Panama’s Gianna Woodruff and Jamaica’s Janieve Russell were second and third as The Netherlands’ Femke Bol took the win in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday.

Bol, the double European Champion in the 400m and the 400m hurdles, produced a measured race to win in a time of 53.03 while Woodruff and Russell, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist, ran times of 53.72 and 53.77, respectively.

Former World Champion and world record holder Dalilah Muhammad was fourth in 53.83 while Jamaican Rushell Clayton was fifth in 54.25.

In the women's 800m, Jamaican World Championship and Olympic finalist Natoya Goule ran an excellent race to finish second in 1:57.85 behind Kenyan Commonwealth champion and World Championship bronze medallist Mary Moraa (1:57.63). American Sage Hurta was third in 1:58.47.

Jamaica’s Janieve Russell, Rushell Clayton and Panama’s Gianna Woodruff will contest the women’s 400m hurdles at the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday.

Russell, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August, has a season’s best of 53.63 done at the Jamaican National Championships in June. She has three second-placed finishes on the Diamond League circuit this season in Rome, Monaco and Lausanne.

Clayton ran a personal best 53.33 to win at the Monaco Diamond League event and also finished second in Stockholm. Panama’s Woodruff finished third in Monaco and fifth in Lausanne.

2019 World Champion and former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad and two-time World Championship silver medallist and European 400m and 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol will also be present while the field is completed by Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso, Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhkova and Viktoriya Tkachuk.

2012 Olympic Javelin champion Keshorn Walcott returned to the winner’s circle at the Luzern World Athletics Continental Tour-Silver Meet in Switzerland on Tuesday.

Walcott produced a best throw of 84.82m in the fifth round to take the win ahead of Latvian Patriks Gailums (83.30m) and Curtis Thompson of the USA (82.87m).

Bahamian Anthonique Strachan won the Women’s 200m in 22.66 ahead of Aminatou Seyni of Niger (22.71) and Jenna Prandini of the USA (22.82).

On the Men’s side, recently crowned NACAC champion Andrew Hudson of Jamaica was second in 20.47 behind the USA’s Kyree King (20.40). Charlie Dobson of Great Britain was third in 20.52.

Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell ran 55.25 for second in the Women’s 400m hurdles behind American Dalilah Muhammad (54.57). Finland’s Viivi Lehikoinen was third in 55.41.

Jamaica’s Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight took second and third places, respectively, in the opening track event at the Athletissima Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday.

The race was won by the imperious Dutch athlete Femke Bol in a new meet record of 52.65.

The third Jamaican in the race, Rushell Clayton, fell late and did not finish.

Bol, who won the rare 400m hurdles/400m double at the recent European championships in Germany proved too strong for the field pulling away over the last 120m for a comfortable victory. Russell, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion, clocked 53.92 for second place.

Knight, who missed out on the 2022 World Championships in Oregon after she fell at the Jamaica national championships in June, finished third in 54.33.

Speaking afterwards, Russell said she was disappointed with the time.

“The race was okay but, honestly, I wanted to go faster. I felt that with such fast competitors in the field I could have put together a better race,” she said.

“I shuffled between a few hurdles and did not execute my technique correctly at times. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the result because it’s been a long season and I have run a lot. I love running and it’s part of the job that I do (to also do some 4x400ms for Jamaica), so even though my body is tired I´m happy to be racing. I look forward to coming back to Switzerland for the finals in Zurich.”

Meanwhile, Knight, who had not raced since she ran 53.85 at Marietta, Georgia on July 2, was happy with her run from lane one.

“Very pleased with my race,” she said, “I felt I executed my plans well this evening, especially since I had not competed in the last two months. I hope to continue improving and doing a PB this year. It will be great if I can make it to the Diamond League final.”

Kyron McMaster and Shian Salmon took the respective 400m hurdles titles on the final day of the NACAC Championships in The Bahamas on Sunday.

