2019 World Championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts produced a 14.35m effort to win the triple jump at the Paavo Nurmi Games, at the Paavo Nurmi Stadium in Turku, Finland, on Tuesday.

Ricketts, who has a season’s best of 14.43m, finished ahead of Slovenia’s Neja Filipic (14.26m) and the USA’s Tori Franklin (14.05m) at the meet, which is a part of the World Athletics Continental Tour-Gold.

Also in action was 2019 World Champion and current world leader in the Men’s javelin, Anderson Peters of Grenada. He produced a distance of 86.60m for third in the event behind Indian Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra who, in his first competition of the season, threw a personal best and national record 89.30 to finish second. Finland’s Oliver Helander threw a personal best 89.83m for the win.

Jamaican Olympic finalist Britany Anderson had to settle for second in the 100m hurdles in 12.59 after being narrowly out-dipped at the finish line by Nigeria’s reigning Commonwealth Games Champion Tobi Amusan (12.57). Nadine Visser of the Netherlands was third in 12.72.

Jamaican sprinter Ackeem Blake became the second Jamaican, alongside Oblique Seville, to dip below 10 seconds in the 100m this season when he did so at the New York Grand Prix at the Icahn Stadium on Sunday.

The former national Under-18 100m champion finished second in a personal best 9.95 seconds in a race won by 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman (9.92) of the USA. Coleman’s US teammate Marvin Bracy was third in 10.03.

Blake, whose personal best before this season was 10.35, actually had a 9.92 performance, at the Music City Track Festival earlier this month, overturned after the race because of an apparent false start.

Elsewhere, former Calabar standout Javon Francis ran 45.73 to finish second in the 400m behind the USA’s Tyler Terry (45.70). South Africa’s Derrick Mokaleng was third in 46.55.

Jordan Scott did a season-best 16.69 for third in the triple jump behind Americans Donald Scott (16.81) and Will Claye (16.75).

On the women’s side, Bahamian Tynia Gaither ran 22.66 for third in the 200m behind the American pair of Sha’Carri Richardson (22.38) and Tamara Clark (22.62).

Shiann Salmon ran 55.28 for third in the 400m hurdles behind Panama’s Gianna Woodruff (54.35) and Colombia’s Melissa Gonzalez (54.98).

2019 World Championships silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd was second in the shot put, with 18.40m, behind the USA’s Jessica Ramsey (18.90m). Ramsey’s countrywoman Raven Saunders threw 17.92m for third.

Jamaicans Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod booked spots in the Men’s long jump at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships set for Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon from June 8-11 with good performances at the NCAA East Preliminaries held in Bloomington, Indiana, from March 25-28.

Pinnock and McLeod, both former Kingston College standouts, now competing for the University of Tennessee, jumped 7.93m and 7.63m, respectively, to advance. They were also the top two finishers at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Alabama in March with Pinnock jumping 7.92m for victory against McLeod's 7.91m.

Former Jamaica College and current Purdue jumper Safin Wills produced 15.89m to advance in the Men’s triple jump.

On the track, Jamaica’s Yanique Dayle and Antigua and Barbuda’s Joella Lloyd will both compete in the sprint double at the NCAA Championships after securing their spots.

Dayle, formerly of Hydel High and now competing for Ohio State, ran times of 11.24 in the 100m and 22.64 in the 200m while Lloyd, competing for Tennessee, ran the same time in the 100m and 23.01 in the 200m.

The Women’s 400m also saw two Caribbean competitors advance from the East Region with Bahamian Kentucky standout Megan Moss (52.07) and Bermudan UMBC athlete Caitlyn Bobb (52.40).

Trinidadian Olympian and Kentucky senior Dwight St. Hillaire ran 45.63 to advance in the Men’s equivalent.

Clemson senior Lafranz Campbell of Jamaica and Cayman's North Carolina A&T senior Rasheem Brown both ran 13.63 to advance in the Men’s sprint hurdles while another Jamaican Clemson representative, Trishauna Hemmings, ran 13.13 to advance in the Women’s 100m hurdles.

Barbadian and Tennessee sophomore Rasheeme Griffith and Jamaica and Kentucky senior Kenroy Williams ran 50.91 and 50.96, respectively, to progress in the Men’s 400m hurdles.

Camperdown High led all qualifiers to the Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m final as the 2022 Penn Relays continued at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Friday.

The team of Roshawn Clarke, Rimando Thomas, Junior Harris and Nickoy Drummond sped to 40.96 to advance as the fastest qualifiers.

