Roje Stona etched his name in the annals of Jamaican sports history as he secured the nation’s first gold medal of the Paris Olympic Games and, in the process, became the first from the island—male or female—to win an Olympic gold medal in the throws.

In a breathtaking performance, Stona, on his debut at the global multi-sport showpiece, not only clinched the top podium spot but also set a new Olympic record of 70.00m, which marked a monumental achievement for himself and his country, at the Stade de France on Wednesday.

Competing in a world-class field, Stona, who was one of three Jamaicans in the final, stood tall with his impressive fourth-round throw to upset the applecart. He won ahead of World Record holder Mykolas Alekna (69.97m) of Lithuania and Australia’s Matthew Denny (69.31m).

The other Jamaicans, Ralford Mullings (65.61m) and Travis Smikle (64.97m), were ninth and 10th, respectively.

Stona, 25, coached by America’s three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, was praised by Smikle for his achievement, which is a testament to his relentless work ethic and the rigorous training regimen, which included stints with NFL teams Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints.

“I am so happy for him; it’s a big thing to see. Stona is a great thrower, and he showed it today. This is the beautiful thing about track and field; there are a lot of upsets, and Stona is having his moment. I had a bad day and Ralford Mullings had a bad day as well, so Stona’s performance is a great achievement for him and for Jamaica as well,” Smikle said.

Jamaica, renowned for its prowess in sprinting, now has a new hero in field events. In fact, four of the country’s five medals at the Paris Games so far have come in the field, as Kishane Thompson’s 100m silver is the lone medal from the track.

Stona’s historic victory in the discus throw, as well as Rajindra Campbell’s shot put bronze, Shanieka Ricketts’ triple jump silver, and Wayne Pinnock’s long jump silver, heralds a new era of success and diversification in Jamaica’s athletic achievements and promises an exciting future for the island’s athletes in all disciplines.

Shericka Jackson and Rushell Clayton showcased their class while being among the winners at Sunday’s Diamond League meeting in Rabat, Morocco.

Jackson, who made her season debut in the 100m in Kingston on May 4 after a late start to her season, was not at her sharpest in Rabat but good enough to keep the field at bay as she sprinted to victory in 22.82 seconds while running into a headwind of -1.0m/s.

Maboundou Kone of the Ivory Coast was a close second in 22.96 with Helene Parisot of England in 23.02.

Earlier, Clayton was more impressive. Coming off an encouraging victory at the Jamaica Athletic Invitational on May 11 when she ran a world-leading 53.72, Clayton once again dominated the first 300m but was closed down by compatriot Shian Salmon along the home stretch. Still, she managed to hold on to win in 53.98. Salmon ran an enterprising race for second place clocking 54.27.

Anna Ryzhykova ran a commendable 55.09 for third place.

While fortune smiled on Jamaica’s women, the men were not as fortunate as Rohan Watson was edged out of a podium finish in the men’s 100m dash. The reigning Jamaican champion finished fifth in 10.26. He was credited with the same time as fourth-placed finisher Brandon Hicklin of the USA and was 0.01 behind Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu, who took third in 10.25.

There was no doubt about the winner Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon who crossed first in 10.11 with Canada’s Andre Degrasse finishing in second place in 10.19.

Yohan Blake ran a season’s best 10.41 while being eighth.

In the men’s discus, Travis Smikle once again exceeded 66m but missed out on a podium position. He finished fourth with his best throw of 66.03m. However, he was no match for winner Mykolas Anelka. The newly minted world record holder produced an impressive throw of 70.70m to win the contest.

Matthew Denny of Australia finished in the runner-up position with his throw of 67.74m. Olympic and World Champion Daniel Stahl threw 67.49m for third place.

Fedrick Dacres threw 65.05 for sixth place.

Jamaican discus thrower Traves Smikle is riding high on confidence after a convincing win at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational and is now setting his sights on the upcoming Diamond League meeting in Rabat, Morocco, where he will face a formidable field of world-class competitors.

Smikle, who departs the island on Wednesday for the prestigious Diamond League event on Sunday, expressed both excitement and determination about his first appearance in the series. "Encountering a discus field like the one in Rabat for my first Diamond League meet is pretty exciting and crazy at the same time," said Smikle, who has had five wins on the trot this season. "Not many of the big names are missing and I just need to go out there and compete. It’s a game of distance and these guys are good quality throwers, so I just need to hold my own and compete."

