The West Indies Championship second-round encounter between Guyana Harpy Eagles and West Indies Academy is set for an intriguing battle as play resumes on Thursday at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. The match remains finely poised, with both teams showing resilience in their performances.

As the West Indies Academy prepares to continue from their overnight score of 96-4 in response to the Harpy Eagles' total of 175 all out, the balance of the game hangs in the air. Wednesday's play saw Joshua James emerging as the standout player, securing figures of 4-43 to limit Guyana to a total below 200. Johann Layne (2-27) and Joshua Bishop (2-22) also played crucial roles in restricting the Harpy Eagles' batsmen, preventing any significant contributions.

For the Harpy Eagles, RJ Ali Mohammed top-scored with 30, while Matthew Nandu and the duo of Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair each chipped in with scores of 28 and 24, respectively. Despite their efforts, none of the Guyana batters managed to make a substantial impact on the scoreboard.

The West Indies Academy faced a similar challenge when they took to the crease, with Rashawn Worrell leading the scorers with an unbeaten 34. Joshua Bishop will resume his innings on 33, and the pair aims to put their team in a commanding position as play continues on Thursday.

Notably, Kevin Sinclair's impressive bowling performance of 4-32 has played a pivotal role in keeping Guyana in the game.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes are set to resume their West Indies Championship second-round match against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Warner Park in St Kitts, holding a position of strength after an impressive bowling display on Day 1.

As play resumes on Day 2, the Hurricanes find themselves in a favorable position at 105-1, just 32 runs behind the Red Force's first innings score of 137. Kieran Powell, standing strong with a score of 54, and Keacy Carty, with an overnight score of 11, will look to capitalize on the Hurricanes' advantageous position. The only wicket lost on Wednesday was that of Mikyle Louis, who contributed 32 runs.

The Hurricanes' dominance can be attributed to their formidable bowling attack, which successfully restricted Trinidad and Tobago to a modest total of 137. Colin Archibald led the charge with figures of 3-28, supported by Jeremiah Louis (3-38), Daniel Doram (2-32), and Rahkeem Cornwall, who delivered an exceptional performance with figures of 2-5 from the three overs he bowled.

Trinidad and Tobago's batting struggles were evident, with Jyd Goolie top-scoring at 30, while Joshua Da Silva and Terrance Hinds contributed 23 and 22, respectively. Some late resistance from the tail-enders, Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, who scored 15 each, prevented Trinidad and Tobago from facing even greater embarrassment.

As the Hurricanes aim to build on their advantageous position, the stage is set for an intriguing continuation of the West Indies Championship match at Warner Park. With a solid batting foundation and a formidable bowling lineup, the Hurricanes look poised to extend their dominance over Trinidad and Tobago in pursuit of a convincing victory.

In a bid to unearth potential curling talents for Jamaica's international representation, Vice President of Curling Jamaica, Robert Richards, outlined three key avenues during the launch of Curling Jamaica at the Jamaica Olympic Association's headquarters in Kingston.

A former president of the Jamaica Badminton Association and national badminton champion, Richards expressed his commitment to Curling Jamaica's mission, especially with President Ian Anderson's ambitious goal of securing Olympic gold by 2040. Speaking at the launch on Monday, Richards emphasized the three areas from which they aim to identify and develop curling talents.

"The development of this sport is going to come from, of course, those based overseas, and there are three avenues that we're going to take on to actually have the sport developed," said Richards. The first avenue involves Jamaicans based overseas, particularly those waiting for an opportunity or currently participating in another sport. Richards sees potential among young Jamaicans in colleges, not only in Canada and the US but also in Europe.

The second avenue focuses on students leaving Jamaica to study abroad. Traditionally, sports like football and track and field have been the primary choices, but with the establishment of the Curling Association, students now have an additional option. This diversification allows talented youngsters to explore new avenues and consider curling as a viable sporting path.

The third avenue involves collaboration with the Canadian team to identify potential curling talents in Jamaican schools. The vision includes sponsoring selected youngsters to attend the Curling Academy in Canada, covering their accommodation and training expenses. This initiative aims to nurture talent from an early age and potentially pave the way for scholarships and further opportunities in the sport.

