2019 World Championship long jump gold medallist Tajay Gayle has left the MVP track and field club.

No reason has been given as to why the 2019 RJRGleaner National Sportsman of the year left the club based at the University of Technology in Kingston.

However, the 28-year-old national record holder looks set to start working with St. Elizabeth-based jumps coach Kerry-Lee Ricketts, husband of Shanieka Ricketts.

Ricketts has guided the career of his wife to silver medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships as well as silver at this summer's Paris Olympics.

Gayle struggled with knee injuries in the 2021 and 2022 seasons before returning to take bronze at last year’s World Championships in Budapest behind teammate Wayne Pinnock and Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglu.

Olympic finalists Roshawn Clarke and Shiann Salmon both produced their best performances of the season in winning efforts at the Zurich Diamond League on Friday.

Clarke, who was a DNF in the Olympic final in Paris last month, ran a season’s best 47.49 to win in a stacked men’s 400m hurdles ahead of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (47.58) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.02).

Salmon, sixth place in the final in Paris, dipped below 53 seconds for the first time in her career with an excellent personal best 52.97 to win ahead of Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell (53.17) and Shamier Little (54.07).

Also, among the winners on Friday was Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock who produced a best jump of 8.17m to take top spot over rival and Olympic and World champion Miltiadis Tentoglu (8.02m) and Simon Ehammer (7.98m).

Two-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters threw 85.72m to take the win in the men’s javelin ahead of Germany’s Julian Weber (85.33m) and Japan’s Roderick Genki Dean (82.69m).

In a much-anticipated Olympic final rematch in the women’s 100m, American Sha’Carri Richardson (10.84) this time secured victory over St. Lucian Olympic champion Julien Alfred (10.88) and British 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith (10.89).

Puerto Rican Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran 12.36 to win the women's 100m hurdles ahead of Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.40) and Olympic champion Masai Russell (12.47).

2021 Olympic champion Hansle Parchment ran a season’s best 13.18 for fourth in the men’s 110m hurdles won by Olympic champion Grant Holloway in 12.99. Sasha Zhoya took second in a personal best 13.10 while Freddie Crittenden ran 13.15 in third.

Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic ran a respectable 19.87 for fifth in the men’s 200m. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo took the win in a fast 19.55, just ahead of American Kenny Bednarek (19.57). Erriyon Knighton ran 19.79 in third while Fred Kerley ran 19.81 in fourth.

The next stop on the Diamond League circuit will be the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 13 and 14.

In a repeat of the final at the World Championships last year in Budapest, Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock was narrowly beaten by Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglu in the final of the Men’s long jump at the Paris Olympic Games at the Stade de France on Tuesday.

Jamaica’s Pinnock had a consistent series with a best jump of 8.36m but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Greek from adding to his extensive list of global gold medals.

Tentoglu’s winning jump of 8.48m also came in the second round.

Italian 19-year-old Mattia Furlani produced 8.34m to take Italy’s first medal in the event in 40 years.

The other Jamaican in the final, Carey McLeod, didn’t have his best day with 7.82m to finish 12^th.

Ackelia Smith is through to the final of the long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Smith soared out to a mark of 6.59m to advance to the next round. The performance came on the heels of receiving heartfelt words of encouragement from her coach, Eldrick Floreal, after securing a seventh-place finish in the women's triple jump on Saturday.

 Floreal, proud of Smith’s accomplishments, whispered to her after her final jump, "I'm proud of where you are currently, and I know you have the potential to medal. We just have to keep training and perfecting all the small stuff," Smith has revealed.

Smith, who turned professional shortly after winning both the long jump and triple jump titles at the NCAA Championships in June, achieved her best mark of 14.42m on her sixth and final jump. Reflecting on her Olympic debut, she expressed pride in her performance.

"I think it was a great effort," Smith said. "Not the best series, but only one good jump mattered. I was able to get one good jump to get to the finals, one to get to the top eight, and eventually one to get to seventh place. I have one more event here at the Olympics, and we're going to work together to get the most out of it," she said.

