped obstacles in the closing stages, and failed to finish.

Still, there was some Caribbean connection on the podium, as American gold medal winner Rai Benjamin is the son of former West Indies stalwart Winston Benjamin. The younger Benjamin, who represented Antigua and Barbuda at the youth level, won in a season’s best 46.46s.

He upstaged Norwegian World Record holder Karsten Warholm (47.06s), while Brazil’s Alison dos Santos (47.26s) closed fast to claim bronze.

Jamaica's young and promising triple jumper, Jaydon Hibbert, came agonizingly close to securing a medal at the Paris Olympic Games, finishing just shy of the podium in fourth place at the Stade de France on Friday.

With his impressive run of form coming into the global multi-sport showpiece, Hibbert was one of the favourites to earn a medal, but the 19-year-old, who looked a shadow of his usual bubbly self, fell short of the top three with a best leap of 17.61m.

The event was topped by Spain’s Jordan Alejandro Diaz (17.86m) ahead of Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo (17.84m) and Andy Diaz (17.64m). Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez (17.34m) was eighth.

No doubt Hibbert’s performance left him with a mix of pride and disappointment, as he entered his Olympic Games debut with high expectations after he consistently delivered strong performances throughout the season.

However, the fiercely competitive field in Paris proved to be a challenging environment, and Hibbert was unable to improve on his second attempt. His sequence also includes 17.31m and 17.53m, with his last three attempts having two failures, while he passed on the final attempt, which could be a signal that the jovial athlete might not have been in the best of health.

"It was a good championship, so firstly, I want to thank God for what He has done. To think that I almost boycotted the Olympics and now I am here today (Friday) standing on a fourth-place finish. I don't think many 19-year-olds can say they came fourth at the Olympics so I am grateful," Hibbert said shortly after competition.

"I got a hard fall on one of the jumps and I felt something so I kind of stopped the competition. Me and coach talked about it, and he was trying to influence me to go back, but I told him that coach, 'I have more years to come' so for now I am grateful for the fourth place, and so it is just the road to recovery from here," he added.

Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino set a new Olympic record to take gold in the women's 400m at the Paris Games on Friday. 

Paulino, who won silver in Tokyo three years ago, crossed the finish line in 48.17 seconds, eclipsing Marie-Jose Perec's previous record of 48.25 that had stood since 1996.

It was the latest confirmation of the Dominican's recent dominance in the event following her victory at last year's World Championships in Budapest. 

Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain finished in second, while Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek claimed bronze.

Great Britain's Amber Anning finished in fifth, breaking Christine Ohuruogu's British record, which has stood for 11 years, with a time of 49.29 seconds.

"I’m absolutely blessed. I am a little bit disappointed. I wanted to come away with three things," Anning said.

"It was either a medal, a PB or a national record and I got one of them. I'm just grateful to be in this position with these amazing girls.

"It was tough [the race], I think I let myself have too much work coming into home straight but I just used my strength.

"It’s been an amazing experience. "It’s still not done yet. I've got the relay tomorrow."

For the first time since the 2008 in Beijing, Jamaica has failed to medal in the Women’s 4x100m at an Olympic Games.

Jamaica’s quartet of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes and Tia Clayton produced a season’s best 42.29 fifth in the final at the Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Friday.

The American quartet of Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson combined to run 41.78 for gold ahead of Great Britain (Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt) who ran 41.85.

Germany ran 41.97 in third while France were fourth in 42.23.

Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles feels testing positive for COVID-19 "definitely" affected his performance in Thursday's 200m final, as he was denied a sprint double by Letsile Tobego.

Lyles took gold in Sunday's 100m showpiece by five-thousandths of a second and had the chance to become the first man to win a 100m and 200m double at a single Olympics since Usain Bolt in 2016. 

However, he finished third behind Botswana's Tobego and fellow Team USA star Kenneth Bednarek, managing a time of 19.70 seconds at the Stade de France.

Tobego managed a 19.46 as he became Botswana's first Olympic gold medallist in any sport, handing his country just their third Olympic medal of any description.

Lyles appeared lethargic and was wheeled away from the track in a chair after the race, as rumours swirled regarding his health.

US Track and Field subsequently confirmed he had competed despite testing positive for COVID-19, and Lyles was proud of the way he fought through illness to take bronze.

"I do have Covid. I tested positive around 5am on Tuesday morning," Lyles told reporters after the race.

"I woke up in the middle of the night feeling real chills, aching, sore throat, and those were a lot of the symptoms I've had right before getting Covid.

"It definitely affected my performance. I've had to take a lot of breaks… I was coughing through the night.

"I'm more proud of myself than anything, coming out here to get a bronze with Covid. I've had better days, but I'm walking around again. I was quite light-headed after that race.

"Shortness of breath, chest pain, but after a while I could catch my breath and get my wits about me. I'm a lot better now."

Grenada’s two-time World Championship javelin gold medallist Anderson Peters added the Paris Olympic Games bronze medal to his accolades after placing third in a pulsating final at the Stade de France on Thursday.

Anderson, who has displayed superb form from the preliminary round of the event, launched the instrument to a best mark of 88.54m on his fourth attempt to claw his way back onto the podium.

The 26-year-old was at one point in the gold medal position after throwing 87.87m on his second attempt. This was after another Caribbean stalwart, Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago, launched the javelin to a season’s best 86.16m to set the tone for a humdinger of a finals.

Walcott was later relegated to seventh, as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem opened daylight on competitors with a massive Olympic Record of 92.97m to win the event. Nadeem won ahead of India’s Neeraj Chopra (89.45m), last year’s World Champion and 2020 Olympic Champion.

Anderson’s bronze medal is the Spice Isles second of the global multi-sport showpiece, following Lindon Victor's decathlon bronze.

An emotional Letsile Tebogo dedicated his gold medal in the men's 200m at the Paris Olympics to his late mother after stunning his rivals at the Stade de France.

Noah Lyles, who won 100m gold on Sunday, entered Thursday's final as the clear favourite but could only manage a bronze medal, with US Track and Field subsequently revealing he was suffering from COVID-19.

Fellow American Kenny Bednarek took silver, with Tebogo's time of 19.46 seconds seeing him become Botswana's first Olympic gold medallist in any sport.

They previously won bronze in the men's 4 x 400 relay at the Tokyo Games three years ago, while Nijel Amos took silver in the men's 800m at London 2012.

Tebogo's triumph came just three months after his mother Seratiwa passed away following a brief illness.

After the race, Tebogo held up his spikes to the cameras to display a message detailing his mother's date of birth, before dedicating his victory to her.

"It's basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field," Tebogo told reporters.

"To take her with me, it gives me a lot of motivation. She's watching up there, and she's really, really happy."

Grant Holloway stormed to the gold medal in the 110m hurdles final at the Paris Olympics, having missed out by five hundredths of a second in Tokyo three years ago.

Holloway was edged out by Jamaica's Hansle Parchment at the delayed 2020 Games but travelled to France having won three straight World Championship golds.

He flew out of the blocks in Thursday's final at the Stade de France, taking the crown with a time of 12.99 seconds.

Fellow American Daniel Roberts claimed silver with a time of 13.09, with Jamaica's Rasheed Broadbell taking bronze.

Holloway sprinted to the bell following his triumph before declaring: "I've made it. I've done it. I am the Olympic champion."

The 26-year-old had previously won gold at the World Indoor Championships and the Diamond League, in addition to his triumphs at the 2019, 2022 and 2023 World Championships.