Jamaican athletes Shashalee Forbes, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, and Orlando Bennett delivered standout performances, claiming victories in their respective events at the LX Palio Citta Della Quercia Meeting in Rovereto, Italy, on Tuesday.

Forbes, who was a semi-finalist in the 100m at the Paris Olympics, showcased her speed once again by winning the women’s 100m dash in 11.17 seconds. She edged out fellow Jamaican Natasha Morrison, who was a close second in 11.22 seconds. Morrison narrowly beat the USA’s Celera Barnes, who clocked 11.23 to take third place.

McPherson, a seasoned competitor nearing the end of her illustrious career, ran a season’s best of 50.65 seconds to triumph in the women’s 400m. In a thrilling race, McPherson held off a strong challenge from Barbados’ Olympic finalist Sada Williams, who finished just behind in 50.67. Another Caribbean athlete, Shafiqua Maloney, took third with a time of 50.75, completing an all-Caribbean podium. Jamaica’s Stacey-Ann Williams finished fifth in 51.12.

Orlando Bennett emerged victorious in a closely contested men’s 110m hurdles, clocking 13.45 to narrowly beat the USA’s Cordell Tinch, who finished in 13.46. Roger Iribarne of Cuba rounded out the podium with a time of 13.54.

In other notable performances, Zandrian Barnes of Jamaica finished second in the men’s 400m, running a season’s best of 45.30. Brazil’s Mathesus Lima won the race in a time of 44.99, while Belgium’s Johnathan Sacoor took third in 45.33. Rusheen McDonald of Jamaica finished fourth in 45.62, while Wendell Miller of the Bahamas was sixth in 45.74.

In the field events, Jamaica's Romaine Beckford continued his strong post-Olympic form, finishing second in the high jump with a clearance of 2.26m. Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi took the win, clearing 2.29m. In the long jump, Jamaica's 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle also secured a second-place finish with a leap of 7.96m, just behind winner Anvar Anvarov, who jumped 7.99m. Gayle's compatriot Shawn-D Thompson also jumped 7.96m but finished third on countback.

The performances of the Jamaican athletes in Rovereto underscored their strength on the international stage, as they continue to make their mark late in the season.

So it was in the beginning, so it is at the end.

Jamaica’s bad luck at the Paris Olympic Games, particularly on the female side, again reared its ugly head as the country’s quartet suffered a mishap in the 4x400m relay final and failed to finish at the Stade de France on Saturday.

With Shanieka Ricketts’ silver medal in the triple jump being the only medal won by a female athlete among Jamaica's six medals tallied ahead of the much-anticipated curtain call relays, the quartet of Stacey-Ann Williams, Andrenette Knight, Shiann Salmon, and Stephanie Ann McPherson would have hoped to end the athletics segment on a high.

However, it was not to be, as Knight, while in second position on the second leg, had the baton knocked from her hand by an Irish athlete, and as the instrument clattered on the track, so did the country’s hopes of a medal.

McPherson shared the team's disappointment.

"I don't know what happened; I watched the replay three times before I realised what happened, but it was like World Relays all over again. So, of course, we are disappointed. We all trained really hard for this," an emotional McPherson said, her eyes filled with tears.

Salmon tried to put on a brave face.

"My face might not be showing it but I am very heartbroken. The aim was to finish on the podium, and I am sure that everybody is disheartened that we didn't even get to finish the race, but sometimes things happen that we have no control over, and we have to just move on from them. The overall (Olympic) experience for me was excellent; I can't complain about it. I got two lifetime bests in this championship, and I thank God I finished healthy, so I am just looking forward to the rest of the season," Salmon shared. 

The event was won by the United States with an Area Record of 3:15.27, just shy of the longstanding 3:15.17 World Record. The Netherlands, through a blistering anchor leg from Femke Bol, took second in a National Record of 3:19.50, while Great Britain also clocked a National Record of 3:19.72 for third.

While the disappointment of a majority of Jamaica’s athletes and fans alike will be profound, after the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson suffered injuries ahead of their events and Ackera Nugent clipped a few obstacles, which ruined her chance at a medal in the women's 100m hurdles final, among other misfortunes, the country still had much to celebrate.

Rajindra Campbell won an historic bronze in the men’s shot put; Kishane Thompson copped silver in the men’s 100m; Wayne Pinnock was also a silver medallist in the long jump; and Rasheed Broadbell won bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles.

But the biggest accomplishment of the Games came for discus thrower Roje Stona, who achieved an Olympic record to land Jamaica’s solitary gold medal on his debut at the global multi-sport showpiece.