Saturday’s final will also see the likes of St. Jago (41.06), Jamaica College (41.20), STETHS (41.48), Calabar (41.73), St. Catherine High (41.78), Excelsior (41.84) and Herbert Morrison (41.90) in the field.

Jamaica College was the fastest qualifier for the High School Boys 4x800m final. The team of Khandale Frie, Omarion Davis, Handal Roban and Kemarrio Bygrave ran 7:53.41 to be the only Caribbean team to advance to Saturday’s final.

In the field, Edwin Allen’s Trevor Gunzell (61.79) and Jamaica College’s Raquil Broderick (59.43) were the top two finishers in the High School Boys discus. Bergen Catholic’s Benjamin Shue was third with 58.82m.

Carifta U-20 champion and record holder Keyshawn Strachan of the Bahamas won the High School Boys javelin with a throw of 72.48m representing St. John’s College. Jose Santana of Eugenio Guerra Cruz in Puerto Rico was second with 60.29m while Wyoming Area’s Drew Mruk was third with 58.60m.

Jamaica once again got the top two spots, this time in the High School Boys shot put thanks to Edwin Allen’s Christopher Young (19.87m) and Calabar’s Kobe Lawrence (19.68m). Joe Licata of Gill St. Bernard’s was third with 18.75m.

Dejone Raymond of STETHS cleared 2.05m to win the High School Boys high jump ahead of South Brunswick’s Damarion Potts (1.99m) and Kingston College’s Aaron McKenzie (1.99m).

Jamaica College’s Uroy Ryan was second in the High School Boys long jump with 7.54m behind Lawrenceville School’s Gregory Foster (7.59m). Altoona’s Jake Adams was a distant third with 7.08m.

Kingston College’s standout long and triple jumper Jaydon Hibbert jumped out to 15.94m to win the High School Boys triple jump ahead of Valley Stream North’s Ryan John (15.02m) and Brandon Hutchinson of St. Augustine’s in the Bahamas (14.93m).

Puerto Rico’s defending Olympic champion in the Women’s 100m Hurdles Jasmine Camacho-Quinn stamped her class on the field with a world leading 12.67 into a -2.5 m/s headwind at the USATF Bermuda Games in Hamilton, Bermuda on Saturday.

Camacho-Quinn won ahead of the American pair of Chanel Brissett (13.06) and Christina Clemons (13.15).

Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite won the Men’s 110m Hurdles in 13.77 ahead of the USA’s Michael Dickson (13.85) and Brazil’s Eduardo Rodrigues (13.87).

Jamaica took the top three spots in the Women’s 400m Hurdles as former Hydel standout Shiann Salmon (55.35) got the better of 2019 World Championships bronze medalist Rushell Clayton (55.89) and multiple time World Championship and Olympic finalist Janieve Russell (56.56).

Bahamian Anthonique Strachan secured a win in the Women’s 200m in 23.23 ahead of the USA’s Dezerea Bryant (23.72) and Jamaica’s Briana Williams (23.82).

It was a Caribbean one-two in the Men’s 200m as Bahamian World and Olympic 400m champion Steven Gardiner got home in 20.80 ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s World Indoor 400m champion Jereem Richards (20.86) and Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi (21.04).

Reigning Olympic 100m bronze medalist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica ran 51.40 to win the Women’s 400m ahead of teammate Candice McLeod (51.57) and the USA’s Jade Stepter Baines (51.93).

Kirani James made his return to the track with a 45.63 clocking to win the Men’s 400m ahead of Great Britain’s Alex Haydock Wilson (46.05) and Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde (46.27).

Jamaica’s Chrisann Gordon-Powell was second in the Women’s 800m in 2:04.19. The event was won by the USA’s Ajee Wilson in 2:03.09 while Charlene Lipsey, also of the USA, was third in 2:04.50.

In the field, Shanieka Ricketts won the Women’s Triple Jump in 14.15 ahead of Great Britain’s Naomi Metzger (14.00) and the USA’s Michelle Fokam 13.42).

Jamaica’s Jordan Scott jumped out to 16.37m for second in the Men’s Triple Jump behind American Olympian Chris Bernard (16.57). Bahamian Kaiwan Culmer jumped 15.82 for third.

Jamaicans Chanice Porter and Tissana Hickning were second and third in the Women’s Long Jump with 6.70 and 6.50, respectively. The USA’s Quanesha Burks won with 6.77.