His recent performance at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational demonstrated Smikle's capabilities, as he threw an impressive 66.89m to secure victory over his compatriot Fedrick Dacres. Reflecting on this achievement, Smikle emphasized the importance of consistency and translating his current form to European competitions.

"Before coming into this competition, I felt a little tired during the training sessions in the days before," Smikle noted following his win on Saturday. "Coming out today and having another 66m throw is pretty respectable. I am working on my consistency; what I need to do now is when I go to Europe, I translate this sort of performance and better to be competitive among the field."

Looking ahead to his aspirations for the Olympics in Paris this summer, Smikle is focused on pushing his limits and achieving greater distances. "I want to get 68, 69, 70m in a stadium," he explained. "That is what I am working on."

When asked about the steps needed to reach these targets, Smikle highlighted the importance of dedication, patience, and consistency in training. "It’s going to take more work, patience, and greater consistency," emphasized Smikle, who, so far this season, has won with throws of 67.57m, 67.83m, 65.96m, 66.03m and 66.89m. "If you can build up your level of consistency, then at some point your upper limit must get higher."

Jamaica's Roje Stona delivered a stunning personal best throw of 69.05 meters in the men's discus at the Ok Throws Series held at Millican Field in Throw Town, Oklahoma on Sunday. However, his exceptional performance was eclipsed by the remarkable display of Mykolas Alekna, who shattered a nearly 40-year-old world record in a truly historic feat. It was the oldest world record in men's athletics.

Stona's massive throw would have secured him victory in the competition on most other days, but it was Alekna who stole the show with an extraordinary series of throws, all surpassing the 70m mark. Alekna's fifth throw, measuring an astonishing 74.41m, broke the longstanding world record of 74.08m set by Jurgen Schult of East Germany in 1986.

Alekna, the son of two-time Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna, demonstrated exceptional consistency and power throughout the event, recording throws of 72.21m, 70.32m, 72.89m, 70.51m, 74.41m, and 70.50m in what could be described as one of the most impressive series in the history of discus throwing.

Meanwhile, Roje Stona showcased his talent with a series of impressive throws following his outstanding opening mark. Despite fouling his second attempt, Stona maintained his form with throws of 65.46m, 65.34m, 68.05m, and 67.88m, highlighting his potential in the field.

Mika Sosna claimed the third spot with his best effort of 68.96m, while Alex Rose registered five throws over 66m  but settled for fourth place with a top throw of 68.20m.

Although Stona's personal best marked a significant achievement in his career, the day belonged to Mykolas Alekna, whose record-breaking performance captivated audiences and left an indelible mark on discus throwing. Alekna's monumental achievement will undoubtedly be remembered as a defining moment in athletic history.

Nearly four weeks ago to the day, Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert became the youngest winner in the history of The Bowerman. Hibbert hoisted the iconic award at the conclusion of the 2023 USTFCCCA Convention at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center outside of Denver.

His path toward becoming the first repeat winner of collegiate track & field’s highest individual honour from either gender began Wednesday, as he headlines three Jamaicans that were unveiled on the Men’s Preseason Watch List.

Hibbert, who swept the NCAA triple jump crowns and shattered both the indoor and outdoor collegiate records as a freshman at Arkansas, was joined on the ten-man Watch List by Arkansas teammates high jumper Romaine Beckford and World Athletics Championships long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock.

Another 2023 finalist, Leo Neugebauer of Texas, 2023 semi-finalists Mykolas Alekna of California and Ky Robinson, as well as, Harvard teammates Graham Blanks and Kenneth Ikeji, Shaun Maswanganyi of Houston and Godson Oghenebrume of LSU, are also on the list.

The next Watch List on the men’s side will be released on February 8.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Jamaica’s long jumper Ackelia Smith of the University of Texas and high jumper Lamara Distin of Texas A&M University were named on the women’s side.

The Bowerman, which is presented to the best male and female track and field athletes in the US College circuit each year since it was inaugurated in 2009, will be awarded in December at the annual USTFCCCA Convention in Orlando, Florida.