The Carifta Games trials held at the National Stadium in Kingston over the weekend witnessed stellar performances from Jamaica's track and field athletes.

Javorne Dunkley and Thieanna-Lee Terrelonge emerged as standouts on the second day of the three-day trials, securing victories in the Under-20 boys' and girls' 100m events, respectively. Elite Performance Dunkley's electrifying 10.32 seconds sprint secured the gold, while Edwin Allen High’s Terrelonge clocked an impressive 11.25 seconds to dominate her event.

Kingston College's Nyrone Wade claimed victory in the Under-17 100m with a swift 10.49 seconds, and Wolmer's High School for Girls' Natrece East secured the girls' Under-17 crown in 11.62 seconds.

In the Under-20 400m event, Marcinho Rose of Kingston College displayed a lifetime-best performance, clocking 46.36 seconds to seize gold. Hydel's Abigail Campbell broke the 52 seconds barrier for the first time in her career, winning the girls' Under-20 400m race in a personal-best time of 52.84 seconds.

Nickecoy Bramwell of Calabar dominated the boys' Under-17 400m with a time of 47.65 seconds, while Hydel's Nastassia Fletcher set a lifetime-best of 54.70 seconds to clinch victory in the girls' Under-17 400m.

In the 1500m events, Edwin Allen's Rickeisha Simms and Jamaica College's Kemario Bygrave emerged victorious in the Under-20 categories. Simms clocked 4:31.33 minutes, and Bygrave raced to a personal-best time of 4:01.54.

Rasheda Samuels of Edwin Allen triumphed in the Under-20 high jump, leaping to 1.87m, while JC's Kemario Bygrave impressed in the boys' Under-20 800m, leading all qualifiers with a time of 1:53.08.

 

Elaine Thompson-Herah will not be training with athletes of the Elite Performance Track Club in Kingston but will instead train separately under the guidance of the club’s Coach Reynaldo Walcott.

Informed sources have indicated that the athlete will have separate training schedules with Walcott ‘going to’ Thompson-Herah in a private setting after he completes his duties with Elite Performance at the Ashenheim Stadium at Jamaica College each day. Walcott reportedly shared the news with the athletes in group on Thursday morning.

Prior to the recent developments, Thompson-Herah, who owns her own gym equipment, trained at the National Stadium at Kingston’s Independence Park.

Andi Sports Management, the agent representing Thompson-Herah, who won a historic 100/200m double at both the Rio 2016 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, announced on Monday that the 31-year-old athlete will now take instruction from Walcott.

“Out of difficulties grow miracles. Happy Monday,” the sprinter posted on Instagram as if in celebration over the development.

The move represents a quick-turnaround from her much-publicized separation from Coach Shanikie Osbourne after both parties could not agree on terms of compensation for a long-term arrangement.

Osbourne had assumed coaching duties for the five-time Olympic gold medallist after the Jamaica National Athletics Championships in July and shepherded the injury-plagued sprinter to her best times of the now-concluded 2023 track season.

After Thompson-Herah finished fifth in the 100m final at the championships in a relatively pedestrian 11.06, Osbourne had got her running fast again clocking times of 11.00, 10.92, 10.84 and 10.79 in consecutive races to end her season on a high.

Following her split from Osbourne, Thompson-Herah’s husband, Derron, revealed in an interview on Sportsmax late last week that a new coaching appointment was not far off. The surprising announcement came on Monday morning.

The news of the choice of coach was a surprise given Thompson-Herah’s contentious relationship with five-time World 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has been coached by Walcott since early 2020. The relationship between the former good friends became increasingly strained while both were members of the MVP Track Club and was what eventually triggered Fraser-Pryce’s departure from the club to join what eventually became Elite Performance.

 

 

 

Coach Travis Geopfert of the University of Arkansas had every reason to be elated as his star jumpers, Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod, delivered outstanding performances at Jamaica's national championships on Saturday. Pinnock secured a remarkable victory with a leap of 8.32m, while McLeod claimed the third spot on the podium with a commendable mark of 8.20m. Both athletes showcased their exceptional talent and skills before their home crowd.

