Jamaica's Shanieka Ricketts and Dominica's Thea LaFond, along with another Jamaican, Ackelia Smith, have secured their spots in the Women's Triple Jump finals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Jumpers who met the qualification standard of 14.35m or ranked among the top 12 performers in the preliminary round advance to the finals.

Ricketts, a two-time World Championship silver medalist, qualified on her first jump with a distance of 14.47m in Group B of the preliminary round. Her impressive leap not only ensured her place in the finals but also placed her among the top qualifiers.

Joining her from Group B are Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, who jumped 14.36m and Italy’s Dariya Derkach, who achieved a season-best of 14.35m. While Ricketts' 14.47m was a commendable effort, the best mark of the qualifying rounds came from Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez, who delivered a stunning leap of 14.68m to lead all qualifiers.

Meanwhile, in Group A, World Indoor Champion Thea LaFond of Dominica (14.35m) also demonstrated her elite skills, advancing to the finals alongside Ackelia Smith, the 2024 NCAA champion from Jamaica, who recorded a jump of 14.09m.

Perez- Hernandez’s compatriot Liadamis Povea also advanced with a jump of 14.39m. Other notable qualifiers include Ukraine's Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (14.30m) and Romania's Elena Andreea Talos (14.23m).

The USA will have strong representation in the finals with Jasmine Moore, who qualified with a mark of 14.43m, and Kenturah Orji, who advanced with a jump of 14.09m. Ilionis Guillaume of France also made it to the finals with a leap of 14.05m.

Jamaica was the only Caribbean team to secure a lane in the final of the 4x400m Mixed Relay as they were dragged in qualifying by United States, which registered the first World Record of the Paris Olympic Games at the Stade de France on Friday.

Running from lane six in heat one, the Americans—Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown—left the field in their wake to stop the clock in 3:07.41, bettering their own previous mark of 3:08.80 set at last year’s World Championships in Budapest. Poland’s Olympic Record of 3:09.87 set in Tokyo, was also erased.

France (3:10.60) and Belgium (3:10.74) were second and third with national record times, while Jamaica’s quartet of Raheem Hayles, Junelle Bromfield, Zandrion Barnes, and Stephanie-Ann McPherson also clocked a national record of 3:11.66 for fourth. They progressed as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers, along with Poland (3:11.43).

Bahamas struggled throughout and ended at the back of the pack in 3:14.58. The same is true about Dominican Republic (3:18.89) in heat two.

That heat was won by Great Britain in a national record 3:10.61, ahead of Netherlands (3:10.81) and Italy (3:11.59).

Grenada's Lindon Victor and Ken Mullings of the Bahamas both had credible starts to their Paris Olympic Games campaign, as they are well positioned after three events in the men’s decathlon at the Stade de France.

After the 100m, long jump and shot put, Victor occupies sixth overall with a total of 2724 points, while Mullings is six positions lower in 12th with 2592 points.

Germany’s Leo Neugebauer (2876), Canada’s Damian Warner (2798) and Ayden Owens-Delerme (2786) of Puerto Rico occupy the medal positions so far.

Victor finished sixth in heat three of the 100m in 10.56 seconds, which earned him 961 points, while Mullings seventh-place finish in 10.60 seconds earned him 952 points.

For the long jump event, Victor ended eighth in group B with a leap of 7.48m, adding 930 points to his total, while Mullings cut the sand at 7.36m  and secured 900 points for his 10th place finish.

In the shot-put event, Victor demonstrated his athleticism by throwing 15.71m. He tallied 833 points for his fourth-place finish, while Mullings received 740 points for his 14.19m-throw which was good enough for 11th.

The gruelling two-day 10-discipline event continues in the evening session, scheduled to begin at 11:00am Jamaica time, with the high jump next in the athletes’ sight as they seek to improve up the standings.

Bermuda’s Dara Alizadeh produced yet another strong performance in the men’s Single Sculls final E, but it was only good enough for fourth at Nautical St.-Flat Water on Friday.