Earlier, JOA Secretary General and CEO Ryan Foster welcomed Curling Jamaica to the Olympic family during the launch.

Foster highlighted the significance of Jamaica's expansion into winter sports, citing the growth in disciplines like skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, and now curling. He commended Curling Jamaica for contributing to the country's multiplicity of representation in the Winter Olympics, opening avenues for potential medals.

Foster assured Curling Jamaica of the Jamaica Olympic Association's support in fostering a holistic approach to sports governance, including educational perspectives, coaching development, equipment resources, and infrastructure support. He expressed pride in the association's open-minded approach to sports, expanding from 36 to 52 sporting disciplines.

In closing, Foster welcomed Curling Jamaica to the Jamaica Olympic family, expressing hope that the organization would manage the sport with enthusiasm, providing hope to athletes and embodying the national motto, "Out of Many, One People." He pledged the JOA's unwavering support in Curling Jamaica's quest for achievement, emphasizing the shared commitment to success in the Winter Olympics.

Curling Jamaica President Ian Robertson is aiming for Jamaica to become Olympic champions in the next decade and a half. The Canada-born and based Robertson, during a press conference hosted by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) on Monday, revealed plans to grow interest in the sport among Jamaicans in the coming years and eventually win Olympic gold.

“In 12 to 16 years, there is going to be a gold medal champion. That’s our vision, that’s our goal and we thank the Jamaica Olympic Association for helping is attempt to achieve that,” Robertson told media at the JOA Headquarters on Cunningham Avenue in Kingston.

Jamaican-born Ben Kong incorporated the Jamaica Curling Federation in Canada in 2020. The following year the Jamaica Curling Federation Limited was incorporated in Jamaica and operating as Curling Jamaica and in 2022 was granted membership to the Jamaica Olympic Federation and World Curling Federation, subsequently holding their first team practice in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Since then, it has made significant strides with Jamaican teams participating in the Pan Continental Championships held in Canada between October 29 and November 4, 2023. The women’s team made their international debut at the tournament and won the silver medal, finishing with a 5-2 record.

Jamaica’s Mixed Doubles team competed at the World Mixed Doubles qualifier in Dumfries, Scotland from December 2 to 9, 2023. Jamaica finished with a record of two wins and four losses in the 26 team tournament finishing third in their group from which China and France qualified for the World Championships.

“So we sent two teams to world events and since we are a new country we have to start in the pre-qualifying to work our way up to the actual world event,” Robertson explained.

“The women were five and two and we finished with the silver medal in the B Division of the Pan Continental. First place there would have put us into a world event, so they were one win away from being in the pool and a shot at the world championships. All of this earns points towards the Olympic pre-qualifying and getting into the main draw of the Olympics.

“We had sent a mixed doubles team to the mixed doubles world qualifying. There were 26 teams and it is broken down into pools. As it turns out two of the teams in the pool that Jamaica was in qualified for the worlds, so it was a tough group.”

Robertson revealed that there are plans for Jamaica to participate in more qualifying tournaments in 2024 as the association progresses its strategic plan for future growth.

“So this year we plan to have a men's team and a women's team which will play in the Pan Continentals in October and the next doubles team which will play at the end of November and potentially there'll be some other teams like World Seniors and various events like that which are more of practice for our players to get ready for the national, the big national three teams.”

Meantime, the association is concentrating on growing its membership thus widening the pool of potential players it can select from.

“Over the last couple of years we've grown the membership from the three. We actually have expanded to 25 now with our membership and like a sponsorship that helps us grow our finances so we can pay for day-to-day business transactions and so on.

 “Our goal is to grow from within and the ultimate goal is to have four Jamaicans learn how to curl and in 12 to 16 years they win a gold medal in the Olympics.”

As news of her impending retirement continues to reverberate throughout the track and field community, two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce continues to draw praise from some of the sport’s biggest stars.

The most recent to sing the Mommy Rocket’s praises were Olympic and World Champion Justin Gatlin and co-host Rodney Green on their Ready Set Go Podcast.

Since she won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, Fraser-Pryce has gone on to have one of the most dominating careers in track and field history. Her win in Beijing made her first Jamaican woman to win Olympic 100m gold. Her follow-up victory in 2012 made her only the third woman to win back-to-back Olympic titles joining other greats Wyoma Tyus and Gail Devers of the USA to accomplish the feat.