In a post-competition interview, Coach Geopfert expressed his satisfaction with the overall performance of his athletes. He acknowledged the challenging conditions caused by swirling winds but commended McLeod's ability to adapt and make adjustments to his approach, resulting in a solid jump.

"I was happy the way Carey worked on the transition of his approach and got a decent jump in at the end because it was a little all over the place," Geopfert shared.

"Turning his attention to Pinnock, Coach Geopfert couldn't contain his pride and admiration for the athlete's consistent excellence.

"I've been coaching for a long time, and I've never seen a 27-foot jump (8.23m) into a minus-two wind. I'm telling you, he's a special kid and really coachable," Geopfert remarked, highlighting Pinnock's exceptional abilities.

As both Pinnock and McLeod continue to impress with their performances, Coach Geopfert emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between training and competition as they approach the World Championships in Budapest in August.

"If there's a good opportunity (to compete) half-way in between, we'll do something, you know? If there's not, I'm not going to force it. We'll try to mimic stuff in practice. I think we do a really good job of that," Geopfert explained.

Looking beyond the national championships, Coach Geopfert shared his aspirations for Pinnock and McLeod as they prepare for the upcoming World Championships. He emphasized that their participation in the national championships was merely a stepping stone towards their ultimate goal of winning medals on the global stage.

 

Kingston's National Stadium witnessed a stunning performance by the relatively unknown sprinter, 21-year-old Kishane Thompson, as he blazed through the preliminary round of the 100m event at Jamaica's national track and field championships last Thursday. The crowd was left astounded by Thompson's remarkable time of 9.91 seconds, which not only surprised onlookers but also raised speculation about his absence from the semi-finals the following day.

Addressing the confusion surrounding Thompson's absence, Stephen Francis, the celebrated coach of MVP Track Club, shed light on a carefully crafted plan that accounted for the sprinter's limited participation at the national championships. Francis, renowned for nurturing the careers of track sensations such as Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater, unveiled a strategy designed to gradually shape Thompson into a formidable force on the world stage.

"He is fine. He trained this morning (Saturday.) It was always the plan for him to focus this year on running one-round races," Francis revealed in an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV. "In his previous two years with us, he struggled with injuries, running only four 100m races in that time and never participating in the national championships. Therefore, we decided that he should run one round here, deliver an impressive time, and then focus on competing in 'one' races in Europe. If he is required for relays, he will be available."

What made Thompson's performance even more intriguing was that Francis believed he could have achieved an even faster time during the preliminary round if not for the mismanagement of the event by the organizers.

According to Francis, athletes in the outer lanes of the 100m straight were unable to hear the starting gun due to a malfunctioning speaker, which disadvantaged runners from lanes six to eight throughout the heats. Thompson ran in lane eight. Despite presenting evidence of the issue, the organizers failed to rectify the situation.

While Thompson's time of 9.91 seconds was impressive, Francis emphasized that it fell short of their expectations, attributing it to the organizers' incompetence. However, he expressed confidence in Thompson's ability to run significantly faster in optimal conditions.

"He would have run significantly faster, but the most important thing is that he feels healthy and can look forward to the rest of the summer," Francis explained. "Our plan is to ensure that next year, in the Olympic year, he will have the necessary racing experience and a different attitude to tackle the full program."

Thompson's sensational performance has thrust him into the spotlight, leaving fans eagerly anticipating his future endeavors. As part of Francis' meticulously devised plan, Thompson will continue to compete in carefully selected races across Europe this summer, honing his skills and building his experience. The coach's expertise and guidance will undoubtedly shape Thompson into a potent contender in the sprinting world.

Shericka Jackson is making a habit of writing down her goals and speaking them into reality.

That was the case again on Friday night when in a breathtaking display of speed and power, Jackson successfully defended her Jamaican 100m title,  leaving spectators in awe as she blazed across the finish line in a world-leading time of 10.65 seconds.

This remarkable achievement not only secured her victory but also etched her name among the fastest women in history, now holding the  title of the fifth fastest woman ever. Only world-recorder holder Florence Griffith-Joyner, Marion Jones, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have run faster.

After first revealing her methods in 2022 when she wrote down her 21.45s 200m to win gold at the World Championships, Jackson explained that it has now become the norm for her explaining that if you fear telling someone about your goals then you fear that you are not capable of achieving them.