Janieve Russell successfully defended her title and Shiann Salmon took silver but a hoped-for clean sweep of the Women’s 400m Hurdles did not materialize at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

It was South Africa’s Zeney van der Walt who played the role of a party crasher, unfurling a gritty, brilliant late run to deny the third Jamaican measured for the podium, Rushell Clayton, a place on the platform. 

Clayton had looked a lock for the medals early on, even leading the race at the top of the bend, just ahead of Russell.  Even after Russell surged past the three Jamaicans were well clear of the field with five metres to go but nobody saw van der Walt.  Clayton tied up badly just metres from the line and the South African surged past, her late run taking her almost into second spot. 

The Australian finished in 54.47 a new personal best and the same time as Salmon.  Russell finished well clear with 54.14 and Clayton further back in 54.67.

The Caribbean took gold and silver in the Men’s 110m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday.

Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell ran a personal best 13.08 to equal the Commonwealth games record, set by Colin Jackson in 1990, and win gold ahead of Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite (13.30) and England’s Andrew Pozzi (13.37). Olympic champion Hansle Parchment was scheduled to run out of lane three but didn’t turn up for the final.

In the 400m hurdles, Janieve Russell, Shiann Salmon and Rushell Clayton all advanced to the final.

Salmon and Russell ran times of 55.30 and 55.79, respectively, for first and second in semi-final one while Clayton took the second semi-final in 54.93.

Bahamian long jumper Laquan Nairn struck gold in the Men’s long jump with a distance of 8.08m, the same distance as Indian silver medallist Sreeshankar Sreeshankar while South Africa’s Jovan Van Vuuren finished third with 8.06m. Jamaica’s Shawn-D Thompson narrowly missed out on bronze after achieving 8.05m for fourth.

Jamaica's Traves Smikle threw 64.58m for bronze in the Men's discus throw behind Australia's Matthew Denny (67.26m) and England's Lawrence Okoye (64.99m).

The recently concluded 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene saw the Caribbean region grab the opportunity to represent themselves well on a global stage with both hands.

The region took home 17 medals in total including five golds, nine silvers and three bronzes with Jamaica leading the Caribbean medal count with 10 ahead of Grenada and the Dominican Republic who got two each while the Bahamas, Barbados and Puerto Rico all took home one apiece.

There were a number of standout performances throughout the 10 days starting with Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

Fraser-Pryce produced a championship record 10.67 to defend her 100m title and win her fifth in total. Fraser-Pryce also won her second 200m medal in her World Championships career, a silver in a season’s best 22.81.

Jackson ran a personal best 10.73 for silver in the 100m behind Fraser-Pryce and followed that up with one of the performances of the championships in the 200m. She produced a time of 21.45 to win her first global title and become the fastest woman alive over the distance.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah came third in the 100m in 10.81 to complete Jamaica's second consecutive 100m clean sweep at a major championship.

Fraser-Pryce, Jackson and Thompson-Herah then teamed up with Kemba Nelson to win silver in the 4x100m in 41.18 behind the USA (41.14).

We now move to the 400m where the Caribbean women swept the medals. Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo became the first female to complete the world event cycle (gold medals at the World Youth Championships, World Junior Championships, World Indoor Championships, World Championships and Olympics) by finally winning her maiden world title with a world-leading 49.11.

The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, the world leader coming into the Championships, followed up her silver medal in Tokyo last year with 49.60 to claim silver once more.

Barbados’ Sada Williams produced a brilliant personal best and national record 49.75 to take home bronze, becoming the first Barbadian woman to win a World Championship medal.

In the men’s equivalent, Grenadian superstar Kirani James ran 44.48 for silver behind American Michael Norman (44.30). This was James’ third World Championships medal and first since 2015 when he won bronze.

Paulino was also part of the brilliant quartet that took the Dominican Republic to gold in the Mixed Relay. Paulino combined with Fiordaliza Cofil, Lidio Andres Feliz and Alexander Ogando to run 3:09.82 for gold.

Staying on the track, Jamaica’s Britany Anderson followed up on the promise she’s shown all season to secure a silver medal in the 100m hurdles.