Winning the world 100 title in Berlin in 2009, saw her become the first woman to hold Olympic and World titles simultaneously, a feat she would accomplish twice after victories in London in 2012 and Moscow in 2013.

Feats such as these are why Green lamented her decision to hang up her spikes after what will be her fifth Olympic campaign in Paris this summer.

“Man, we ‘bout to lose a female juggernaut of our sport, man, a staple. I mean, I think in her country they should, I don't know if a statue would do or they should name a track or something, man. Man, we going to lose Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce this year, man, this is our last year around the world, you know, competing. What do you think about that?

(Jamaica unveiled a statue of Fraser-Pryce at Independence Park in Kingston in 2018.)

In response, Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100m champion and 2005 and 2017 World Champion, lauded the Jamaica superstar for her work on and off the track, stating, “Man, Shelly-Ann has been such an inspiration to the sport for so long. Watching her make her first Olympic team in 2008 and her dominance for so many years into the sport and watching her grow. She was out there in the world and watching her mature into the powerful, successful woman she is now, hat’s off to her. She deserves everything.”

Gatlin, who enjoyed a fierce rivalry against Fraser-Pryce’s contemporary, Usain Bolt, made reference to her fierce rivalry with compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah and what it did to bring energy to the sport.

“We wish she could run many, many more years because she is the kind of person that rises to the occasion,” said Gatlin of the Jamaican who has only once failed to win a 100m medal in a global championship. That was in 2011 when she finished fourth in the 100m final in Daegu, South Korea.

Fraser-Pryce won 100m gold at the World Championships in 2007, 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2022. She was third at the most recent championships in Budapest, Hungary. She missed the 2017 championship because she was pregnant with her son Zyon.

“Watching her duke it out with Elaine (Thompson-Herah) throughout the years,” Gatlin continued, “they’d be seeing who would get to 10-7 first and then who would get to 10-6, and it made for pure entertainment because they both rose to the occasion.”

Green then chimed in clarifying that Fraser-Pryce not only battled with her Jamaican counterpart but also with the very best the USA had to offer.

“Elaine is just the recent one. She battled with many people that banged, like Carmelita Jeter. She went back and forth with Jet, man. She went back and forth with Veronica Campbell from her own country and the late great Tori (Bowie).”

 Gatlin then said, “She battled every elite female in this era.”

“Juggernauts, 10-6, 10-7 women through time, man,” Green remarked. “Like she has been amazing to our sport, she has been graceful to our sport. She has been nothing but a class act and I just think she will definitely be missed.

“I think as she makes her rounds this year, around the world, farewell tour, every country she goes, win or loss, when she runs, they should let her do a lap man, because this is the last time we’re going to get to see an amazing athlete grace track and field; the Mommy Rocket. It’s sad to see her go but I understand why she has to go.”

In a recently published interview with Essence Magazine, the 37-year-old Fraser-Pryce explained that her decision to retire after the Olympic Games in Paris stems from her wanting to dedicate more time to her family.

“There’s not a day I’m getting up to go practise and I’m like, ‘I’m over this’,” she said. “My son needs me. My husband and I have been together since before I won in 2008. He has sacrificed for me.

“We’re a partnership, a team. And it’s because of that support that I’m able to do the things that I have been doing for all these years. And I think I now owe it to them to do something else.”

Gatlin said he understood her decision.

"She said she owes it to her family to do something else now, especially her husband said she's been competing from 2008.She's been married for some time now for her husband and her child too. She owes it to them to just do something else and that's very honorable. Absolutely.

"I mean, when you when you are an athlete of her stature, your time is limited because your focus is on your own success, because that's what got you to where you're at, and you try to kind of juggle or balance family time, personal life around your successful career but everything, everything in your life is kind of floating around track, so now it's like with her son becoming older and having more time to be able to be a wife and a mom that's important.”

In highly anticipated comebacks, Olympic champion Omar McLeod and World Championship silver medalist Britany Anderson are set to make their season debuts at the ISTAF Indoor Meeting in Berlin on February 23, 2024. Both sprint hurdlers will both compete in 60m dash as they step back into the competitive arena after some time away.