After her remarkable run Friday, she revealed that she had written down the desired time back in June after clocking 10.78 seconds at the national stadium in Kingston.

She placed the written goal on her fridge earlier on Friday, using it as a constant reminder of her aspirations.

"I rewrote the time again this morning and I stuck it on the fridge, and I said today is the day. I'm happy I did it in Jamaica, and now it's time to go back to the drawing board," Jackson shared.

While Jackson had already secured a bye to the upcoming World Championships in Budapest for the 200m event, she expressed her intention to participate in the 200m at the championships.

Despite having fewer opportunities to compete in the event this year, she viewed the race as an opportunity for a proper run, aiming to execute her race plan flawlessly.

 Elaborating on her strategy, Jackson emphasized her commitment to always giving her best performance. "For me personally, the hundred was the focus. I already have a bye in the 200, but because I haven't run so many 200s this year, I definitely want to run the 200 at the championships," she explained. "Every time I touch the track, I want to run fast. If it doesn't happen, I'm still grateful. But if I do run fast, I'm super grateful."

Reflecting on her victory and the statement it may have made to her competitors, Jackson remained humble, emphasizing that her primary focus was on her own progress and self-improvement. "I don't think there was a statement made. As I said, it's just a focus on myself, and I think I'm doing that pretty well," she said with gratitude.

With her eyes set on the upcoming challenges and opportunities, Jackson plans to consult with her coach to analyze her performance in the 100m race and identify areas that require refinement. Determined to continue her success at the World Championships, she highlighted the importance of preparation and fixing any aspects that need adjustment before she departs for Budapest.

Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper might have been smiling on the outside, but her inner dissatisfaction was evident after her third-place finish in the 100m hurdles at the Racers Grand Prix held at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday night. Tapper, who made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first Jamaican female sprint hurdler to win an Olympic medal in the event, expressed her frustration with what she considered a "mediocre" performance.

Clocking a time of 12.80 seconds, Tapper finished behind American athlete Tia Jones, who secured second place with a time of 12.72 seconds, and the world champion and world-record holder Tobi Amusan, who claimed victory with a season-best time of 12.57 seconds. Despite the podium finish, Tapper was far from pleased with her own performance.

The diminutive sprint hurdler, known for her tenacity and determination, revealed that she has been facing various physical challenges that for the first time manifested themselves in a race, further hindering her performance.

In an interview following the race, Tapper shared her disappointment, saying, "I was ready to run, ready to compete, do my best, and run the fastest time I've ever achieved before the national trials at home in front of the Jamaicans, who show me so much love, but it just wasn't in the cards for me unfortunately."

Nevertheless, Tapper maintained a positive outlook and expressed relief that the subpar performance occurred at the Racers Grand Prix rather than during the upcoming National Trials. She acknowledged the significance of running in front of her fellow Jamaicans and saw the race as a learning opportunity and a chance for growth.

Tapper's time of 12.80 seconds, which she considered mediocre, has not dampened her determination. Looking ahead to the national championships in the next four weeks, she remains optimistic and hopeful for a better outcome. She remarked, "12.80 in a mediocre performance for me, but it gives me hope, and I'll continue to look forward with great expectations as I prepare for the national championships."

The hurdles specialist also opened up about the challenges she has been facing, stating, "It's really hard to come to terms with the idea that a lot of things that worked for you, that you literally can attribute to your past success, are roadblocks or hindrances now." Despite these ongoing obstacles, Tapper emphasized her resilience and growth, highlighting that she is handling the challenges better than she would have in the past.

As Megan Tapper continues her preparations for the national championships, her unwavering determination and ability to overcome obstacles will undoubtedly fuel her pursuit of success on the track. Jamaican fans eagerly await her next performance, ready to support and cheer on their history-making athlete as she strives to reach new heights in her career.

 

Shericka Jackson and Noah Lyles unleashed jaw-dropping runs at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday night during the revival of the Racers Grand Prix where world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk set a new stadium record in the 400m and Tyler Mason electrified the thousands who braved the heavy rain that threatened to dampen proceedings.

