Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah has been unveiled as one of the five finalists for female athlete of the year.
Thompson-Herah has been nominated on the back of a phenomenal season on the track which saw her achieve new heights in the sport.
She ran 10.61 to win the 100 metres in Tokyo and followed that up with 21.53 to win the 200 metres, becoming the only woman to win the Olympic sprint double on two occasions after also doing so in Rio five years ago.
She was also a part of Jamaica’s victorious Women’s 4x100 metres relay team.
After the Olympics, Thompson-Herah went on to achieve even more success.
At the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on August 21st, Thompson sped to a personal best and national record time of 10.54 seconds, the second-fastest time ever in the women’s 100 metres.
She broke 10.7 seconds four times this season, including in the Diamond League final in Zurich where she ran 10.65 to win.
Thompson-Herah has been nominated for the award alongside Dutch distance runner, Sifan Hassan, American hurdler, Sydney McLaughlin, Venezuelan Triple Jumper, Yulimar Rojas and Kenyan middle-distance specialist, Faith Kipyegon.
Hassan won the 5000, 10,000 metres double in Tokyo and also broke the 10,000 metres world record this season.
McLaughlin set two new world records in the women’s 400 metres hurdles on her way to winning gold in Tokyo.
Rojas set a new triple jump world record to win gold in Tokyo, and Kipyegon set a new Kenyan record in the women’s 1500 metres while also winning gold in Tokyo.
The winner will be announced at the World Athletics Awards to be held virtually on December 1st.
Bahamian two-time Olympic 400m champion, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, has expressed pride that Bahamian athletes won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s 400 metres at the Olympics in Tokyo this past summer.
Two-time Olympic 400m gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo has revealed that injuries significantly impacted her Olympic preparation throughout the 2021 season when she had planned to focus on the 200m.
Speaking on Sportsmax TV’s On Point, Millier-Uibo said an injury she sustained while running 49.08 to win the 400 metres at the USATF Grand Prix in Eugene on April 24th prevented her from doing any speed training in preparation for Tokyo.
“We were supposed to start our speed training after Eugene at the end of April and that’s when I got hurt so we never really got a chance to jump into speed work. It’s unfortunate sometimes in track,” she said.
As it turns out, the injury was more serious than she initially thought.
“At the end, we found out that it was a tear in my gluteus medius. I actually stalled for a bit with trying to fix it because I didn’t quite know what it was at first. It just felt as though something was jammed so I figured maybe I could go to the chiropractor and get it sorted out. We tried that and it didn’t help,” she said.
The gluteus medius is a muscle located on the outer surface of the pelvis.
The three-time World Championship medalist says the pain started to ease going into the rest of the season until she went to compete at the Adidas Boost Boston Games in May.
“It started to get a little softer going into the rest of the season and then I went to Boston to compete and realized this is something really bad and the minute we get back home I’m going to check and see what it is. Took an MRI and found out there was a slight tear in my gluteus medius so we decided to rest it off and go slowly from there to try and build it up in time for Tokyo,” she said.
Injuries also affected her in Tokyo as was evident in the final of the Women’s 200 metres where Miller-Uibo finished eighth in a time of 24.00.
“I went into Tokyo nursing an injury and right before the heats, I felt really good. Everything was going really well and it was after the heats that I got a little banged up where I started to feel my right hip. I went and raced on it because it was still light at the time, raced into the semis and really hurt it then.”
In addition the trouble with her hip, Miller-Uibo also felt pain in her hamstring in her 200 metres semi-final.
“In the race itself I actually didn’t feel the hip. It was my hamstring that ended up grabbing on me and it was just a wrap from there.”
The Bahamian champion overcame her struggles and returned days later to storm to a new personal best 48.36 and win her second consecutive Olympic women’s 400 metres title.
The full interview with Shaunae Miller-Uibo can be seen on Sportsmax TV’s YouTube channel.
Bahamian superstar sprinter Shaunae Miller-Uibo has her sights set on establishing a new world record in the women’s 400 metres.