For McLeod, the journey to Berlin marks a return to competition after facing setbacks in recent years. The 2016 Olympic champion has struggled with poor form, leading to his failure to qualify for the Jamaican team in both the Tokyo Olympics and the World Athletics Championships in 2022. However, reports from his training camp in Italy hinted at a remarkable turnaround, with McLeod displaying renewed focus and determination to regain his winning form on the track.

Eager for redemption, McLeod is approaching the ISTAF Indoor Meeting as a pivotal moment in his career as the 2017 World 110m hurdles world champion aims to showcase the fruits of his hard work and dedication in front of the global athletics community.

On the other hand, Anderson's story adds another layer of inspiration to the event.

The silver medalist from the 2022 World Championships in Oregon had faced a significant hurdle in the form of a knee injury that required surgery in early 2023. This setback forced her to miss the entire season.

The ISTAF Indoor Meeting in Berlin is now the stage for Anderson's much-anticipated return from surgery.

The meet otherwise boasts stellar lineup, featuring world record holder Grant Holloway, European indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli from Italy, Zaynab Dosso, the third fastest 60m sprinter globally, and British European Champion Daryll Neita.

Among the local contenders were the fastest sprinters of the German Leichtathletik-Verbands (DLV), including Alexandra Burghardt, Rebekka Haase (both in the 60m), and Franziska Schuster (60m hurdles). The anticipation built as the world prepared to witness the thrilling competitions unfold on the renowned blue track in Berlin, with McLeod and Anderson's comebacks adding an extra layer of excitement to an already star-studded event.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes have asserted their dominance over the Guyana Harpy Eagles in their second-round West Indies Championships match at Warner Park in St Kitts. After posting a commanding first innings total of 352, the Hurricanes through some excellent bowling restricted the Harpy Eagles to 188, establishing a substantial lead. Batting a second time, Hurricanes were 52-1 leading by 216 runs with nine wickets in hand.

Resuming their innings from an overnight score of 299-6, Rahkeem Cornwall (39) and Jeremiah Louis (3) pushed the Hurricanes to a final total of 352. Cornwall, adding 15 to his overnight score, secured the second half-century of the innings, while Hayden Walsh Jr contributed an unbeaten 20 off just six balls.

Ronaldo Ali Mohamed, who had claimed 2-49 overnight, continued his impressive performance, finishing with figures of 5-69 from 19.5 overs.

In response, the Guyanese side struggled against the spin of Daniel Doram and pave of Jeremiah Louis. Ali Mohamed (41) and Veerasammy Permaul (34) offered resistance, preventing a more-dire situation. Kevin Sinclair contributed 29, during some lower-order fight.

Doram led the bowling attack with figures of 4-40, supported by Louis with 3-42. Despite the individual efforts, the Harpy Eagles found themselves trailing by 164 runs.

At the close of play on Thursday, the Hurricanes were 52-1 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 216 with nine wickets in hand. Mikyle Louis, who scored 113 in the first innings, continued his form with an unbeaten 37. Keacy Carty  is also at the crease on one. Kofi James contributed 14 before falling to Permaul.

Jamaica's national 400m champion, Sean Bailey, is celebrating a significant personal milestone as he has announced his engagement to long-time girlfriend Denae McFarlane. Following a proposal in a romantic setting on Valentine's Day, the 26-year-old athlete shared the joyous news via Instagram, declaring, "She said yes!" The engagement comes at a pivotal moment in Bailey's career as he prepares to secure a spot on Jamaica's team for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Bailey, the younger brother of Jamaican sprint icon Veronica Campbell-Brown, has steadily risen among the world's elite 400m runners. In 2023, he solidified his status with notable achievements, including a personal best of 44.43 at the Drake Relays. His remarkable victory over Olympic gold medalist Kirani James highlighted his prowess and set the stage for a successful season.

The two-time national champion continued his stellar performance by claiming his second national title in July, clocking an impressive 44.48 to fend off a fast-finishing Antonio Watson, the eventual world champion. Despite injury setbacks at the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, where he finished fifth in the final won by Watson, Bailey signed a professional contract with Adidas.