Earlier, on Saturday afternoon, Jackson, the World 200m champion, wrote in her notebook that she wanted to run between 10.75 and 10.78 in the 100m later that evening. She duly delivered speeding to a season-best 10.78 to win the race by some distance over the ever-improving Anthonique Strachan, who ran a season-best 10.99.

Sasha Lee Forbes, who ran a lifetime best of 10.98 in Bermuda on May 21, produced another solid performance while finishing third in 11.07, her second fastest time ever.

The withdrawal of Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake from the men’s 100m final, took much of the sheen off what was expected to be a barn-burner that also featured American Christian Coleman. Nonetheless, the race delivered an exciting finish with the American holding off the challenge of Kadrian Goldson, who produced a lifetime best of 10.08 for second place.

Emmanuel Archibald of Guyana ran 10.23 to take the final podium spot.

The ‘B’ finals were also good value for money.

In September 2017, 20-year-old Michael Campbell suffered life-threatening injuries in a motor-vehicle accident that claimed the life of his friend and fellow athlete Jordon Scott. That same year, Campbell, a promising young prospect ran a lifetime best of 10.07 at a meet in Kingston.

On Saturday night, almost six years later, Campbell was back to his best winning the 100m in a season-best 10.08. He pumped his fist in elation when he looked across at the clock and noticed the winning time that had him well clear of Tyquendo Tracey, who ran 10.26 for second place and Kuron Griffith of Barbados, who ran a personal best of 10.30.

Remona Burchell, 2014 NCAA champion, clocked a season-best 11.17 to win the women’s race ahead of a fast-finishing Tia Clayton, who delivered a personal best of 11.23 and Briana Williams, who finished third in 11.30.

Lyles promised to do something special in Jamaica and he delivered. The super-confident American scorched the damp track to win in a meet record 19.67. Zharnel Hughes finished second in 20.14 while Rasheed Dwyer clocked a season’s best time of 20.53 for third.

The last time Wayde van Niekerk was in Jamaica, it was in 2017 to honour the retirement of his friend Usain Bolt, who had announced that he would walk away from her stellar career that year after a decade of dominance.

Later that same year, during a charity rugby match, the Olympic champion and world-record holder tore both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus cartilage in his right leg bringing his track career to a screaming stop.

The past few years saw him struggle to regain the form that made him one of the best quarter-milers in history. By all indications, he is now back near to his best. After a 44.17 season best at the South African Championships in April, the now 30-year-old sprinter cruised to victory in 44.21, a new meet record.

Zandrian Barnes finished second in a new lifetime best of 44.90, making him the third Jamaican to break 45 seconds this season. Jamaica’s national record holder, Rusheen McDonald was third in 45.24.

Antonio Watson was the second Jamaican to break 45 seconds this season when he won the ‘B’ final in a lifetime best of 44.75 that had the thousands in attendance cheering wildly.

Promising 400m hurdler Roshawn Clarke also ran a lifetime best of 45.24 for second place with Assinie Wilson finishing third also in a personal best of 45.51.

Charokee Young took control of the women’s race with about 120m to go and held off a strong field to win in 51.10 over Stacey-Ann Williams who ran a decent 51.34 for second place. The USA’s Kendall Ellis was third in a season-best 51.37.

Tobi Amusan arrived in Jamaica coming off a disappointing last-place finish in the 100m hurdles at the LA Grand Prix a week ago. The 12.69 she ran then was well off the Nigerian’s world record of 12.12 set in Eugene, Oregon last year. However, a week later she was much better, hurdling to victory in 12.57, a season’s best time and a marked improvement over a week ago.

Tia Jones, the 2018 World U20 champion, finished second in 12.72 while holding off Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper, who finished third in 12.80.

The 110m further confirmed the resurrection of the career of Tyler Mason, the once promising Jamaica College high school hurdler. After running 13.32 in Costa Rica in 2015, Mason, because of injury and poor form, struggled to fulfill his immense potential and many pundits saw his career as being on life support, especially after a season-best 14.12 in 2021.

There were signs of life in 2022 when he ran 13.34 in Tennessee and again earlier this year when he ran 13.32 at the National Stadium in April. On Saturday night, the 27-year-old Mason, told the world that news of his career’s demise were greatly exaggerated when he ran a slightly wind-aided 13.14 (2.3m/s) to win a close race over Orlando Bennett (13.18) and Damion Thomas 13.29.