Kingston College superstar jumper Jaydon Hibbert added to his Class I long jump title after smashing the triple jump record on the way to his second gold medal on Day 4 of the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.

Hibbert uncorked a personal best and world junior leading mark of 16.66m to win gold ahead of the Jamaica College pair of Rajaun Ricketts (15.06m) and Stafon Roach (14.92m).

The 2021 silver medalist at the World Junior Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, erased former O'Brien Wasome’s Class I record of 16.39 done in 2016.

On the track, Edwin Allen, St. Catherine High, Dinthill Technical, Alphansus Davis High, Holmwood Technical, The Queen’s School, Maggotty High and Excelsior all advanced to the final of the Girls 1600m Sprint Medley.

STETHS, Jamaica College, Kingston College, Calabar, Vere Technical, William Knibb, Excelsior and Petersfield advanced to the Boys 1600m Sprint Medley final.

Holmwood Technical, Hydel, Excelsior, St. Jago, Edwin Allen, St. Mary High, St. Catherine High and Manchester High will contest the final of the Girls 4x400m Relay.

Jamaica College, Calabar, St. Jago, Edwin Allen, Kingston College, Excelsior, STETHS and Manchester High all advanced to the final of the Boys 4x400m Relay.

Less than a year after she shattered the outdoor world record of 15.67m at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas shattered the world indoor record in the triple jump with a massive 15.74m on Sunday’s final day of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk produced a lifetime best of 14.74m to bump Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams, who jumped a season-best 14.62, down to third.

Williams medal means Jamaica now has two medals from the championships following Stephenie-Ann McPherson’s bronze medal in the 400m on Saturday.

However, it was Rojas, who stole the spotlight when on her final jump, she flew beyond her own world record of 15.43m, to establish a new mark and become the first woman to win three world indoor titles.

She also shattered the previous championship record of 15.36 set by Tatyana Lebedeva in 2004. She has equalled that mark on her penultimate jump of the competition.

Rojas already owned the world-leading mark indoors with 15.41m she set in Spain on March 2.

Mexico and Cuba both enjoyed additional success as athletics action came to a close at the Junior Pan Am Junior in Cali, Colombia on Saturday.

Mexico won medals in the first two events on the day when Guillermo Ornelas took bronze in the Men’s 110m Hurdles in 14.05 and Cesar Ponce claimed a silver medal in the 3000m Steeplechase in 8:56.65.

Their compatriot, Israel Alvarez, finished fourth in the 800m in 1:50.43 ahead of Dominica's Dennick Luke, who was fifth in 1:50.79.

The Cubans then got in on the act in the discus where Mario Torres finished second with a throw of 60.77m and Anyel Sampre taking the bronze medal with 57.03m.

Another Caribbean competitor, Jorge Nazario of Puerto Rico, was sixth in 50.72.

Mexico’s Luis Peralta was sixth in the Men’s Pole Vault with 4.80 metres.

Cuba then got their first gold medal of the day with Andy Salazar jumping 16.77 metres to win the triple jump.

Taeco O’Garro of Antigua finished sixth with 15.60 metres.

There were only two individual female events on the day.

Arian Hernandez of Mexico finished fourth in the 3000m Steeplechase in 10:57.62.

Yaritza Valera then won Cuba’s second gold medal on the day with a 67.47 metres effort to win the Women’s Hammer Throw.

Her teammate Liz Llorente was fourth with 64.34 metres.

In the final athletics event of the Games, the Dominican Republic secured a bronze medal in the Mixed 4x400m Relay in 3:28.28 while Mexico finished fourth in 3:29.52.

Cuba continue to dominate in athletics as the Pan Am Junior Games roll on in Colombia.

On Thursday, Cuba secured two medals in the women’s 100m Hurdles as Greisys Acevedo took gold in 13.07 and her countrywoman, Kelly Ibanez won bronze in 13.33.

The Dominica Republic’s Fiordaliza Cofil was the star of the day with medals in both the Women’s 200m and 400m.

She won bronze in the 200m in 23.46 then returned to take gold in the 400m in 52.10.

Shalysa Wray of The Cayman Islands was fifth in the 400m in 53.47.

Ariliannis Vargas of Cuba took silver in the Women’s 400m Hurdles in 57.20.

The Caribbean also secured two medals in the Women’s Heptathlon as Marys Cabrera of Cuba took gold with 5663 points ahead of Grenada’s Janair Thomas who took home silver with 5484 points.