Alizadeh stopped the clock at 7:03.12.

He was among the fastest starters, and even held top spot at the 500m mark before being relegated to second place at the 1000m mark. Though Alizadeh maintained his position up to the 1500m, his lack of endurance eventually came to the fore, and he ultimately slipped to fourth at the end.

Despite the challenging race, Alizadeh, 30, again paraded his skills with much gusto, but more importantly, represented Bermuda on the global stage with distinction. He made a significant impression in his discipline, establishing himself as one to look out for at future events.

Jamaica’s Lamara Distin failed to progress beyond the first round of the women’s high jump on Friday’s morning session of the Paris Olympics Games inside Stade de France.

Distin failed to clear the bar at 1.92m, with her best jump coming at 1.88m. The qualification mark was set at 1.97m, and Distin, who was ranked third in the world with a national record 2.00m, ended 11th in her qualification group.

It was heartbreak for the 24-year-old, an experienced athlete who has contested the World Championships high jump final twice, finishing fifth in 2023 and ninth in 2022. She has also won the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2021 North, Central American, and Caribbean U23 Championships.

Distin also has the distinction of being a three-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion (indoors 2022, 2023, outdoors 2022).

Despite her impressive track record, Distin found the going tough and failed to replicate her early season performances on the Olympic stage.

As expected, all the main protagonists from the Caribbean booked spots in the women’s 100m semi-finals as the athletics portion of the Paris Olympic Games got under way at Stade de France on Friday.

The Caribbean women, led by the legendary Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, all safely navigated their respective heats with contrasting performances.

Though she placed second in the eighth and final heat in 10.92s, Fraser-Pryce, in her final appearance at the global multi-sport event, was the fastest of the Caribbean representatives. The 37-year-old was only bettered by Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, who clocked a season-best 10.87s to win that heat.

Germany’s Gina Lueckenkemper (11.08s) was third. The quality of Fraser-Pryce and Ta Lou-Smith was highlighted by the fact that the two fastest non-automatic qualifiers—Rani Rosius (11.12s) of Belgium and Puerto Rico’s Gladymar Torres, with a national record of 11.12s—came from that final heat.

Earlier, St. Lucia’s standout Julien Alfred comfortably topped heat two in 10.95s, ahead of New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs (11.08s) and Italy’s Zaynab Dosso (11.30s). The other Caribbean ladies, Michelle-Lee Ahye (11.33s) of Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba’s Yunisleidy Garcia Abreu (11.37s), placed fourth and fifth in the same heat and missed out on semi-final spots.

Prior to that, Tristan Evelyn (11.55s) of Barbados failed to progress, as she placed sixth in heat one. The heat was won by American World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson in 10.94s, ahead of Patrizia van der Weken (11.14s) of Luxembourg and Australia’s Bree Masters (11.26s).

Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, with a season’s best 10.92s, led qualifiers from heat three. American Melissa Jefferson (10.96s) and Hungary’s Boglarka Takacs, who clocked a national record of 11.10s, also progressed.

Jamaica’s debutant Tia Clayton did what was required to advance, as she placed second in heat four in 11.00s. Canada’s Audrey Leduc won in a national record of 10.95s, while Great Britain’s Imani Lansiquot (11.10s) also advanced.

Heat five was won by Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in a season’s best 10.99s, ahead of Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (11.01s) and Rosemary Chukwuma (11.26s).

The Caribbean duo of Jamaica’s Shashalee Forbes (11.19s), who replaced Shericka Jackson, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand (11.27s) safely progressed to the semi-finals after placing second and third in heat six. American Twanisha Terry (11.15s) won the event, while Zahria Allers-Liburd (11.89s) of St. Kitts and Nevis, who ran the preliminary round earlier in the day, finished out of contention in eighth.