As Bailey focuses on his Olympic preparations, his fiancée McFarlane, a former standout from Edwin Allen High School, has also made a mark in the world of athletics. Currently pursuing academic studies as a senior at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), McFarlane has showcased her talents on the track.

While McFarlane may not have reached the heights achieved by her fiancé, she has proven herself as a quality athlete. Hailing from the parish of Clarendon, McFarlane has represented her university with distinction, earning recognition such as the 2023 All-Conference USA Second Team in the 100m Outdoors, All-Conference USA Second Team in the 4x100m Outdoors, and 2023 All-Conference USA Third Team in the 60m Indoors.

In a compelling battle at Warner Park in St Kitts, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes asserted their dominance on the opening day of their West Indies Championships second-round match against the Guyana Harpy Eagles. Mikyle Louis stole the spotlight with a brilliant century, while Jahmar Hamilton's crucial half-century steadied the ship for the Hurricanes.

At the close of play, the Hurricanes posted a formidable total of 299-6 after facing 91 overs, setting the stage for an intriguing contest. Mikyle Louis's outstanding innings of 113, crafted from 221 balls, laid a solid foundation for his team's competitive score. His innings included 10 boundaries and five maximums.

Despite Louis's heroics, wickets fell at regular intervals, creating a challenging situation for the Hurricanes. However, Jahmar Hamilton's resilient knock of 77 played a pivotal role in rescuing the innings after a middle-order collapse. His composed innings spared the Hurricanes from a precarious situation, allowing them to finish the day on a positive note.

At the end of the day's play, Rahkeem Cornwall remained unbeaten on 39, providing further stability to the Hurricanes' innings. In partnership with Jeremiah Louis, who concluded the day on three not out, Cornwall aims to extend the team's total on the following day.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles faced a setback as Roston Beaton, their key player, was unavailable due to suspension over a suspect bowling action. In his absence, the Harpy Eagles turned to the pace of Ronaldo Alimohamed, who managed to claim 2-49. Additional contributions came from Veerasammy Permaul, Kevin Sinclair, Anthony Adams, and Neiland Cadogan, each securing a wicket to halt the Hurricanes' progress.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes will look to build on their commanding position when play resumes, while the Guyana Harpy Eagles aim to stage a strong comeback and shift the momentum in their favor in this highly anticipated West Indies Championships encounter.

Eight-year-old Bella Brown emerged as a star of the Millrose Games in New York on Sunday, clinching victory in the U8 (under-8) 55m dash with a dazzling time of 8.66 seconds. (See video below). In a remarkable display of talent and passion, Bella's inspiration stems from none other than the iconic Jamaican sprinter, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

The influence of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Bella's journey is profound.  "She probably saw Shelly Anne run when she was about four years old. She was very excited,” said Bella’s mother Sandra Harris, beaming with pride.

“We watch clips all the time. She watched them run. All the time she looks at their form. She looks at how they relax when they're running even though they're running hard. So yeah, she watches Shelly-Ann Fraser (Pryce) all the time and Veronica (Campbell-Brown) too."

The young prodigy's electrifying win at the Millrose Games showcased her raw talent and dedication, echoing the footsteps of her Jamaican idols. Sandra shared insights into her daughter's excitement and commitment after the triumphant race:

"Bella was excited. She trained very hard for this race, especially her starts. She came in very confident. She said she's gonna win, and all she wanted to do was execute her race properly. So when she did what she sought out to do, she was excited when she finished running."

Bella's affinity for track and field is deeply rooted in her family's athletic legacy. Sandra, whose family is from Westmoreland in Jamaica, is a former 100m and 200m sprinter, and Clarendon-born Barrington Brown, Bella's father, with a background in running and jumping, have passed down their love for the sport. "Bella Brown is from a track family. I ran. I was a 55/200m runner. 11 seconds in the 100m, 23 in the 200m. Her dad was also a runner and a jumper, so I would say it's in her blood," Sandra remarked.

However, Bella's dreams reach beyond mere victories on the track; she aspires to become an Olympian. Sandra expressed, "Bella wants to be an Olympian, yes. I don't know how far she wants to take it if she wants to be the fastest woman in the world one day, but she definitely wants to go to the Olympics."