Marysabel Senyu of the Dominican Republic won silver in the Women’s High Jump with 1.81 metres.

In the Men’s 400m Leonardo Padilla of Cuba came second in 45.79, behind Luis Ferreiro of Mexico took gold in 45.59.  Gamali Felix of Grenada and Michael Joseph of St. Lucia were fifth and sixth in 46.54 and 46.57 respectively.

Yoao Puentes of Cuba won gold in the Men’s 400m Hurdles with 50.91.

In the field, Ronald Zayas of Cuba was second in the Men’s Hammer Throw with 67.23.

On Friday, Juan Villalobos of Costa Rica won gold in the Men’s 1500m in 3:44.10.

Hector Pagan of Puerto Rico secured gold in the Men’s 10,000m in 30:20.48

The Caribbean also took another medal in the Men’s High Jump as Bahamian Kyle Alcine took bronze behind Erick Rodriguez of Mexico who took gold with 2.21 metres.

Rosa Santana of the Dominican Republic won the Women’s Shot Put with a 17.45 metres effort.

Her Caribbean compatriots Laysaelis Hernandez of Cuba, Kelsie Ross of Grenada and Treneese Hamilton of Dominica were fourth, fifth and sixth.

Yiselena Rojas of Cuba secured silver in the Women’s Javelin in 57.14.

Cuba secured another gold medal as Leyanis Hernandez won gold in the Women’s Triple Jump with 14.39 metres.

Chantoba Bright of Guyana finished second with a jump of 13.50 metres.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a new lifetime best to turn the tables on Elaine Thompson-Herah and win the 100m dash at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Thursday.

Following her victory in the triple jump at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco today, Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts said she feels like she is on track for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics that gets underway later this month.

The global pandemic has been frustrating for many athletes, who have been unable to compete and consequently earn their keep. However, for some it is an opportunity to hone their craft, to become even better than they were before.

Such is the case of World Championship silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts, who uncorked a world-leading 14.63m triple jump at the National Stadium in Kingston on March 20.

The mark was 13cm shy of her best ever opener of 14.76m in 2019, and 30cm off her personal best, but it was an early indication of how much she had worked to improve in the time she was unable to compete in 2020 because of the many cancellations of track and field meets as the Covid-19 virus raced across the world.

Ricketts, who turned 29 in February, had one of her best jumps at the World Championships in Doha where she produced a 14.92m effort to secure a silver medal behind Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas.

Now finally competing again, she expects to go even farther this year, maybe even getting closer to the Venezuelan, who won gold with her best jump of 15.37m.

Rickett’s confidence comes from the work that she and her coach and husband Kerrylee Ricketts have been putting in during their ‘down time’, and based on past experience, the likelihood that it will bear fruit.

“My step phase has improved since last year. The triple jump is very technical, so we are aiming to improve as many aspects of the jump as possible in order to surpass my personal best,” she said.

“Training is very different from competition, so it takes a while to get the hang of competing and getting back into top shape. We do our best to assimilate a competition-type environment in training so that it does not feel foreign once we begin to compete.

“It is definitely challenging to navigate from training to competition but proper preparation builds confidence and makes the transition more comfortable. The extra time gave us a chance to work on improving my strength and sprinting mechanics which are essential in doing well.”

The uncertainty of the season has impacted her ability to compete more frequently and bring those elements perfected in training to competition. However, once she gets the chance, jumping beyond 15m could be a lot closer to reality.

“I am pleased with where I am at this stage of the season. I am hoping to jump far this year, and I know that once I got the technical aspects of the jump correct, the distances will come,” she said.

“I am not in peak shape right now so I know that I will be able to produce bigger jumps as the season progresses.”

A week after winning the triple jump competition at the Florida State Relays, Florida senior Clayton Brown won the high jump at the 2021 Florida Relays earlier today.

The 23-year-old former Jamaica College jumper cleared 2.23m to withstand the challenge of USC senior Ernie Sears who also cleared 2.23 but awarded second on the countback.

Jordan Wesner, a senior of Florida State was third with 2.20m.

Brown's was the ninth-best clearance in the world this year.

On March 26, Brown had produced a season-best 16.57m to win the triple jump.

The meet continues tomorrow.

Damion Thomas ran a collegiate leading 7.51 to win the 60m hurdles at the 2021 NCAA Division I Championships today.

Jamaica’s Carey McLeod jump a personal best in the long jump on Friday to win a bronze medal at the NCAA Division I Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas Friday night.