Grenada’s Halle Hazzard (11.70s), who progressed from the preliminary round an hour early, failed to repeat the feat as she placed eighth in heat seven. Gambia’s Miriam Bass Bittaye (11.01s) won that heat ahead of Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (11.05s) and Delphine Nkansa (11.20s).

As the world gears up for the track and field segment of the Paris Olympic Games, set to commence on Friday, athletes from various Caribbean islands are brimming with excitement and high expectations. These athletes, contesting a diverse range of events such as the 100m, 400m, 800m, and decathlon, are ready to execute with pride and passion, but more importantly, with hopes that the hard work done over the past four years will bear fruit on the global stage.

Having completed the final phase of their preparations at Complexe Sportif de l’ile des Vannes, ahead of competition, the athletes—Aliyah Abrams, Shakeem McKay, Shafiqua Maloney, Cejhae Green, and Lindon Victor—took time to share their eagerness with Sportsmax’s Alex Jordan.

Guyana’s Abrams, 27, who will contest the women’s 400m, is especially enthusiastic, as she seeks to create history by securing her country’s first ever track and field medal at the Olympic Games. The country’s lone medal to date was earned by boxer Michael Parris at the 1980 Olympic Games in Russia.

“It (the atmosphere) has been great, the weather has been good, and training has been great. This is my third day out and everything is coming together well, so I am excited. It is going great for me; I just want to really hammer throw the rounds and make sure I don’t leave anything off the track essentially. So I just intend on giving it my all and just doing my very best so I can make the final,” said Abrams, who will be making her third-consecutive Olympic Games appearance.

Another quartermiler, Shakeem McKay of Trinidad and Tobago, echoed similar sentiments as he hopes to make a memorable debut at the global multi-sport event. The 21-year-old, along with Jereem Richards, will carry the Twin Island Republic’s flag in the men’s 400m.

“It (being at the Olympic Games) is a dream come true,” he declared.

“I am just taking it day-by-day as it comes; I am not letting it get to my head or anything; I am just here to get the job done. Today (Thursday) was a fairly easy day; we had a couple sprints, accelerations, block starts and so on. So today was really just to prepare for tomorrow when we get on track,” McKay added.

The 100m dash, often regarded as the marquee event of track and field, will see several Caribbean sprinters vying for gold. Antigua and Barbuda’s Cejhae Green is among those that will line up in the men’s event.

Green, 28, is also making his third Olympic Games appearance.

“I am as ready as I can get. If you’re not ready by the time you get to the Olympic Village, then you’re in big trouble. I am feeling really good; actually, today was a really good day. Sometimes training doesn’t go as planned, but today was a good day…coach was happy, and once the coach is happy, I can’t complain,” Green shared.

Maloney, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is one of the Caribbean’s middle distance hopefuls in the women’s 800m. The 25-year-old, who holds her country’s indoor and outdoor national records, is now eager to make her mark, as opposed to her debut outing at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“Honestly, in Tokyo, I was not in a good place mentally, I was lacking experience and just wasn’t aware of what it takes to compete at the top level. Now I have more experience, I have been running for a couple years now, I am now on the professional circuit; and I am a lot more prepared mentally and physically,” Maloney explained.

“I am out here chasing a medal like everybody else; just take it one round at a time and get to the final, but I can’t think about the final until I get past each round. So one round at a time, and when I get to the final, I can think about the medal. It doesn’t matter what you ran before you came here; it is about what you do here, so you have to show up and compete,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Grenada’s Victor, will contest the decathlon, a grueling two-day event that tests an athlete’s versatility and endurance across ten disciplines.

Conferred with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) earlier this year, Lindon, 31, is hoping to make his country proud on this his third Olympic Games appearance.

“I have to compete and be a good ambassador for my country first and foremost. Once I compete hard, compete well, and do what I need to, I think Grenada will be proud, and a medal would be a cherry on top of that,” Victor stated.

With the stage set and the athletes ready, the world will be watching as these talented individuals strive for Olympic glory.