The Caribbean contingent made a powerful statement in the 400m preliminary rounds at the Paris Olympic Games on Monday, with several athletes advancing to the semi-finals. Leading the charge were Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, Stacey-Ann Williams, and Junelle Bromfield, joined by Barbados’ Sada Williams and the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino.

 Pryce, Jamaica’s national record holder and the fastest woman in the world this year over the distance with a time of 48.57, displayed her class by cruising to victory in the second of six heats. Pryce clocked a comfortable 50.02, ensuring her place in the semi-finals without expending unnecessary energy.

Her compatriot, Stacey-Ann Williams, also delivered a strong performance, securing second place in the opening heat with a season’s best time of 50.16. Williams finished behind the 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who posted a swift 49.91, signaling her intent to reclaim her dominance in the event.

Bromfield rounded out the Jamaican qualifiers with a solid third-place finish in the final heat, crossing the line in 51.36. This heat was dominated by Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, who looked impressive with a winning time of 50.09, while the USA’s Alexis Holmes followed closely in 50.35.

Barbados’ Sada Williams, a two-time world championship bronze medalist, continued to impress with a third-place finish in Heat 4, clocking 50.45. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, the European champion, won the heat with a sharp 49.98, indicating that she will be a formidable competitor in the semi-finals.

Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the reigning world champion, demonstrated why she is a favorite for gold by easily winning her heat. Paulino clocked a blistering 49.42, the fastest time in the qualifying rounds, with Cuba’s Roxana Gomez finishing second in 50.38.

In other heats, Great Britain’s Amber Anning, a fellow Razorback of Pryce, won Heat 3 with a time of 49.98, narrowly edging out Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver, who finished in 49.96.

However, not all Caribbean athletes had a smooth path to the semi-finals. Aliyah Abrams of Guyana will have to navigate the repechage round to secure her spot, adding an element of uncertainty to her Olympic journey.

Jamaica’s Stacey-Ann Williams and Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards were the only Caribbean winners at Tuesday’s Spitzen Leichtathletik Meet in Luzern, Switzerland.

Williams turned back the challenge of Dutchwoman Lisanne de Witte and Switzerland’s Annina Fahr to win in 50.58, her second fastest time this season, trailing behind her 50.56 to finish second at Jamaica’s National Championships in June.

De Witte and Fahr’s times in second and third were 51.99 and 52.08, respectively.

Richards, the 2017 World Championship bronze medallist and two-time Commonwealth Champion, all in the 200m, won the half-lap event on Tuesday in 20.19 ahead of the Zimbabwean pair Makanakaishe Charamba (20.42) and Tapiwanashe Makarawu (20.48).

The 30-year-old Trinidadian will also compete in the 400m in Paris. He won gold in the distance at the World Indoor Championships in 2022.

Another Jamaican Olympian, Lanae-Tava Thomas, was narrowly beaten by the Ivory Coast’s Jessika Gbai in the 200m.

Gbai’s winning time of 22.57 just beat out Thomas’s 22.60 while Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji was just behind in third in 22.61.

Kemba Nelson ran 11.21 to finish third overall in the women’s 100m behind New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs (11.17) and Kambundji (11.20).

Nickisha Pryce ran away with her second national 400m title on the final day of the Jamaica National Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.

Pryce, who set a new national record of 48.89 at the NCAA National Division One Championships in Eugene, Oregon in early June booked her ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games winning in 50.01.

Stacey-Ann Williams ran 50.56 for second place with Junelle Bromfield finishing third in 51.24.

Day three of the Jamaica National Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday saw some thrilling performances, headlined by Carey McLeod's victory in the men's long jump and Nickisha Pryce's impressive run in the 400m semi-finals.

McLeod clinched the men's long jump title with a leap of 8.38m but the highlight of the event was Shawn-D Thompson's dramatic qualification for the Paris Olympic Games. Thompson, who previously had a personal best of 8.13m from 2019 and a season’s best of 7.93m, saved his best for last. He produced a massive 8.30m effort in the final round, securing second place and a spot on the Olympic team.

Thompson's jump initially seemed to be a foul, but after review, it was deemed valid. His final leap pushed national record holder and two-time World Championships medallist Tajay Gayle out of contention. Wayne Pinnock finished third with an 8.27m effort.

Nickisha Pryce, competing in Jamaica for the first time since setting a national record at the NCAA Championships, dominated the women’s 400m semi-finals. Pryce clocked 49.63 seconds, the fastest time heading into Sunday's final. Pryce, who also set the NCAA record with 48.89 seconds, was the only Jamaican to run under 50.00 seconds on Saturday.