 Several Caribbean athletes advanced in their respective events during the preliminary rounds of the 200m, 110m hurdles, and long jump events on Sunday. Following her historic 100m victory on Saturday, Julien Alfred of St Lucia demonstrated her intention to achieve a sprint double with a commanding performance in the opening heat of the 200m, winning in an impressive 22.41 seconds.

Despite Alfred's strong showing, the fastest time of the round belonged to American gold medal favourite Gabby Thomas, who triumphed in Heat 2 with a blistering 22.20 seconds.

Jamaica, reeling from the last-minute withdrawal of two-time world champion Shericka Jackson, saw its remaining 200m entrants advance to the semi-finals. Niesha Burgher secured her spot by finishing second in Heat 2 with a time of 22.54 seconds. Lanae-Tava Thomas also progressed, placing second in Heat 5 with a time of 22.70 seconds, behind the USA’s Brittany Brown, who won the heat in 22.38 seconds.

In the 110m hurdles, all three of Jamaica’s representatives advanced to the semi-finals. Orlando Bennett led the way with a time of 13.35 seconds, finishing second in his heat. Rasheed Broadbell also secured a second-place finish in his heat, clocking 13.42 seconds. Olympic champion Hansle Parchment faced a tense wait after finishing fifth in his heat with a time of 13.43 seconds but advanced as a non-automatic qualifier. Additionally, Antoine Andrews of the Bahamas impressed by advancing with a time of 13.35 seconds.

The men’s long jump saw mixed results for Jamaica. Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod both qualified for the finals, with Pinnock achieving a mark of 7.96m and McLeod reaching 7.90m. However, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle was unable to advance, his best jump being 7.78m.

Jamaica’s Jevaughn Powell and Trinidad & Tobago’s Leah Bertrand were among the Caribbean podium finishers at Friday’s Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, Florida.

Powell, who took third in the 400m at both the NCAA Championships and Jamaican National Championships in June, completed his final preparation for Paris with a 20.21 clocking for second in the 200m on Friday.

American Erriyon Knighton ran 19.92 to win while another American, Robert Gregory, ran 20.33 in third.

Bertrand, fresh off her second national 100m title in June, ran 11.18 for third behind American Candice Hill and Nigerian Favour Ofili. Hill and Ofili both ran the same time of 11.07.

The upcoming Olympic Games in Paris will be the first for the 21-year-old Ohio State Junior.

Bertrand's countrywoman, Tyra Gittens, was second in the long jump with a best mark of 6.37m in the sixth and final round. The event was won by American Tionna Tobias with a massive personal best of 6.94m while countrywoman Jasmine Todd was third with 6.17m.

Bahamian Charisma Taylor, who will be competing in the 100m hurdles in Paris, finished third in the triple jump on Friday with 13.63m.

American’s Kenturah Orji and Jasmine Moore finished first and second with 14.08m and 14.06m, respectively.

Jamaica’s Skyler Franklin ran 51.01 for third in the women’s 400m behind Americans Aaliyah Butler (50.14) and Bailey Lear (50.51).

Jamaican national high jump champion Romaine Beckford warmed up for his Olympic debut in a few weeks with a win at the 2024 Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis on Thursday.

Beckford, the 22-year-old two-time NCAA Champion, produced a winning jump of 2.20m on his only attempt at the height after producing clearances at 2.10m and 2.20m.

He then had three failed attempts at 2.25m after he had done enough to secure victory ahead of American Vernon Turner (2.15m) and Bahamian Shaunie Miller Jr (2.15m).

Elsewhere in the field on Thursday, Chanice Porter produced 6.50m to finish second in the women’s long jump while Bermuda’s Jah-Nhai Perinchief won the men’s triple jump.

The 30-year-old Porter, who will also be representing the nation in Paris, produced 6.50 in the sixth and final round of the competition to move up into the top three.

The competition was won by Nigerian Ruth Usoro with 6.70m while Trinidad & Tobago’s Tyra Gittens was third with 6.35m.

Perinchief produced 16.82m to win the triple jump ahead of Americans Omar Craddock (16.64m) and Chris Bernard (16.30m).