St. Lucia's Luc Chevrier had a solid start in the men's dinghy event, which got underway at the Marseille Marina on Thursday. Despite a delay due to weather-related issues, Chevrier exhibited determination in the initial races.

Chevrier finished 24th in the first race, a performance that was marked by strong advancement as he climbed to 16th at mark 4, then to 14th at mark 1. However, he later slipped to 22nd and ultimately crossed the finish line in 24th place.

The second race proved more formidable, as Chevrier started 39th and worked his way up to 36th. By virtue of those performances, the 25-year-old, who contested the Laser event at the 2020 Tokyo Games, is now 32nd in the overall standings with 60 points.

Meanwhile, Aruba’s Just Aanholt finished 26th in the first race and 38th in the second, as he sits 37th overall with 65 points.

Thad Lettsome of the British Virgin Islands, making his Olympic debut, placed 40th in the first race but improved to 37th in the second. He is occupying 40^th position overall with 78 points.

As the competition progresses and the next races get started, the attention will be on these Caribbean athletes as they look to improve their positions in the sport, which uses small boats, such as sailing dinghies.

Canada advanced to the knockout stages of the Paris Olympics against all the odds following a 1-0 victory over Colombia in Marseille. 

The defending Olympic champions had won both their group matches, but were docked six points after being found guilty of using a drone to spy on New Zealand's training session ahead of their opening match of the Games. 

It subsequently saw head coach Bev Priestman banned from football-related activities for a year, and despite appealing the decision, saw it rejected. 

However, Vanessa Gilles' header proved to be the difference as she rose highest to meet Jessie Fleming's corner kick delivery in the 61st minute.

While Canada only took three points from their group games, they joined both Spain and the United States as the only teams to win all their games at the tournament so far. 

Colombia, who started the day's action in second, settled for third spot but advanced to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams and will face Spain. 

Canada, meanwhile, will continue their quest for a second Olympic triumph in the Parc des Princes on Saturday where they will face Germany. 

In the other Group A fixture, hosts France confirmed their place in the knockout stages of the competition after a hard fought 2-1 triumph over New Zealand. 

Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored the opening goal of the game in the 22nd minute, only for Kate Taylor to respond for the visitors two minutes before the interval. 

Katoto, who scored a brace against Colombia in their opening group game, notched her second double of the tournament late on to take her tally to five at the Games and secure top spot for the French. 

France will next be in action this Saturday in Nantes, where they will face Brazil, who will be without veteran striker Marta following her red card against Spain earlier in the day. 

Coco Gauff suffered back-to-back defeats in her respective doubles matches as her hopes of an Olympic gold medal were dashed at Roland-Garros. 

In her first game of the day, Gauff teamed up with world number six Jessica Pegula to face Czech Republic duo Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova. 

After taking the first set, Gauff and Pegula were unable to continue their momentum, falling to a 6-2 4-6 5-10 defeat. 

The American pairing started strongly and raced into an early lead, taking the opening set in what seemingly looked like a straightforward victory for Team USA. 

However, Muchova and Noskova rallied and in a second set that saw five break points converted by both, the Czech's would prevail to take the game to a decider. 

Gauff and Pegula lost four straight games to put their opponents in the ascendency, with Muchova and Noskova able to see out the win to progress to the quarter-finals. 

Gauff emerged back onto the clay courts in the French capital for her mixed-doubles match soon after, joining Taylor Fritz to face a Canadian pairing of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski. 

The American duo would come from a set down to take the game to a decider, but it would be their opponents who emerge 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 8-10 victors. 

Gauff and Fritz exchanged blows with the Canadians, but were edged out in a first set tie-break after losing four games on the spin. 

But not wanting to let their dreams of a medal die, the American pair would recover from losing an early break point to rally and earn one of their own in the eighth game, seeing out the win to take Gauff to her second third-set decider of the day. 