Anderson ran a new national record 12.31 in the semi-finals before running a wind-aided 12.23 to secure the silver medal behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan who clocked an astounding 12.06 for victory after running a legal world record 12.12 earlier in the semis.

Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran the same time as Anderson to take home bronze.

Jamaica picked up silver medals in both the men's and women's 4x400m relays. The men comprising of Ackeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, Jevaughn Powell and Christopher Taylor registered 2:58.58 to finish behind the USA (2:56.17) while the women with Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Stephenie Ann McPherson and Charokee Young produced 3:20.74 to finish behind the Americans (3:17.79).

In the field, Grenada’s Anderson Peters became only the second man to defend his javelin world title.

The 2022 world leader produced a best throw of 90.54m to successfully defend his title from Doha three years ago, replicating a feat only matched by Czech world record holder Jan Zelezny who won consecutive world titles in 1993 and 1995 before returning to top spot in 2001.

Peters produced an amazing series, registering 90.21m, 90.46m, 87.21m, 88.11m, 85.83m and 90.54m in his six rounds.

Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts produced a season’s best 14.89m to take silver in the women’s triple jump behind Venezuelan world record holder and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas (15.47m).

Ricketts produced jumps of 14.89m, 14.86m, 14.37m, 14.40m, 14.62m and 14.80m for one of her best series of her career.

The region will be hoping for an even better showing at the 2023 World Championships scheduled for August 19-27 in Budapest, Hungary.

Newly minted national record holder Britany Anderson won the silver medal in a fast 100m hurdles final on Sunday’s closing day of the 2022 World Championships of Athletics at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Aided by a wind of 2.5m/s, Anderson, in her first world championships final, ran a fast 12.23 to finish in second place behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who clocked a ridiculously fast 12.06 to win the gold medal.

Amusan, who is coached by Jamaican Olympian Lacena Golding-Clarke, shattered the USA’s Kendra Harrison’s world record of 12.20 in the semi-final when she clocked a stunning 12.12s.

Harrison was second in the heat with a season-best 12.27 but the American was unable to handle the pace in the final and was subsequently disqualified after hitting a number of hurdles.

Anderson, meanwhile, broke Danielle Williams’ national record of 12.32 set in 2019, when she won her semi-final heat in 12.31 while holding off the Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who clocked 12.32.

Both women shared the time of 12.23 in the finals but Anderson was 0.005 seconds faster and hence awarded the runner-up spot.

Alia Armstrong of the USA was fourth in 12.38 while Cindy Sember who ran a new British record of 12.50 in the semis, clocked 12.41 for fifth.

Danielle Williams ran 12.44 for sixth with Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas running 12.53 for seventh.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s men picked up their first medal of the championships when they finished second in the 4x400m relay. The USA won the gold medal in a world-leading 2:56.17 but the Jamaican quartet of Ackeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, Jevaughn Powell and Christopher Taylor – spared blushes for their male counterparts with a season-best 2:58.58.

Allen ran the fastest split on the second leg, 43.95 while Taylor completed the anchor leg in an impressive 43.98.

Belgium finished third in 2:58.72.

Jamaica’s women closed the championships with the third silver-medalist on the final day when they finished runner-up to gold medal favourites, the USA which ran a world-leading time of 3:17.79.

The Jamaican quartet of Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Charokee Young, clocked a season-best 3:20.74.

Great Britain was third in 3:22.64.

Jamaica won 10 medals at the championships - two gold, seven silver and a bronze medal.

Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah all advanced to the final of the women’s 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene on Tuesday.

Jackson, who won silver in the 100m in a personal best 10.73 on Sunday, looked magnificent in semi-final 1, cruising to 21.67 to win and advance to the final.

100m bronze medallist and double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finished third in semi-final 2 in a season’s best 21.97 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. The USA’s Tamara Clark ran 21.95 to win while defending world champion Dina Asher-Smith ran a season’s best 21.96 for second.

Newly-crowned 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was also impressive in semi-final 3, running a season’s best 21.82 to win ahead of US champion Abby Steiner (22.15).