The meet continued on Friday with the track events. Newly crowned national 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Ackera Nugent, ran 11.17 to finish second in the women’s 100m behind Nigeria’s Favor Ofili (11.13). Liberia’s Maia McCoy was third in 11.32.

The women’s sprint hurdles saw Bahamian Denisha Cartwright produce 12.71 for second behind American Christina Clemons (12.61). Jamaican two-time World champion Danielle Williams ran 12.81 in third.

2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Julien Alfred secured a win in the 200m at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour-Gold meet in Szekesfehervar, Hungary on Tuesday.

The St. Lucian 2023 Bowerman Award winner ran a solid first 100m in lane seven, a lane outside two-time World 200m champion Shericka Jackson.

What seemed to be a titanic clash between the two to see who would come out on top ended drastically as, with about 30m left in the race, Jackson pulled up with what appeared to be a cramp, paving the way for an easy win for Alfred in 22.16.

Great Britain’s Daryll Neita ran a season’s best 22.36 in second while Jamaican Lanae-Tava Thomas ran 22.54 in third.

In the Men’s one lap event Gardiner ran his usual evenly paced race to take top spot in a time of 44.50.

Jamaican National Championships runner-up Sean Bailey ran a season’s best 44.64 in second while South African Lythe Pillay ran 45.24 for third.

 In the field, Jamaica's Ackelia Smith produced 6.83m for second in the Women's long jump behind Colombia's Natalia Linares who jumped 6.87m. American Quanesha Burks was third with 6.76m.

Ackelia Smith, the standout 2024 NCAA long and triple jump champion, is channeling the lessons learned from last year’s World Championships in Budapest as she eyes the Paris Olympic Games. After recovery from serious injury early on in the season, her recent performance at the Jamaica National Championships, where she potentially qualified for both events, underscores her steely determination.

Her achievements at the Jamaica National Championships, including winning the long jump with 6.53m and placing second in the triple jump with 14.44m, further demonstrated her ability to bounce back. Although short of the Olympic standards of 6.86m and 14.55m, Smith’s season-best performances of 6.79m (with an indoor jump of 6.85m) and 14.52m at the NCAA Championships, have earned her rankings of 21st in the long jump and 23rd in the triple jump, respectively. This means the University of Texas graduate, who recently signed a professional contract with Puma, is on track to compete in Paris.

In March, Smith faced a significant hurdle when she suffered a hamstring injury, with doctors predicting a six to eight-week recovery. Defying expectations, she returned in early May to win both the long and triple jumps at the Texas Invitational with wind-aided marks of 7.10m and 13.51m. “That injury that I had was a hamstring tear. That has definitely healed. Being in explosive events, I try to stay as technical as I can. I am not perfect but I try to be as close to it as possible and make sure I work on my recovery, and always do my treatments. You have got to take care of your body so you can come back and do that every day,” she said.

However, injury has not been her only challenge. At the Budapest World Championships in 2023, a massive leap deemed a foul prevented her from advancing to the final. Reflecting on the setback, Smith shared, “It was a big jump; it was very frustrating because as a young athlete this is your time and going in with the world lead, I really wanted to make the final. But sometimes what you plan is not what you get but it was a lesson and I have learned from it. I kind of left it late and now I know that if I am going to do it I have got to get it out of the way early.”

Balancing a rigorous training schedule with the demands of a competitive season, Smith is preparing for the challenges ahead. Drawing on her experiences from two World Championships, she and her coach have fine-tuned their training to peak at the right time. “You know, I’ve already been to two World Championships and those were later on in August after having a whole NCAA season. I use those as experience, me and my coach, and we say ‘Okay, we need to adjust training, we need to address everything else around it and the goal itself is the Olympics,’” Smith explained. “Even though we have the nationals, the NCAAs, and all that, I think my coach was like, ‘You’ve got to be ready for the Olympics.’”

As she prepares for the biggest event of her life, Smith plans to participate in more competitions to fine-tune her skills and honour her country. Her journey is not only about personal success but also about inspiring the next generation of athletes. “It’s really great but I think even better it is for the young athletes coming up because they think they have to choose one,” Smith emphasized. “Making it in both shows that you don’t have to; once you qualify you can just perform, and you can do good and you can make it in both.”