Jamaican 400-metre sprinter, Candice McLeod, says her dip in form on the athletics circuit after the Olympics was due to fatigue and cold weather.
“The weather wasn’t me at all. I’m not used to competing in the cold because I’m always in Jamaica and Japan was just perfect. I did not know how to get my legs to feel normal again. They felt really tight I was not recovering the way I should be,” said McLeod while speaking on Sportsmax.TV’s On Point.
The Olympic Bronze medallist competed in 15 400-metre races this season, including eight before the Tokyo Olympics, three in Tokyo, and four on the circuit after the Games ended.
At the Tokyo Olympics, McLeod ran a personal best 49.51 in her semi-final and followed that up with a 49.87 clocking in the final.
In her four races after the Olympics, McLeod ran times of 51.26 to finish 5th at the Lausanne Diamond League, 51.41 to finish 7th at the Paris Diamond League, 51.88 to finish 3rd at the World Athletics meet in Chorzow and 50.96 to finish 5th at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.
McLeod explained that the short time between meets on the Diamond League circuit was also difficult to manage.
“It is definitely challenging. When I finished the first Diamond League and had to travel within the next day to compete the other day, I’m not used to it. I tried my best to stay within the reigns but at some point, I decided, well, I think this year is definitely for the experience.”
The former Vere Technical and Papine High student said her fatigue in the first Diamond League meet after the Olympics took the biggest toll on her.
“My first meet I literally cried tears from my eyes because I was so cold. I saw people walking and asked myself; Am I in the same place as them? I was so cold. I was definitely not prepared for that.”
McLeod praised athletes who are able to still perform near their best on the circuit despite the quick turnaround between meets and the difficult conditions.
“I don’t know how they do it but if this is what I want to be doing every year I need to get a grip of this because I was fatigued to the point that I was frustrated. I didn’t feel like I was giving my best.”
She also said she expects the experience to make her better in the future.
“Next year, now that I know that I have a lot of things to do while traveling, then I think it will be better.”
The full interview with Candice McLeod can be seen on the Sportsmax YouTube channel.
Decorated Jamaica track star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has brushed aside suggestions of retirement, insisting that she is feeling strong and at the peak of her career.
Although the sprinter turned 34-years-old this year, an age that in past decades would ordinarily see most sprinters, well outside prime years, looking to hang up their spikes, Fraser-Pryce’s performances last season proved she did not fall into that category.
In June, Fraser-Pryce ran the then fastest time of her career over 100m, clocking what was then the second-fastest time ever run over the distance at 10.63. The sprinter had to settle for second spot at the Olympics behind the irrepressible Elaine Thompson-Herah but even so, there was little doubt that the duo was in a different class.
A month later, however, Fraser-Pryce bettered the time she set earlier in the year after clocking 10.60, the third-fastest time ever run over the distance, behind Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 and Florence Griffith-Joyner’s longstanding world record of 10.49. Now, age aside, the diminutive Jamaican is hoping to push those boundaries even further.
“I’m at the peak of my career. It’s so mind-blowing that I think I owe it to myself, I owe it to the next generation of women that will come after me and those that are still here, to push this to another level,” Fraser-Pryce told Sky Sports News.
“I said to my husband and my coach, it’s so strange because I’ve heard of people when they are about to retire they say they’re feeling so much pain. And while you understand their journey, I’m looking at it like, I still feel good! And if I feel good, why not go for it,” she added.
Fraser-Pryce is one of the sport’s most decorated athletes having won a total of 11 World Championships and 8 Olympic medals.
Jamaica long jumper Tajay Gayle has admitted that he is excited to be adding the 100m sprint to his repertoire when the next track and field season gets underway.
Earlier this month, Stephen Francis the coach of Jamaica-based track club MVP, where Gayle plies his trade, had revealed that the athlete was set to add the 100m sprints to his list of disciplines for the 2021-2022 season.
Gayle, the 2019 Long Jump World champion, had shown plenty of promise last season after clocking a reasonably quick 10.18 over the distance. The athlete has spent a good portion of the offseason recovering from a knee injury, which negatively impacted his performance at the Olympics. It might be twice the work but Gayle admits that it is with a sense of excitement that he views the new season than apprehension.