Shian Salmon was impressive in victory to open proceedings in the 400m hurdles, winning in 55.10 over Rhonda Whyte 55.55 and Cassandra Tate of the USA, who took third in 55.62.

Two-time World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts won the triple jump over rival and friend Thea LaFond of Dominica in less than ideal conditions. The cool temperatures and negative headwind notwithstanding, Ricketts’ 14.32m to was enough to secure the victory ahead of LaFond’s 14.15m.

Imani Oliver of the USA could only muster 12.97m for third place.

Samoa’s Alex Rose won the men’s discus with a throw of 65.86m with Traves Smikle taking second place with 65.15m. Kai Change threw 63.19m for third place.

Lushane Wilson cleared 2.20m to win the high jump over Raymond Richards (2.15m) and Christoff Bryan (2.10m).

 

 

 

 

Shericka Jackson’s world-leading time in the 100m was the highlight of the Velocity Fest 13 meeting held at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday night.

The meet ended in controversy after Akeem Blake clearly false started in the men’s 100m final but the electronic timing system reportedly shut down and the race was not called back or re-run. Blake was subsequently disqualified and the race awarded to Zharnel Hughes in a hand time of 9.9. Kadrian Goldon and Julian Forte were second and third, respectively with both being awarded a time of 10.0.

The system worked fine for the women’s final minutes earlier as MVP’s Jackson, the 2022 World 200m gold medalist and at 21.45 the second fastest woman of all time over the half-sprint sprint, gave an indication that she will be hard to beat in the blue-ribbon sprint this year.

The 28-year-old star, who has a personal best of 10.71, ran a smart 10.82 (-0.1m/s) while still pulling away from Natasha Morrison, who was second in 11.09 while Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas was third in 11.11.

Jackson had given fair-warning during the preliminary round that something special was coming when she sleep-walked 11.06 to win her heat at a canter. Morrison ran 11.08 to win her heat.

Briana Williams, who ran 11.34 while finishing second in Morrison’s heat, withdrew from the final citing “tightness” while Elaine Thompson-Herah, who had been listed as a starter for the event, was a no-show.

Jonielle Smith of MVP International won the ‘B’ in 11.35 during what was a close finish with Shockoria Wallace, who was awarded the same time. Krystal Sloley was third in a personal best 11.46.

Adrian Kerr ran a personal best 10.26 to win the Men’s ‘B’ final with Odaine McPherson of GC Foster College and MVP’s Michael Campbell finishing in his wake in 10.34 and 10.36, respectively.

Kuron Griffith of Barbados and the Racers Track Club won the ‘C’ final in a season-best 10.42. Mazinho Barrett of the University of the West Indies clocked a personal best 10.47 for second while McKish Compton of St Vincent and the Grenadines and GC Foster College was third in a season-best 10.48 in what was a close race.

World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams was an impressive winner in the ‘A’ final of the Women’s 400m clocking 51.84 while finishing ahead of Janieve Russell, who ran a season-best time of 52.41. Tovea Jenkins ran 52.66 for third place.

The 'A' final of the Men's 400m offered up a thrilling finish between Jamaica's national record holder Rusheen McDonald and Zandrian Barnes. The two were on lock-step for the final few metres of the race that ended with Barnes falling across the line in a time of 45.41, the same time as McDonald. The two were separated by a mere 0.07s. Demish Gaye, back from a long-term injury was third in a season-best 46.07.

Tyler Mason ran his fastest time in almost a decade to equal his personal best of 13.32 defeating Commonwealth Games finalist Orlando Bennett who ran 13.47 for second place. Odario Phillips of Pelicans Track Club was third in 13.60.

The last time Mason ran as fast was in 2015.

There was a spectacular finish in the Women’s 100m hurdles in which newly minted professional Kerrica Diamond Hill ran a new meet record 12.75 for victory. Seemingly left for dead by Megan Tapper after the first five flights, Hill, who turned 18 in March, stormed back to blow past the Olympic bronze medallist and claim a comfortable victory.

Tapper had to settle for second in 12.99 while Asharria Ulett of St Catherine High finished third in 13.99.