Barbados' Sada Williams posted a season’s best of 49.80 seconds, while Junelle Bromfield achieved a lifetime best of 50.74 seconds, meeting the Olympic qualifying standard. Stacey-Ann Williams ran 50.93 seconds, with veteran Stephenie-Ann McPherson recording her fastest time in two years at 51.10 seconds. Ashley Williams (51.16s), Charokee Young (51.58s), and Shaquena Foote (51.62s) also made it to the final.

The men's 110m hurdles final on Sunday promises a thrilling showdown, with the last two Olympic champions, Hansle Parchment and Omar McLeod, and Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell, all qualifying from Saturday’s semi-finals. The trio will compete for the three spots on the Jamaican team for the Olympic Games in August.

The women’s 100m hurdles semi-finals saw World Champion Danielle Williams and Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper advancing to Sunday's final. Ackera Nugent led the qualifiers with a season’s best of 12.46 seconds followed by Williams at 12.57 seconds and Tapper, running with a sore hamstring at 12.71 seconds.

Oneka Wilson of Clemson University clocked a personal best of 12.76 seconds, a similar time as Demisha Roswell, while 2019 World Championships finalist Janeek Brown (12.83s) and Amoi Brown (12.86s) also advanced.

Notably, national record holder and World Championships silver medallist Britany Anderson, running in Jamaica for the first time since 2022, failed to get past the semi-finals.

The action-packed day set the stage for an exciting final day of competition on Sunday, with several athletes looking to secure their places for the Paris Olympic Games.

Jamaican Stacey-Ann Williams and Nigerian Emmanuel Bamidele emerged victorious in the women’s and men’s 400m, respectively, at the Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.

Williams reeled in American Lynna Irby-Jackson in the final stages of the race to win in 50.86. Irby-Jackson’s time in second was 51.05 while Charokee Young was third in 51.86.

“It has been a season of many ups and downs so to get the win tonight, it feels pretty good. I’m excited about the time. It’s a stepping stone to national trials,” Williams said after the race.

Williams says there are still things she needs to work on before she can compete with the top runners in the world.

“There’s always things to work on. The times for the other women are way ahead and I feel like I want to be where they are so I have so many things to work on going forward,” she said.

The men’s equivalent was won by Nigeria’s Bamidele, the 2023 NCAA 400m champion, in 45.49, narrowly ahead of reigning national 400m hurdles champion Roshawn Clarke who ran a season’s best 45.57 in second and Zandrion Barnes who ran 45.62 for third.

“I think the preparation for me is the same. I have the same mindset; the same goals. I’m trying to get better every single day,” Bamidele said after the race.

“I’m trying to learn from my mistakes in every race. I’m hoping to break my personal best before the end of the season,” he added.

With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, JustBet has announced a significant partnership with three prominent Jamaican athletes as part of its latest campaign. The renowned sports brand, under Supreme Ventures Limited, is thrilled to welcome Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake, Olympian Stacy-Ann Williams, and motorsports sensation Fraser McConnell into its fold.

Scheduled for July 26 to August 11 in Paris, the upcoming Olympic Games serve as the backdrop for this exciting collaboration, marking a pivotal moment for JustBet as it reinvigorates its brand identity.

Kamal Powell, Head of Marketing at Supreme Ventures Limited, highlighted the strategic decision behind this partnership.

“We recently refreshed the JustBet brand and have just launched our new advertising campaign to reflect the energy of the brand. It was important to us to align with a diverse group of athletes who all represent excellence in sports to be part of the JustBet story," Powell remarked.

“The inclusion of accomplished athletes like Andre, Stacy Ann and Fraser in our new TVC underscores our commitment to showcasing the multifaceted nature of athleticism and entertainment while celebrating Jamaican sporting excellence. We are proud to partner with these amazing Jamaican athletes as we continue to elevate the JustBet brand.”

He emphasized the significance of each ambassador to JustBet's mission, noting, "Andre Blake, revered as the backbone of Jamaica's football team, joins as a symbol of leadership and resilience. Stacy Ann Williams, a formidable presence on the track, epitomizes the physical and mental fortitude it takes to be among the best in sports. Fraser McConnell, known for his fearless approach to motorsports, perfectly embodies the thrill and excitement that define JustBet's ethos. We are truly thrilled to welcome them aboard," Powell said.