“I wouldn’t say challenging, I would say exciting. All the fun the fear, the anxiety, and all the pressure that comes with it (100m), that’s what keeps me going,”
“The fact that I can lose or might lose, you just can’t be sure.
The final of the World Championship in the 100, the sky’s the limit, why not, why would I say I can’t. I wouldn’t say a challenge, it’s just an exciting year for me next year, once I get the knee up to speed.”
Jamaica discus thrower Fedrick Dacres is looking forward to bouncing back strongly in the upcoming season after an admittedly difficult 2021.
The World Athletics Championships silver medallist missed out on the final of the Men's Discus Throw, at the Olympics in Tokyo, after throwing a best mark of 62.91m. The mark was well below his personal best of 70.78 but the thrower has struggled to get close to the distance, set two years ago, after undergoing a series of surgeries.
“This year has been my hardest year in track and field because of the whole surgery thing. I think overall I have done overall five surgeries in six years but this was the hardest,” Dacres said.
It was really the (throwing) hand, I’ve done a few knee surgeries done surgery on the other hand but it wasn’t the main hand. So, for me coming back this year I struggled but it is what it is,” he added.
The athlete did, however, stage a rebound of sorts after throwing 65.33 to finish in third place at the Wanda Diamond League final last month.
“I think I finished well, not too well at the Olympics, but coming third at the Diamond League isn’t so bad. I’ll take that as I push for next year.”
MVP head coach, Stephen Francis, is content to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to reports that track star Elaine Thompson-Herah could be planning to leave the club.
According to reports earlier this week, the double Olympic champion had submitted a letter to the club that stated her intentions to sever ties ahead of the new season. Later in the week, however, the athlete denied the reports suggesting that they may have arisen out of her not starting training as yet.
The athlete is, however, not back due in training as yet and Francis insists that while he is not jumping to conclusions the future remains uncertain.
“From my perspective, we start back training sometime in October, the 18th or 19th…and my philosophy, as usual, is to see who turns up,” Francis told Jamaica television station TVJ.
“What my experience tells me is that sometimes athletes, in general, especially those that come from a lower expectation level. In other words, not much was expected from them, they are usually unable to separate themselves from people who hop on to their bandwagon,” he added.
The 29-year-old is coming off her best season to date. Thompson-Herah successfully defended both the 100m and 200m title at the Olympics and joined with former MVP athlete Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Briana Williams to win the 4x100m relays. The sprinter later went on to record a blistering time just outside Florence Griffith-Joyner’s longstanding 100m record.
The MVP track club is no stranger to athletes leaving the club at the peak of their career with Fraser-Pryce and Melanie Walker also having secured moves away after years of success.
Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt has advised up and coming USA sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson to focus less on talking and more on training to get better performances on the track.
Bolt has admitted to being a fan of the energy and sassy attitude of the American sprinter, which he believes is good for the sport. Richardson has in recent times, however, failed to turn that energy into strong performances on the track.
There was plenty of enthusiasm surrounding Richardson earlier this year, following several impressive performances in the months of April and May. Among them was a 10.72 clocking in Florida, which was at the time the fastest for the season.
Heading into the Olympics, the American cast herself as the one that could bring an end to over a decade of Jamaican dominance of athletics. Heading into the Games, however, Richardson tested positive for marijuana, was suspended for a month, and missed the event where Jamaica swept all the podium spots in the 100m.
After that, came a much-publicised Diamond League meeting between the American and the Jamaican Olympic medallist, in Eugene, Oregon, which was framed along the lines of being an opportunity for Richardson to show what would have happened had she not been suspended for the Olympics. Things did not go to plan, however, as she finished in 9th place, with the Jamaicans once again sweeping the top three spots.
She followed that up with a second-place finish in Italy, and a fourth-place finish, in the 200m, at the Diamond League meet in Brussels. Off the track, the sprinter was also criticised for what many believed amounted to disrespect for American sprint legend Allyson Felix. Bolt believes, at this point, the young American needs to refocus.