Assinie Wilson of Titans International ran a new personal best of 49.15 to win the 400m hurdles ahead of training partner Malik Kymani James-King, who clocked 50.29 for second. Zachary Chamberlain finished third in a pedestrian 55.18.

Jodean Williams of Racers Track Club won the 200m in a season- best 23.56 over Olympic 400m finalist Candace McLeod, who ran 24.05 for second place. Tricha Walker of Camperdown High School was third in a new personal best of 25.16.

Tissanna Hickling of Ricketts Performance was the only woman past six metres in the long jump with a season-best 6.56m. Jodian Stewart of MVP jumped a season-best 5.91m while Aaliyah Foster of Mt Alvernia High set a mark of 5.89m for third.

Tajay Gayle won the men’s long jump that had sub-par performances from the podium finishers. Gayle jumped 7.90m to take the win ahead of Shawn ‘D Thompson (7.42m) and Aubrey Allen (7.39m).

Meanwhile, Fedrick Dacres won the men’s discus with a throw of 65.66m. Traves Smikle was second with 64.30m with Chad Wright third with a season-best of 63.35m.

Defending champions Edwin Allen High and Kingston College are the respective girls' and boys' leaders at the end of action on the penultimate day of the 2023 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.

After 22 completed finals on Friday, Edwin Allen has scored 147 points with their fierce rivals Hydel High on 131.5 points. Holmwood Technical have so far amassed 92 points while St Jago High (80) and St Catherine High (47) rounding out the top-five girls schools.

Among the boys, Kingston College, after 21 finals has scored 190 points, 30 clear of Jamaica College (160).  Calabar High have 95 points. St Elizabeth Technical (54) and St Jago (37) complete the top five schools.

In the finals completed on Friday, Shameer Blake and Oneika McAnuff proved too strong for their rivals in the Class I 400m hurdles.

In the Class II event, Jamaica College’s Deandre Gayle lived up to his favourite tag to win a keenly contested race.

Blake of St. Elizabeth Technical took command of his final from the get-go and enjoyed a comfortable lead up to about 350m when Edwin Allen’s Tyrece Hyman began to close with every stride. Hyman was on Blake’s shoulder as they cleared the final hurdle but the STETHS athlete dug deep to hold Hyman off and win in 50.76.

Hyman was a close second in 51.04. He had to hold off a fast-finishing Antonio Forbes of Kingston College, who clocked 51.09 for the bronze medal.

It was the opposite for McAnnuff, the defending champion who found herself in fourth place as the hurdlers made their way down the home stretch. However, she surged to get by Tonyan Beckford of Edwin Allen and win comfortably in 56.46.

Beckford won the silver medal clocking 57.14. Hydel’s Alliah Baker, who was also ahead of McAnnuff late, faded to third in 58.37.

The Class II event was a battle royal between Gayle, Requel Reid of Calabar and Taj-Oneil Gordon of Kingston College. All three were within close proximity with just over 80m to go when Gayle surged to separate himself from the now chasing pack.

He managed to hold on and win in 52.75 over Reid who ran 53.24 for the silver medal. Gordon had to settle for the bronze having run 53.70.

Ainsley Campbell of Kingston College won the 2000m steeplechase in 6:13.57, almost five seconds ahead of Nellie Ambriton of Jamaica College, who crossed the finish line in 6:18.56. Adriano Brown of  Calabar High ran 6:22.33 to claim the bronze medal.

The girls’ event went to Kaydeen Johnson of Hydel High who ran 7:15.01 to win the gold medal over Terrica Clarke of Holmwood Technical, who clocked 7:17.04 and Sanyae Gibson of Edwin Allen High, who stopped the clock at 7:27.51.

In the field, Dionjah Shaw of Edwin Allen High threw 46.27m to win the Girls Class II discuss over her teammate Shamoyea Morris, who flung the disc out to a mark of 44.95m. Marla-Kay Lambert of Clarendon College threw 43.15m for the bronze medal.

Gabrilla Treasure of St Catherine emerged the victor in a closely contested Class IV high jump for girls with a clearance of 1.55m. Campion College’s Stefvanco Henry also sailed over 1.55m but finished second on the count back.

Meanwhile, Adajah Drysdale of Wolmer’s Girl finished third after clearing 1.50m.