Dominican Republic Mixed Relay gold-medallist Alexander Ogando continued his brilliant world championships so far with a personal best and national record 19.91 to win semi-final 1 of the men’s 200m.

Trinidadian 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago finished third in semi-final 2 in a brilliant 19.86 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. American defending champion Noah Lyles ran a brilliant 19.62 to win the race while Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, also of the USA, ran a season’s best 19.84 for second.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaican champion Janieve Russell ran 54.42 to win heat 2 and advance to the semi-finals.

Panama’s Gianna Woodruff ran 55.21 to finish third in semi-final 3 and progress. Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon produced 54.01 in heat 4 to finish second and advance while her teammate, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton finished fourth in heat 5 in 54.99 to advance.

Jaheel Hyde ran a new personal best 48.03 for sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles final. Brazilian world leader Alison Dos Santos dominated to win gold in a championship record 46.29 while Americans Rai Benjamin (46.89) and Trevor Bassitt (47.39) were second and third.

Janieve Russell entered this season short on confidence. Years of injury resulted in disappointing performances that saw her missing out on individual representation for the last seven years. That all changed on Friday night when she won the national title in the Women’s 400m hurdles at Jamaica’s National Senior Athletics Championships in Kingston.

Trailing Andrenette Knight, who is the fastest Jamaican woman in the world this year, with less than 100m to go, the 28-year-old Russell seized on the moment after Knight hit the ninth hurdle and fell. Russell stormed through to pass Shian Salmon and win in her fourth national title in a season-best 53.63. She said afterwards it was good to be back on top once more.

“It is really refreshing and it shows that you should never give up,” she said.

“Of course, I had some doubts coming into the season. I am saying to myself since 2015 I haven’t made a world championships team in an individual event I was a bit worried but I put in the work. I am confident and I am a lot stronger than last year and faster.

“I just went out there and execute and the execution wasn’t as perfect as my coach wanted it to but I was glad I was in the top three.”

The 2018 Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion said winning has boosted her confidence, especially in light of the fact that her injury issues are seemingly behind her.

“It has given me a lot of confidence,” she said of the victory.

“This is the first season I can remember that I haven’t had any major injuries. I did start the season with some little niggles but nothing that kept me out of training so I feel really good; words can’t explain but for the World Championships I am just going out there to represent.”

There is still work to be done if she is to improve over the next three weeks before the championships begin in Oregon on July 15.

“I believe I am really ready. When I go back to training we will look back at the video to see where I went wrong and see what I need to strengthen and what I need to change. I know there is a lot to change,” she said.

Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson sent shockwaves through Kingston’s National Stadium on Friday with a blistering 10.77 to win the Women’s 100m on day two of the 2022 Jamaican National Senior Athletics Championships.

Jackson, who stomped her feet in joy after the race, finished ahead of NCAA Championships 100m silver medalist Kemba Nelson who ran a personal best 10.88 for second while defending double Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was third in 10.89.

Meanwhile, 2011 World 100m Champion Yohan Blake turned back the clock to secure the Men’s title in a time of 9.85, his fastest time since 2012.

Pre-meet favorite Oblique Seville ran 9.88 for second while Ackeem Blake was third in a new personal best 9.93.

Elsewhere, Jaheel Hyde successfully defended his title as national 400m hurdles champion with a 48.51 effort to narrowly finish ahead of Kemar Mowatt (48.53) while Shawn Rowe ran 49.66 for third.

The Women’s equivalent was won by Janieve Russell in 53.63 ahead of Shiann Salmon who ran a personal best 53.82 for second. 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton was third in 54.20.

Andrenette Knight, who entered the final as the third fastest woman this year with a 53.39 effort in Nashville on June 5, was leading the event after six hurdles but failed to finish the race after unfortunately clipping the seventh and falling to the track.

Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson ran a season’s best and meet record 21.91 to win the Women’s 200m at the Rome Diamond League at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday.