However, the same result would transpire, with Auger-Aliassime and Dabrowski edging a nail-biting conclusion to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition. 

Emma Hayes' unbeaten record as the United States head coach continued as her side remained perfect following their 2-1 win over Australia in Group B. 

Hayes, who took charge of the USWNT in May, has won six of her seven games at the helm, conceding just twice in that time. 

The USA, along with Spain, are the only two sides to win all of their games at the Paris Olympics so far and will have great confidence heading into the knockout stages. 

Trinity Rodman's second goal of the tournament two minutes from half-time sent them on their way, as Korbin Albert's 77th-minute strike saw her become the the youngest substitute scorer for the USA at the Olympics since Mallory Swanson against Colombia in 2016. 

Alanna Kennedy's late strike would take some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display, but the United States dominated from the first whistle. 

Hayes' side accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 2.82 from the 21 shots they had compared to Australia's 0.46, ending the match with 71.7% possession. 

The United States will face Japan in the quarter-finals of the tournament, while Australia face a nervous wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. 

In the other Group B encounter, Germany confirmed their place in the knockout stages alongside the United States following a comfortable 4-1 win over Zambia. 

Lea Schuller opened the scoring in the 10th minute, with Klara Buhl adding the Germans second of the afternoon shortly after the restart. 

Zambia captain Barbra Banda threatened to make the encounter a more difficult affair with her fourth goal of the tournament two minutes later. 

But Schuller and Elisa Senß would add further gloss to the performance soon after to secure second place in the group. 

Germany's triumph sets up a meeting with the runners-up of Group A, which could be either one of Colombia, France, Canada or New Zealand. 

Bermuda’s Dame Flora Duffy and Erica Hawley fought gallantly in the women's individual triathlon but could only manage fifth and 41st, respectively, on the Pont Alexandre III on Wednesday.

Duffy, who topped the event at the Tokyo 2020 Games, failed to defend her crown but delivered an outstanding performance nonetheless. She stopped the clock in 1:56:12 for fifth, as Frenchwoman Cassandre Beaugrand won gold in 1:54:55.

Duffy, 36, demonstrated her prowess in the swim section, leading the group while skilfully navigating the currents. She was the first to switch to the bike, keeping a steady lead until the 40.0km mark, when she dropped to fifth. Despite her efforts during the run section, Duffy, who boasts the historic feat of being Bermuda's first Olympic champion, couldn't improve her position.

Hawley, in her first senior Olympics, also delivered a commendable performance. She slipped to 41st at the end in 2:02:55 after initially being up with the top 30 competitors at the swim segment.

However, the 26-year-old didn't have the most efficient execution in the bike segment and eventually fell further behind the pack.

Meanwhile, Caribbean men Matthew Wright of Barbados and another Bermudan, Tyler Smith, performed exceptionally in the men's event but also found the going tough as they finished 34th and 48th, respectively.

Wright, 32, making his Olympic debut, had ambitions of a possible top-20 finish but left it too late at the finish as he progressed from 42nd at the start to 34th. He completed the gruelling three-discipline event in 1:49:18.

Smith, 25, also a first-time Olympian, was up with the top 30 early, but lacked the endurance at the end as he finished 48th in 1:51:59.

Great Britain's Alex Yee won gold in 1:43:33.

For many athletes, the Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of their careers. Trinidad and Tobago’s rising sprint sensation, Leah Bertrand, is no different, but her approach is refreshingly composed.

Though it will be her first outing at the global multi-sport showpiece, Bertrand is managing the excitement and weight of expectations with remarkable calmness and confidence as she prepares to grace the track in the women’s 100m in Paris on Friday.

“Not really (feeling any pressure). I try not to let the pressure get to me. I just trust my training and the process and go out with the best mentality as possible. I feel like if I was supposed to focus on the pressure, I wouldn’t be able to go out and perform as well as I need to, but with that said, I feel the responsibility to do well, so I use that as motivation,” Bertrand told SportsMax.Tv.