In addition to their roles in the new TV campaign, these athletes will also contribute to broader community initiatives. Blake expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, "Supreme Ventures has long been a supporter of sports in Jamaica, including football. I'm excited to not only be part of this new ad campaign but also to support the Andre Blake Foundation."

Through this partnership, JustBet aims to inspire fans across Jamaica to embrace the excitement of sports and entertainment while fostering unity and camaraderie nationwide. As the Olympic Games draw near, the collaboration with Andre Blake, Stacy-Ann Williams, and Fraser McConnell underscores JustBet's commitment to celebrating Jamaican sporting excellence and enhancing its brand presence in the local community.

Kimar Farquharson, Navasky Anderson and Tarees Rhoden completed a Jamaican 1-2-3 in the men’s 800m on day two of the 2024 Tom Jones Memorial at the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday.

Farquharson, a junior at Texas A&M, ran 1:46.69 to take top spot. Anderson, Jamaica’s national record holder, ran 1:46.76 in second and Rhoden, a senior at Clemson University, ran 1:46.82 in third.

Vincentian star Shafiqua Maloney finished on top in the women’s equivalent in 1:59.97 ahead of Clemson’s Gladys Chepngetich (2:00.53) and Houston’s Kelly-Ann Beckford (2:00.70).

Jamaica’s Stacey Ann Williams was second in the women’s 400m invite in 50.71. The event was won by American Alexis Holmes in 50.65 with Britton Wilson running 50.74 for third.

Jamaican Clemson junior Marie Forbes threw a personal best 58.31m for second in the women’s discus invite behind Florida’s Alida Van Daalen (62.58m). Ohio State’s Faith Bender was third with 56.91m.

Ackeem Blake and Sashalee Forbes will lead Jamaica's contingent to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Jamaica will compete in the 60m, 60m hurdles, 400m, 4x400m relay, 800m, long jump, triple jump and shot put at the championships set to run from March 1-3.

Blake, the second fastest Jamaican ever,  will be Jamaica's sole competitor in the Men's 60m while Forbes and Briana Williams will contest the 60m dash.

Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper is the lone female in the 60m hurdles. Tyler Mason and Damion Thomas will go in the men's event. Giano Thomas is named as the reserve.

Meanwhile, Stacey-Ann Williams and Charokee Young will take on the world's best in the Women's 400m. Rusheen McDonald will run the two-lapper for the men.

Williams and Young are also named among the relay squad that includes Junelle Bromfield, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Andrenette Knight, Leah Anderson and Lanae-Tava Thomas.

In the field, Carey McLeod and Tajay Gayle have been selected to contest the long jump competition with Kimberly Williams will take on the triple jump.

Daniniel Thomas-Dodd and Rajindra Campbell will throw the shot put.

Former JAAA president Dr Warren Blake is the team manager with Maurice Wilson being the Technical Director.

Wilson will have on his coaching staff Reynaldo Walcott, Paul Francis, Orville Byfield and Mark Elliott.

Day one at the 2024 Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Friday saw a number of Caribbean athletes producing excellent performances.

Perhaps the best performance on the day came from 2022 Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Rasheed Broadbell.

The 23-year-old produced a personal best 7.56 to take the men’s 60m hurdles ahead of countryman Tyler Mason who ran a personal best 7.65 in second. LSU Sophomore Matthew Sophia was third in 7.67, also a personal best.

The women’s 60m Open saw a Caribbean top three as Tina Clayton won ahead of twin sister Tia with Bahamian Anthonique Strachan finishing third. Tina’s winning time was a season’s best 7.25 while Tia’s time in second was 7.28 and Strachan’s in third was 7.30.

The men’s equivalent saw reigning Jamaican National 100m champion Rohan Watson run 6.76 to finish as runner up behind American Lawrence Johnson who ran 6.70. Another American, Tony Brown, ran a personal best 6.78 in third while Jamaica’s Michael Campbell ran 6.80 in fourth.

The College men’s 60m saw Bahamian Florida Sophomore Wanya McCoy produce a personal best 6.65 to finish second behind LSU Sophomore Myles Thomas (6.62). Thomas’s teammate, Godson Oghenebrume, also ran 6.65 in third.

The women’s College 400m saw Jamaican National champion Nickisha Pryce produce a personal best 51.04 to take the win. Her time also puts her #3 on the all-time Jamaican indoor list.

The Arkansas Junior finished ahead of her schoolmate Kaylyn Brown who ran a personal best 51.49 for second while Rosey Effiong completed the Arkansas 1-2-3 with 51.65 in third.