“I would tell Sha’Carri to train harder and to be focused and not say too much…,” Bolt said in a recent interview with the New York Post.
“If you talk that big talk you have to back it up,” he added.
“So just train hard and focus on that and try to come back, do it and then talk about it.”
Richardson’s performances have split a vocal global track and field fanbase. Her most ardent fans have continued to express support for the struggling sprinter, but others have expressed disappointment at both her performances and recent outbursts. Many, particularly supporters of Jamaican track and field, found the American’s massive failure amusing given her pre-race antics, exuberant expression, and what they believe is disregard for their decorated Olympic medallists.
“Jamaicans were vexed because she was talking a lot of s–t before the actual race, it is just one of those things,” Bolt said of Richardson’s lopsided loss in Eugene, where Olympic champion Elaine Thompson clocked 10.54, the second-fastest time ever run over the distance.
“Jamaicans don’t like when people talk s–t about us because we are a very proud people. So, if you talk about us we are gonna want you to back it up. It definitely gave those women the extra push.”
Jamaica track and field star Elaine Thompson-Herah has her eyes set on eclipsing the long-standing women’s 100m record, but after adding the Diamond League trophy to her list of outstanding accomplishments this year, she is content to leave that feat until next season.
Once again, the Olympic champion proved to be in a class of her own on Thursday's Diamond League finale, in Zurich, pulling well clear of a quality field to stop the clock at 10.65. The time was the athlete’s fourth run under 10.7s this season, the most times done by any female athlete in history.
The performance marked yet another outstanding achievement for Thompson-Herah who a few weeks ago claimed the sprint double in Tokyo, and also in the process broke American Florence Griffith-Joyner’s longstanding 100m Olympic record.
However, it was a performance a few weeks later, a jaw-dropping 10.54 set in Eugene, Oregon, that set tongue’s wagging and raised expectations for a world record challenge. The time was not only the second-fastest ever run over the distance but just 0.5 seconds outside of Griffith-Joyner’s world record, for many years believed to be unapproachable. After a long, tiring but extraordinarily successful season, however, the athlete is more than content to leave that pursuit for another time.
“It has been a crazy season, a long one and a tiring one. I was so consistent because I was just keeping the faith in me and did not allow any negativity,” Thompson said following the event.
“I am really happy and grateful. I am tired now but this is my job. I would describe this season with one word: amazing, yet it had ups and downs. I have to give God thanks that I am healthy and that I could finish such a long season…This year, it was a long season with ups and downs, but next year, the world record is definitely on my mind.”
Decorated Jamaica sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce insists there are no ill feelings towards talented young American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, despite plenty of talk surrounding the athletes in recent weeks.
In truth, the majority of the arguments have come from feuding sides of the Jamaica vs the United States track and field rivalry, which has amplified in recent months since the American burst onto the scene.
The flamboyant Richardson has certainly played her part in fueling debates in recent months, even if her performances have not quite lived up to expectations, the number of eyes on track and field certainly seems to have increased.
The American was initially expected to face a high-powered Jamaica trio of Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson at the Olympic Games, but ended up missing the top-billed event after picking up a one-month suspension for using marijuana. At the event, Thompson-Herah broke the longstanding Olympic record with Fraser-Pryce second and Jackson third.
There was for Richardson and some fans, however, the sense of a missed opportunity and a much-hyped meeting of the American facing the Jamaica trio in Eugene two weeks later was presented in that light. Things did not go as planned for Richardson, however, as she had plenty to say before the event but finished in last place.
The result was the same as the Olympics with Thompson-Herah finishing first, Fraser-Pryce second, and Jackson third. However, it was Fraser-Pryce who went viral following the sprint as she was caught on camera passing an animated Richardson interview with a mirthful look and knowing smirk. The fans had a field day, but she insists there wasn’t too much to it.
“I mean, seriously, it was just a look,” Fraser-Pryce told sports lifestyle magazine The Undefeated.
“I was having a conversation with my teammate and she said something, and then I looked. But it wasn’t – it was just what it is. It was just a look, you know? It was just a look. Yeah. There was nothing more behind it, if I’m being very honest, there was nothing more behind it,” she added.