With the pressure off, Bertrand, who celebrated her 22nd birthday on the day of the Games’ opening ceremony, pointed out that she is focused on possibly breaking the elusive 11-second barrier and potentially clinching a medal.

The Ohio State University senior, who won the women’s 100m at Trinidad and Tobago’s National Championships, has been flirting with the feat so far this season. She clocked a wind-aided 11.05s in June and, prior to that, stopped the clock at 11.09s in May, just outside her personal best of 11.08s.

“I feel good, so I believe I can break the 11-second barrier. I think it is time. I have been on the verge of it at 11.0 for a while now, so I want to get it done now,” she declared.

“I think I had a good season this year. I am healthy, thank God, so going into these Olympic Games, I feel very confident. The mentality is to compete, and once I do that, I feel like I can get through the rounds, get to the finals, medal, and represent Trinidad and Tobago well,” Bertrand added.

While she knows that the competition will be fierce, with the world's fastest women vying for glory, Bertrand, a two-time NACAC Under-23 medallist remains undaunted.

“Every time I run, the aim is to do better than the last time to get a PB, but I am not stressing on the time. I am going in to compete, and the time will come as long as I am running up with everybody else. I will be good,” she noted.

“I think it (getting the personal best and medal) is a mental thing; physically, I am ready, so I just have to believe I can do it. I think that is the only thing blocking me now. This is the Olympics, so the standard is high, but, with that being said, I can’t let the pressure get to me. If it was any other meet, at the end of the day, even though it’s a high level, I can’t put it higher than it needs to be because then the pressure would get to me,” Bertrand explained.

By all indications, Bertrand's preparation for the Olympics has been nothing short of rigorous. Like the plethora of stars that will be on show in Paris, she has been fine-tuning her technique, working on her explosive starts, and building the mental toughness required to compete at the highest level.

Leah Bertrand (second left) with teammates during the World Relays in the Bahamas.

“In practice, I tend to be more serious and focused on how I can improve because practice is the one time I really need to focus on what I need to do. Now my practice is more quality than quantity, so I am really focused on what I have to do,” she shared.

Much of Bertrand's drive comes from the support of her family and, by extension, the entire nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

No doubt the Twin Island Republic, a small nation with a proud sporting history, will be watching closely as Bertrand and her 16 other compatriots parade their athletic prowess across various disciplines, pushing for performances that will be a source of immense pride and inspiration.

 “It has been great and overwhelming, actually, because everybody has been wishing me good luck and on my side, so I know I have the support I need to go and do well. I want the public to hold us accountable as we continue working towards being the best representation for our country,” Bertrand ended.

In a thrilling display at the Paris La Defense Arena, the Caribbean swimmers demonstrated their athleticism in the men's 100m freestyle with outstanding performances, but mixed results.

In heat two, Suriname's Irvin Hoost finished fourth in 52.99s, while St Lucia's Jayhan Odlum-Smith (50.39s) finished second in heat four, but their times were not good enough to advance.

Heat five saw Bahamian Olympic debutant Lamar Taylor clock a new National Record of 48.84s, and he was also the first swimmer to go sub-50 on the night. Barbados' Jack Kirby finished third in 50.42s.

Aruban swimmer Mikel Schreuders followed Taylor’s suit in heat six, as he too stopped the clock in 48.84s, before Dylan Carter (49.35s) of Trinidad and Tobago finished eighth in heat seven.

However, the night belonged to Jordan Crooks of the Cayman Islands, who performed admirably to finish third in a blistering 48.01s in heat eight.

Crooks advanced to the semi-finals with the fifth fastest time overall, a mere 0.44 seconds behind the fastest qualifier, American Jack Alexy. The other Caribbean competitors ranked: Hoost (68th), Odlum-Smith (44th), Taylor and Schreuders tied for 26th, Kirby (46th), and Carter (34th).