Long jumper Shawn-D Thompson's impressive mark of 8.30m, achieved on Saturday, at the Jamaica National Championships, has been ruled out after lengthy deliberations by a jury of appeal. This decision has significant implications for Thompson's Olympic aspirations, as he is now no longer among the top three finishers and will not be heading to Paris this summer.

Thompson's sixth and final jump of 8.30m had initially placed him in a strong position. However, the jump was ruled a foul, and after being measured, the matter was sent to the jury of appeals. Following their deliberation, the jury decided to dismiss the appeal, thereby disqualifying Thompson's mark.

The ruling has altered the final standings of the competition. Carey McLeod's leap of 8.38m now secures him the first place, while Wayne Pinnock moves up to second with his jump of 8.27m. Tajay Gayle, the 2019 World Champion, who had initially missed out on a top-three finish, will now take third place with his jump of 8.13m.

The decision is a significant blow to Thompson, who had been eyeing a spot at the Paris Olympics. In contrast, it is a fortunate turn for Gayle, who has been one of Jamaica's top performers in the long jump and now gets another opportunity to showcase his talents on the world stage.

World Indoor 60m champion and record holder Devynne Charlton officially booked her spot at this summer’s Paris Olympics by claiming her sixth Bahamian 100m hurdles title on day two at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Senior National Championships at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau on Thursday.

The highlight of day two was the women’s 100 meters hurdles final where Charlton was expected to be challenged by the versatile Charisma Taylor and 30-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II All-American Denisha Cartwright.

In the end, Charlton comfortably took the win in 12.62 seconds while Taylor was a distant second in 12.94 seconds. Cartwright rounded out the top three with 13.01 seconds.

All three are headed to the Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11 in Paris, France.

Texas Tech sophomore and former World U-20 Champion Antoine Andrews took the men’s 110m hurdles crown with a new personal best 13.34, eclipsing the previous national record 13.35 he shared with Jahmaal Wilson.

Rasheem Brown of the Cayman Islands was second in 13.50 while Otto Laing finished third in 14.03 seconds.

Due to a scheduling conflict, former world and current Olympic Champion Steven Gardiner missed the men’s 400m final last night. It was up to Wendell Miller and Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell to carry the mantle.

However, they would fall short of the qualifying standard for the Olympics of 45 seconds flat.

Miller won the national title in 45.65 seconds. Russell finished second in 46.06 seconds and Gregory Seymour was third in 47.54 seconds.

The women’s 400m final, featuring former world and current Olympic Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo and the lady who beat her in the heats Javonya Valcourt, will be ran on Friday.

Over to the field events, Shyrone Kemp pulled off an upset in the men’s long jump, winning that event with a leap of 7.66m. LaQuan Nairn, an 8m-plus jumper, had to settle for second with a jump of 7.58m while Jalen Cadet finished third with a jump of 7.16m.

Nairn has a personal best leap of 8.22m and the qualifying distance for the Olympics is 8.27m.

Anthaya Charlton won the women’s long jump event with a leap of 5.99m. Apryl Adderley was a distant second with a leap of 5.16m. The qualifying distance for the Olympics is 6.86m.

Trinidadian long jumper Tyra Gittens celebrated her first professional victory at the International Meeting in Troyes, France on Sunday.

The US-based Olympian secured the win with a leap of 6.56 meters, surpassing Portugal’s Evelise Veiga, who recorded a distance of 6.35 meters, the same as third-place finisher Esmeralda Yanis David of France.

 Following her triumph, Gittens expressed her joy and gratitude on Instagram, writing, “Celebrating my very first professional WIN! ? Looking forward to many more! Thank you, everyone, who has been believing in me even when I struggled to see what was worth believing in. I love you all.”

Texas junior Ackelia Smith made history at the recently concluded NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships when she became the first Longhorn to ever sweep the horizontal jumps.

Smith first defended her title in the long-jump event on Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon with a mark of 6.79 meters, becoming the first Texas woman to win back-to-back titles in 18 years.