The former Vere Technical star, who also has 400m bronze medals from the 2016 Olympics, 2015, and 2019 World Championships, finished ahead of double Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah who ran a season’s best of her own with 22.25. 2019 World 200m Champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain also ran a season’s best of 22.27 to finish third.

Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn maintained the stellar form she's shown so far this season by running a meet record and new world-leading 12.37 to win the Women’s 100m hurdles. Jamaican Britany Anderson was right there with Camacho-Quinn up until clipping the final hurdle and stumbling over the line to run 12.50 for second while American 2019 World Champion Nia Ali was third in 12.71.

Grenadian 2011 World and 2012 Olympic 400m Champion Kirani James was also in winning form, running 44.54 to prevail in the Men’s 400m ahead of the USA’s Vernon Norwood (44.81) and Michael Cherry (45.24).

Olympic and World Championship finalist Janieve Russell ran 54.18 for second in the Women’s 400m hurdles behind Dutch Olympic bronze medallist Femke Bol’s season’s best 53.02. Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova was third in 54.50.

Reigning Olympic champions Hansle Parchment and Elaine Thompson-Herah were among winners at Thursday’s Puerto Rico International Classic in Ponce.

Parchment sped to a season’s best mark 13.15 for victory in the Men’s 110m hurdles ahead of the USA's current world leader Devon Allen (13.20) and Jamal Britt (13.30).

The Women’s 100m hurdles was won by the USA’s Alaysha Johnson in 12.50 ahead of Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (12.52) and Jamaican 2015 World champion Danielle Williams (12.67).

Double Olympic sprint champion Thompson-Herah cruised to victory in the Women’s 100m in 10.93 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Michelle Lee-Ahye (11.06) and the USA’s Shania Collins (11.08).

Bahamian reigning Olympic and World 400m champion Steven Gardiner won the Men’s 300m in 31.52 ahead of the USA’s Vernon Norwood (31.81) and Jamaica’s Nathon Allen (32.04).

2011 World and 2012 Olympic 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada was victorious in the Men’s one-lap event in a season’s best 44.70 ahead of Jamaica’s Sean Bailey (45.42) and the USA’s Trevor Stewart (45.50).

Jamaica’s Junelle Bromfield was third in the Women’s equivalent in 51.82 behind Americans Gabby Scott (51.42) and Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu (50.42).

Moving to the 400m hurdles, Jamaica’s Janieve Russell ran a season’s best 54.09 to win ahead of teammates Shiann Salmon (54.43) and Rushell Clayton (54.90).

In the field, Jamal Wilson of the Bahamas was victorious in the Men’s high jump with 2.22m ahead of the USA’s Jeron Robinson (2.17m) and Puerto Rico’s Luis Castro Rivera (2.17m).

Several Jamaican Olympians will be on show this weekend at the next staging of the Velocity Fest Series at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Chief among them are the likes of Olympic medalists Hansle Parchment, Shericka Jackson and Stephenie-Ann McPherson.

Parchment, who is set to compete at the 2022 Drake Relays next week, will shake off some rust in the 110m hurdles where he will line up against rising star Rasheed Broadbell, Tyler Mason and Michael O’Hara, who is returning from an injury that ended derailed him last season.

Jackson, who has run a couple of 400m races this season, steps down to the half-lap sprint where she will match times with McPherson, who will also step down to the 200m for this meet along with fellow quarter-miler Tiffany James.

Also down for the 200m is the speedy Natasha Morrison, Anthonique Strachan and Sasha Lee Forbes.

2014 NCAA 100m champion Remona Burchell is in the line-up for the 100m along with long jumper Tissana Hickling, Kashieka Cameron as well as 2008 Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist Melaine Walker.

The men’s 100m will feature Julian Forte, Tajay Gayle as well as Waseem Williams, Yohan Blake, Chadic Hinds and Antonio Watson.

The Women’s 400m event promises to be compelling as it should have Janieve Russell, Candice McLeod, Anastassia Le-Roy, James, Junelle Bromfield and the veteran Christine Day among the participants.