In her mind, the fiery mentality that the American brings to the sport is also good for track and field.
“I like her. I like her personality,” Fraser-Pryce said.
“…for us as women, we’re somehow supposed to just stand at the line, look cute and just run, [and] wave. We’re not allowed to express ourselves or show our emotions.”
Decorated Jamaica sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will not compete in the final of the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich on Thursday.
The two-time 100m gold medallist had qualified for the 100m final, along with reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and bronze medallist Shericka Jackson. Since the Olympics, where Fraser-Pryce placed second, the trio has competed together in two 100m Diamond League events, in Eugene and Lausanne, with Jackson and Thompson-Herah going on to compete in a third in Paris.
At current, it is Fraser-Pryce who leads the qualifiers for the final of the 100m Diamond race with 28 points, tied with the Côte d'Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou. Thompson-Herah is third on 23. However, Fraser-Pryce is not listed among the participants for Zurich and it has been confirmed that she will not compete. Jackson, on the other hand, is only registered to compete in the 200m.
Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah have pushed each other to record-breaking performances this season and have recorded the fastest and second fastest times over the distance so far. Thompson-Herah has clocked a best of 10.54, the second-fastest all time, with Fraser-Pryce next with 10.60.
Diamond League women’s 100m final (Entrants)
GBR - ASHER-SMITH, Dina
SUI - DEL PONTE, Ajla
SUI- KAMBUNDJI, Mujinga
GBR- NEITA, Daryll
USA- OLIVER, Javianne
CIV - TA LOU, Marie-Josée
JAM - THOMPSON-HERAH, Elaine
Jamaica sprint king Usain Bolt has voiced a modicum of support for mercurial United States sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, admitting he is a fan of the energy the young athlete brings to the sport.
Earlier this summer, the 21-year-old was expected to be one of the headliners at the Olympic Games, but things did not go to plan as she missed the event after being suspended for a month after testing positive for marijuana.
Nor did her match-up with the medal-winning Jamaica trio from the Olympics, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson. Despite plenty of pre-race hype, the American finished last in the event. The result divided social media users with many still offering support for Richardson, while many others ridiculed her.
Recently the sprinter also drew heat for what many construed to be disrespect shown to legendary American sprinter Alyson Felix who called for patience and support for the young runner. Bolt, however, believes the athlete’s personality draws more people to the sport.
“I like her energy because I think she’s good for the sport because her energy is different. It’s spicy, it’s a vibe,” Bolt told hip hop magazine Revolt Tv.
“Everybody is different. But, I think she brings a different spice to track and field. And sometimes sports need somebody like that to give the energy, to get people talking about it,” he added.
The double world record holder also offered some kind words of advice to the young American.
“You will have failures throughout your career, it’s just one of those things. In my first Olympics in Athens, I didn’t make it outside the first round. So, it’s just about being determined and pushing yourself, and just believing that you can do it, and just go and do your best.”
Jamaica 100m sprinter Nesta Carter has retired from the sport of athletics on the back of recent struggles with an undisclosed medical condition.
The 35-year-old, who was part of Jamaica’s world record gold-winning 4x100m relay team at the London Olympics, made the announcement, on Tuesday, via social media platform Twitter.
“…I am no longer able to give of my best as an athlete to the sport that I know and love. As a result, and for other reasons, I am announcing my retirement from track and field and an athlete,” the release read.
“My ultimate decision to retire from athletics was also precipitated by a private medical condition, which has been getting worse. This condition has hindered me from training and competing since March 2021. A medication prescribed by my doctor to address this medical issue breaches existing anti-doping rules. As such, I had to make a choice between my health and athletics, and I chose my health.”
The athlete was also part of Jamaica’s gold medal-winning relay team at the 2008 Olympics, but the medal was stripped after a retrospective test returned a positive sample from Carter. The athlete was also part of a gold medal-winning relay team at the 2011, 2013, and 2015 World Championships. Carter claimed an individual bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships and has the eighth fastest time ever recorded over the distance.
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