The women’s Open 400m saw Lanae-Tava Thomas and Stacey Ann Williams run 51.88 and 52.33 for second and third, respectively. American Alexis Holmes won in a meet record 50.80. Another Jamaican, Andrenette Knight, ran 52.68 in fourth.

In the field, 2019 World champion and national record holder, Tajay Gayle, opened his season with 8.15m to finish second in the men’s long jump. Gayle, who also took bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last year, also produced a 7.99m effort in his series on Friday.

The event was won by Florida Senior Malcolm Clemons with 8.17m while Bahamian Laquan Nairn produced 7.93m for third.

A prayer before making their way into the stadium was the perfect way for the Jamaican quartet to start their bid in the women’s 4X400m relays and they will indeed challenge for a medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

This, as they booked their spot in Sunday’s showpiece event, after finishing tops in their heat on Saturday.

Cherokee Young, running from lane eight, ran the lead leg for the Jamaicans handing off to Nickesha Pryce, who ran a well-paced leg to send Shiann Salmon on her way.

Salmon did well to maintain the gap for Stacey-Ann Williams, who only had to run steady and true to take the team home in a new world leading time 3:22.74.

They won ahead of Canada (3:23.29), with Netherlands (3:23.75) taking the third automatic qualifying spot.

Great Britain won the second heat in 3:23.33, ahead of the favourites United States, who were later disqualified via Technical Rule 24.7, as they passed the baton outside the takeover zone.

That meant Belgium (3:23.63) and Italy (3:23.86) got second and third respectively, while Poland (3:24.05) and Ireland (3:26.18) got the two fastest non-automatic qualifying spots.

The final will be the curtain-call event of the nine-day Championships at 2:47pm Jamaica time.

Catch live action of the 2023 World Athletics Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.

Jamaica missed out on the cut for the final of the Mixed 4x400 metres relay, as they could only manage fifth in heat two of the event on Saturday's opening day of the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The Jamaican quartet of Demish Gaye, Natoya Goule-Toppin, Malik James-King and Stacey-Ann Williams, running in that order, struggled from the off and was at the back of the pack for the first two legs.

In fact, it was on the third leg that James King tried to force the initiative and gradually made progress, but faded in the latter stages, leaving Williams with much to do on anchor.

Despite facing an uphill task, Williams showed grit and determination to bring Jamaicans from eighth into fifth and ninth across the two heats in a season’s best 3:14.05.

They finished behind the Femke Bol led Dutch team, who won in 3:12.12, followed by France (3:12.25) and Czech Republic (3:12.52), with fourth-placed Germany taking one of the non-automatic qualifying spots.

United States with a World lead 3:10.41, Great Britain, with a national record 3:11.19, Belgium (3:11.81) and Ireland (3:13.90), are the other finalists.

You can catch live action of the 2023 World Athletic Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.

After changing coaches in the off season, switching from Ato Boldon in Miramar Florida to Titans International Track Club in Kingston, Briana Williams struggled for form this season. Acclimatizing to a new programmes and battling injuries, the Olympic relay gold medallist has been underwhelming for much of the current season.

With that in mind, she would have been pleased with her performance at the JAAA Budapest Quest Meet at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday night. The 21-year-old Williams uncorked a season-best 11.04 to emerge the victor in the 100m that was run over seven sections.

The time represented a significant drop from her previous best of 11.21 run on June 10 at the same venue. Second overall was Kemba Nelson, who clocked 11.18 while Remona Burchell was third fastest with a time of 11.20.

The Men’s 100m was run over an exhausting 14 sections but in the end Zharnel Hughes produced a strong finish to win his section in 10.00 ahead of the in-form Ackeem Blake, who was timed in 10.07. Promising youngster, De’ Andre Daley clocked a quick 10.08 to be third overall.

Stacey-Ann Williams was the quickest in the 400m winning her section of four in 51.08 with Tovea Jenkins second overall in 52.15. Two years ago, Candice McLeod was on fire running a number of sub-50-second times including a personal best of 49.51 to finish fourth in the 2020 Olympic finals.

Things have not been the same this season. Seemingly struggling to regain the form from 2021, McLeod once again came up short finishing third in 52.66.

Rasheed Dwyer was the quickest in the 200m with 20.57 with Antonio Watson second with 20.63. Bryan Levell was third best in 20.71.

Sashalee Forbes won the women’s event in 23.25 over Jodean Williams (23.75) and Ashley Williams 24.12.

Malik James-King ran 49.67 in the 400m hurdles while Lushane Wilson and Christoff Bryan both cleared 2.20m in the high jump with Wilson being better on the countback to take victory.

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).