Collymore, Persaud and Crooks failed to progress in women’s 100m freestyle

Grenada's Tilly Collymore, Guyana's Aleka Persaud and Cayman Islands’ Jillian Crooks all performed exceptionally well in the women's 100m freestyle at the Paris La Defense Arena, but like most of their male counterparts, failed to make the final cut to the semi-finals.

In heat one, Collymore finished second in 58.84s, just 0.65 seconds behind the winner. Persaud (1:01.29) placed fourth in the same heat, while Crooks (56.15s) finished seventh in heat two.

By virtue of their times, Crooks was 23rd overall, Collymore (26th), and Persaud (28th). Sweden's experienced campaigner, Sarah Sjöström, was the fastest qualifier in 52.99s.

Still, the Caribbean ladies had much to celebrate as Collymore, 16, is an Olympic debutant, while Persaud, 18, the youngest member of the Guyana team, was gracing the global multi-sport showpiece for a second time. She finished 55th in the 50m freestyle in Tokyo 2020 with a time of 27.76 seconds.

Crooks, 18, was also enjoying her second Olympic Games outing, having made her Olympic Games debut in Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She won three medals at last year’s Commonwealth Youth Games.

US Virgin Islands’ D'Amour eliminated in men’s Archery

Nicholas D'Amour of the US Virgin Islands lost 6-4 to Japanese archer Fumiya Saito in the men's individual round of 32 eliminations at the Invalides on Tuesday.

Despite a valiant attempt, D'Amour was defeated by a single point in the last set.

D'Amour demonstrated tremendous skill, leading set 2 with a score of 27-24. The Japanese and D'Amour tied sets 1 and 4, with Saito winning sets 3 and 5, defeating the USVI representative by one point in the last set, which determined the outcome. 

D'Amour, 22, made his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, becoming the first archer to represent the US Virgin Islands. He was eliminated in the first round in a shootout. In 2021, he finished in the top 10 on several occasions, moving him 196 places into the top five in the world rankings. He is also accredited as the 2022 Vegas Shoot silver medallist.

Matthew Wright’s career can be likened to fine wine, given the fact that it got better with age. In fact, if the current upward trajectory of the triathlete’s career is anything to go by, then his best is still yet to come.

Having started from the beaches of Barbados, Wright is now set to grace the grand stage of the Paris Olympic Games, and this remarkable feat serves as the highlight of a journey that has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Wright, who was introduced to triathlon in primary school, opted to focus fully on the sport that involves running, swimming, and cycling at age 16 and produced some credible performances across 19 international competitions between 2014 and 2016, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games. His best placement during that period came at the 2015 Bridgetown CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Cup, where he was fourth.

However, that period was not without its challenges, as Wright faced numerous setbacks, including serious injuries that threatened to derail his dreams and almost forced him to call it quits in his early 20s.

“I had some pretty good highs, but faced some extremely tough times as well, particularly with injuries. I've had bad bike crashes, broken bones, and torn ligaments. My first ever World Junior Championships I qualified for, I tore a ligament one month before in my knee. So I missed that, and I've just been up and down all around with so many injuries in my 20s that I felt like I was never able to get a full season out. That was really, really hard because I had my heart broken so many times due to it,” Wright told Sportsmax.TV from the Barbados team base in France.

Matthew Wright (second left) shares a photo opportunity with his Barbados teammates ahead of the Paris Games opening ceremony.

He continued: “I almost gave up the sport multiple times. I remember the 2012 London Olympics; I didn't watch anything, any sports. I was just at home; I was properly depressed and I was going to fully give up the sport. Fortunately, I had to go back to university, where my training group was, and I met this amazing physio at the time, and he got me back on track, and I qualified for my first Commonwealth Games. But then I suffered multiple injuries again since then, the biggest one being when I was trying to qualify for Tokyo in 2020 in February, and I ended up getting a metatarsal stress fracture.