The Class I Girls high jump was won by Vere Technical’s Torian Caven who sailed over 1.82m. Edwin Allen’s Rasheda Samuels won the silver medal with her clearance of 1.79m and Richelle Stanley of St Elizabeth Technical picking up the bronze medal with 1.70m.

Trevon Hamel of Jamaica College picked up a valuable nine points in the Class I triple jump leaping out to 15.61m to take the gold medal.

Javar Thomas of Kingston College jumped 15.37m for the silver medal and seven points while Kesean Rhoomes of Cornwall College who established a mark of 14.50m.

 

March 29, 2023 is a day that fans of Jamaican track and field will never forget.

The stage was set at the National Stadium in Kingston on Wednesday night for the Class One boys 100m final where Kingston College star Bouwahjgie Nkrumie was aiming to secure his first gold medal since moving up to class one two years ago.

Not only was he expected to easily win the race, he was expected to become the first Jamaican Under-20 athlete to break the 10-second barrier.

After coasting to 10.51 to win his heat on Tuesday, the World Under-20 silver medallist heightened the expectations of the many watching on at the Stadium and at home when he sped to 10.08 in the semi-finals, breaking the record set in 2014 by Zharnel Hughes.

Then, with everyone’s eyes glued to the Stadium track, Nkrumie did it. He produced a special 9.99, breaking his own national junior record 10.02, and becoming only the third Under-20 athlete to break 10 seconds.

The other two are Botswanan Letsile Tebogo who ran 9.91 to defeat Nkrumie at the World Under-20 Championships last year and American Trayvon Bromell who ran 9.97 in 2014.

That time also makes Nkrumie the current world leader in the event.

“I can’t explain the feeling right now. I can tell you, now, it was not easy to do. It will only get better from here,” Nkrumie said after the race.

“Felt good throughout the rounds but I wasn’t pleased with the execution in the final again. That’s what affected me last year but I promise you I will get it together at the right time,” he added.

As previously stated, this was Nkrumie’s third 100m final since making the transition to Class One in 2021.

That year, Nkrumie took bronze while, in 2022, his finished sixth after stumbling out of his blocks.

He reacted to finally claiming that elusive gold medal.

“The journey has been rough to be honest but if only some athletes in high school had the mindset that I have, they’d be so fantastic but, as I said, I’m happy to achieve this time and it’s only going to get better from here,” Nkrumie said.

As for what comes next for the three-time Kingston College team captain, he says wait and see.

“Let’s see. The season is long. With the way my coach planned out this season, you will definitely see me run faster down the line.”

 

 

 

 

 

Shericka Jackson and Sada Williams produced standout performances at the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday when rising star Tina Clayton took the scalp of Briana Williams in their first encounter as professionals over 200m.

Jackson was the toast of the meet with a stirring run down the home stretch to clock a meet record and season best 50.92, her fastest time ever in March. The reigning world 200m champion has her eyes set on going faster than the 21.45 she ran to win her first ever global title in Eugene, Oregon last summer and on the evidence of what she has accomplished so far this season building on her endurance, she is well on track.

Coming off the final turn, Jackson running in lane six, found herself trailing Elite Performance’s Stacey-Ann Williams, the Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist and simply shifted gears to surge past the 24-year-old quarter-miler towards the finish line.

Williams ran a creditable 51.59 for second place while Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion Janieve Russell finished third in 52.77.

The men’s race was equally thrilling with 2022 Carifta Games champion Roshawn Clarke, who is now at Swept Track Club, holding off the field to win in a personal best 45.85.

Titan’s International runner Assinie Wilson clocked 45.95 for second place. Malik Kymani James King ran a season-best 46.39 for third.

The 200m races were run in an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ and both were interesting for different reasons.

The ‘A’ final featured World Championship bronze medalist Sada Williams of Barbados, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion and she looked every bit the part as she ran down Toyko 4x100m relay gold medallist Natasha Morrison to win in a season-best 22.98.

Morrison held on for second place in 23.24 while Tovea Jenkins was third in 23.91.

The ‘B’ final had two of Jamaica’s rising sprint stars, Briana Williams, who celebrated her 21st birthday on Tuesday, March 21 and 18-year-old Tina Clayton, the World U20 100m champion.