Two days later, the 22-year-old won the triple-jump title with a season’s best mark of 14.52m. 

In an interview with CITIUS MAG after her win in the triple jump, Smith, who is now a three-time NCAA Champion, expressed her joy at winning the double.

“I am so happy that I could come out there and get both of them done for my team and for myself. I was a little mopey about the long jump but I got back to the triple definitely took it out there,” she said.

“When I got to the triple jump I just told myself ‘hey, we’re here to compete.’ I was trying to get a personal best and, even though I did not get that, I was pretty consistent with my jumps,” she added.

In the long jump competition, half of Smith’s six attempts were fouls and her three legal jumps were the winning 6.79m, 5.21m and 6.77m.

She had a much better and more consistent showing in the triple jump, producing four legal jumps that all cleared 14m.

Smith says the key in the triple jump was to embrace the nervousness a bit more.

“I re-evaluated what I did for the long jump and realized that I might’ve been a bit too comfortable so I went out there trying to be more anxious and keep that edge. That’s what pushed me through out there,” she said.

Smith is a part of a golden generation of young Jamaican jumpers and sees a bright future for the island nation in the discipline.

“Growing up I used to hear about Kimberly Williams then after Kimberly came Shanieka (Ricketts). I’ve been looking up to these ladies and it’s been great to see the Jamaican jumps growing, especially the triple because not many people do the triple,” she said.

“It’s good to see actual growth and I’ve seen a lot more Jamaicans competing here at the championships. I think it’s wonderful for the future. Even on the guys side, it definitely looks good for Jamaica in the jumps,” Smith added.

Her next goal is to make it onto Jamaica’s team to the Paris Olympics and, hopefully, find herself on the podium at those Games.

The Jamaican trials are set for June 27-30 at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Jamaicans Tarees Rhoden and Kimar Farquharson both advanced to the final of the men’s 800m on day one of the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Oregon on Wednesday.

Rhoden, a senior at Clemson, and Farquharson, a junior at Texas A&M, were both in the second of three semi-finals.

In the heat won by Farquharson’s teammate and current NCAA leader Sam Whitmarsh in 1:46.01, Rhoden ran 1:46.18 to be the second automatic qualifier for the final while Farquharson was third in 1:46.32 to advance as the fastest non-automatic qualifier.

Bahamian Florida junior Wanya McCoy ran 10.15 and 20.22 to advance to the finals of both the 100m and 200m.

Jamaican Florida senior Jevaughn Powell (45.17) and junior Reheem Hayles (45.59) both advanced to the final of the one lap event.

All those finals are set for Friday.

Elsewhere, in a massive upset, World Championship long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock’s best jump of 7.98m was only good enough for fifth in the men’s long jump.

USC sophomore JC Stevenson produced a personal best 8.22m to win ahead of Florida State senior Jeremiah Davis (8.07m) and Florida junior Malcolm Clemons (8.05m).

Clemson junior Courtney Lawrence threw a personal best 19.92m for fifth in the men’s shot put won by Ole Miss sophomore Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan in a personal best and collegiate-leading 20.88m.

Wisconsin’s Jason Swarens (20.38m) and South Carolina’s Dylan Taggart (20.23m) were second and third.

Bahamian national record holder and Auburn sophomore Keyshawn Strachan threw 74.95m for fifth in the men’s javelin.

Georgia’s Marc Minichello threw 80.70m to win ahead of Washington’s Chandler Ault (79.31m) and Miami’s Devoux Deysel (75.14m).

Reigning Jamaican national champion Traves Smikle took the win in the men’s discus throw at the Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.

Smikle, a five-time national champion, produced 65.65m to win ahead of Samoa’s Alex Rose who threw 65.02m and American Reggie Jagers III who threw 64.64m.

Despite the win, Smikle admitted that his performance wasn’t up to his usual world class standards.

“I wasn’t my best today based on my standard and how I know I am but, at the same time, I’m in a competition where I have to go out there and do it, I’m competing against some of the best in the world and I am in my home town so I had to deliver,” Smikle said.