“That meant the Olympic Games was going to be out of the question because I wasn't going to be able to do the needed qualifying races and I remember my coach saying, just go home, recover, refresh, and come back to Cardiff and we can get back training. But at that point, my fire completely went out because I was in my late twenties and I'd failed yet again to qualify for the Olympic Games. So I felt like I hadn't reached my potential; my body had given up on me again, and at that point, I really thought I was going to give up.”

Though the extensive rehabilitation and time away from training and competition tested Wright’s resolve, he found out in the most astonishing way that in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity, as it was during the Covid-19 period that he rekindled his passion for the triathlon.

“Covid-19 was kind of a blessing for me. The world stopped for four months, and I was able to have, like, a guilt-free break. There was no race to get ready for, the Olympics was cancelled, and I was able to just fully switch off and almost heal from what was 10 years of a bad pattern of injuries, illnesses and setbacks. It really, really helped, and that was the time when I met my now-fiancé, so my life really changed for the better in 2020,” Wright shared.

“But I was one step away from giving up in 2020, and for me, that's the biggest story where I was thinking you're 28 years old, go get a job, like, move on with life... sport isn't for you, but I'm so happy I never gave up at the time. I met the woman of my dreams and she's supported me so well in these last three years and I've had the most amazing period of my entire career since 28,” the Loughborough University graduate noted.

Since then, the now 32-year-old has registered a slew of top performances, including winning his first international competition—the Asia Triathlon Cup—at the age of 30 in 2022. A year later, in 2023, he opened the season with three medals in three events: gold at the Africa Triathlon Cup, bronze medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, and gold at the Americas Triathlon Sprint Championships.

However, Wright’s most important performance came at the World Triathlon Championship Series earlier this year, where he placed 41st to book his spot at the ongoing global multi-sport showpiece.

For Wright, achieving his recent successes and a lifelong Olympic Games dream makes overcoming such adversities all the more fulfilling in a sport that requires 17 sessions and 30-plus hours of training per week.

“So all those moments throughout my twenties make the high of qualifying for an Olympic Games and having an amazing few seasons, pretty healthy in the grand scheme of things, all worth it. Look at me now; I've qualified for the Olympic Games, I've won some massive races all over the world, and I've got a CAC Games medal. I've done so much for in the sport that I'd wanted to achieve before that point and if I'd given up, none of that would have never been the case,” Wright declared.

“Those moments taught me so much about great determination, never giving up, you know, always finding a way where I never settled. I had to keep looking for answers, having to work with different physiotherapists and different doctors to find out why this is happening, just to make sure that I could reach the potential I believed was within me. So, yeah, it's taught me a whole lot, and it makes these highs even sweeter,” the jovial athlete noted.

As his July 30 race date draws closer, Wright admits that there are some nerves ahead of his Games debut, but in the same breath, the grounded family man pointed out that his objective is to relish the experience.

"Definitely have a little bit of nerves but I think the biggest key with triathlon is to not get overwhelmed with the event. The key is to make sure that I just control what I can control, focus on my race and I think I'll be super happy if I go out there and perform the way I know I can and not get caught up with the names on the suits,” he said.

“The Olympics is like nothing you've ever seen. Like, the whole world cares about it. The amount of messages, emails, sponsorship opportunities... everyone wants a piece of you, but I think the biggest thing for me is to balance that and to fully enjoy the Olympic experience. For me, the overarching thing is I'm here as an athlete to have the best performance possible,” he added.

Still, given his peak physical condition and mental fortitude, Wright has sights set on a top 20 finish, a feat that would mark a significant achievement in his career.

“I know I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life, and I think based on what I have done before, a top 20 finish is a realistic goal, but of course you want to strike with some Olympic magic and maybe squeeze into the top 15. I think the best is still yet to come in my career, again, I'm in the best part of my career and hopefully I can ride this wave a little longer as I take a dive in the deep end to make Barbados and the whole Caribbean proud,” Wright ended.