In truth, it was expected to be a close contest, but it wasn’t.

Clayton running inside Williams’ surged past her elder rival midway the curve and extended her lead once she hit the straight before going on to win in 23.69. Williams, who got a poor start and ran a poor curve, tightened up down the stretch and was passed by Indian sprinter Srabandi Wada, who finished second in 23.98, forcing the Jamaican to settle for fourth in a disappointing 24.03.

The Men’s 100m final proved to be anti-climactic as the three main protagonists Zharnel Hughes, Julian Forte and Nigel Ellis, all of whom looked sharp in their preliminary heats, were disqualified after false starts.

Without them, Canada’s Brendon Rodney stormed to victory in a personal best 10.17, just ahead of Wolmer’s Boys Jehlani Gordon who ran a personal best 10.22 and the ‘msyterious’ Sachin Dennis, who was third in a season-best 10.23.

Tyler Mason came up trumps in the 110m hurdles winning in 13.68, well clear of Odario Phillips 13.83 and LaFranz Campbell 13.85.

Elvis Graham of GC Foster established a meet record 74.58m to win the javelin over Oraine Thomas (68.97m) and Devon Spencer 68.32m.

Fedrick Dacres threw 64.29m to win the men’s discus ahead of clubmate Traves Smikle (63.77), and Kai Chang of the University of the West Indies (60.69m

Titans International stars Briana Williams and Ackeem Blake opened their accounts in impressive style over 60m at the Camperdown Classic at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday night.

Williams, the Tokyo Olympics 4x100m gold medallist, clocked a fast 7.22 to win the dash ahead of Legacy Athletics’ Jura Levy, who ran 7.34.

Rohanna Wright of Swept Track Club ran 7.71 for third.

Blake was just as impressive, winning his short dash in 6.63 running into a negative wind, just holding off his more accomplished club-mate Yohan Blake, who clocked 6.64.

Emmanuel Archibald finished third in 6.70.

Williams, who has been training with the group since September, was chuffed about the performance.

“It felt very quick. I am just happy to be here to start the season,” she said, adding that her training has been going well, working on things that will make her better for the coming season.

“We have been working on endurance and the last part of races and this is just the start getting to the 100 and 200.”

The work, she said, is helping her get to her goals of running consistent 10.7s and 10.8s for the season ahead.

After just five months training in Jamaica, Williams said she feels at home and appreciates the support from the fans and her teammates at Titans.

“I am enjoying my coaches, my teammates and I am enjoying training,” said Williams, who races next in another 60m dash at the Gibson Relays o February 25.

“My teammates push me every day and they encourage me and I am so happy to have them.”

Like Williams, young Blake was pleased with pleased with the outcome.

“My training has been going good so far because I am healthy and I am ready," Blake said. "I have been putting in work and so I was expected to go out there, deliver, and that is what I did tonight.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) Board of Directors has accepted the recommendations of their disciplinary committee to issue sanctions to the persons involved in the matter of failing to test all four members of Jamaica’s Women’s U-20 4x100 World Record team at the CARIFTA Games in Kingston in April.

Jamaica’s team of Briana Lyston, Tina Clayton, Tia Clayton and Serena Cole sped to a time of 42.58 to break the under-20 world record, however, the time wasn’t ratified due to JADCO personnel failing to test all four members of the team.

In a press release on Friday, the commission announced the sanctions facing the personnel involved.

“All JADCO personnel who had responsibility and oversight for the testing and acted in accordance with internal practice rather than explicit instructions are to participate in a continuous education programme on in-competition testing through a WADA-approved facility as recommended by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports,” JADCO said in the statement.

The statement continued: “Failure to comply with this directive will result in further disciplinary action in accord with the Labour Relations Code. The current discontinuance of the internal practice which barred repeat testing of an athlete within 24 hours during competition, be made permanent. Each JADCO personnel is to be issued a written warning.”

The Board also explained that they took into account the fact that this was a first infraction for the persons involved.

 

 

Andrenette Knight went into Jamaica’s National Senior Athletics Championships on Thursday as the fastest Jamaican woman in the world over the 400m hurdles this year.

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.

 

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