As for Bella's potential representation on the global stage, Sandra said she is leaving the decision to her daughter: "If she continues on her path that she's currently on, I don't know who she will represent. Not sure she'll represent the USA or Jamaica, but we'll always leave that up to her. We want her to represent Jamaica; that's where we're from."

Following her electrifying run that resulted in a new world record at the Millrose Games in New York on Sunday, Bahamian sprint hurdler Devynne Charlton is poised to rewrite the record books again, perhaps as early as next month at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.’

Charlton stunned the sellout crowd at the Millrose Games with a jaw-dropping time of 7.67 seconds that shattered the previous world record of 7.68 seconds set by Sweden's Susanna Kallur back in 2008.

In a post-race interview, Charlton said she wasn’t surprised at the time she ran, indicating that training has been going really well. Rolando ‘Ronnie’ Greene, the Head Track Coach at the University of Kentucky and mastermind behind Charlton's remarkable journey, was also not surprised by the performance revealing that she ran that all-time best while still having the effects of heavy training in her legs.

"It was not a surprise at all. I told her and her training mate, Masai Russell; I said to them, one of you going to break the world record, you have to decide which one is going to do that,” he emphasized, highlighting the rigorous training and unwavering dedication that paved the way for Charlton's historic performance. "Just the things she's been doing in practice; the numbers she's been putting up... I knew the world record was going to fall,” said Greene, who has seen Charlton produce times of 7.88, 7.82, 7.75 and 7.76 heading into New York on Sunday.

“The only thing that we did differently (last week) was I didn't let her pull sled. That's the only thing we did, everything else remain the same. Normally on Mondays we would do some contrast work where we're pulling sleds for four to six times 40 metres with 90 seconds recovery. That's the only thing I took off the plate before this past week before she went to New York. Everything else remained the same, the same amount of volume, the same amount of hurdling.”

He said he made a few tweaks to her technique after her run in Boston the week before she ran on Sunday.

Greene, who has coached Charlton ever since she was standout athlete at Purdue University and who has now given him his first world record, told Sportsmax.TV that she has been racking up scary numbers in training all season.

She's stronger, she's lighter, she's doing things that she's never done. The power to weight ratio in terms of her body weight to what she's cleaning, to what she's squatting is through the ceiling right now. Devynne is five feet, three, 3 1/2 inches. She was 126 lbs last year, she's now 119. She paralleled 325 lbs in a squat and she pulled right at 200 lbs in a clean, so that's almost doubling her body weight. However, you want to put it is much greater, she's never been able to do that before.”

These startling numbers are among the reasons why he feels she will be even faster when she lines up in the 60m hurdles next month.

“We'll do a small taper for Glasgow, I think. People will say, you're not saying this, but I believe she can she can threaten the world record. I think she's got another half a 10th in there or something.”

With the Olympic Games in Paris less than six months away, Greene also believes that this is the year when Charlton should be among the medals, if not at the very top of the podium. She was seventh at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and seventh at the World Championships in Oregon a year later.

In Budapest in 2023, she came closest to a place on the podium when she finished fourth. This time, things are likely to be a lot different. "I truly believe that she is going to be a major factor going forward. She is at that right age of 27/28 when I think athletes hit their peak, their prime, she is at that point,” Greene opined.

“In life, there is a timing that God releases in our lives to accomplish things when we stay the course and I think this is that timing.”

He revealed that when she finished fourth in Budapest last year, in her disappointment, she told him she wished she hadn’t come so close. “She said I wish I was sixth and I said ‘no, baby girl, the devil is alive. You got fourth it just wasn’t your time and when that time arrives, no one can stop it. Nothing or no one can stop it.”

Charlton will race next in Madrid before returning to her training base for a few days of training before they depart for Glasgow.

Julien Alfred continued her show of force this indoor season on Sunday when she blazed to a world-leading time to win the 60m dash at the 2024 Millrose Games in New York. The 22-year-old St Lucian star sped to a time of 6.99 eclipsing the 7.01 run in Poland by Ewa Swoboda on February 6.

The time also a meet and facility record and further establishes Alfred position as being among the best of the world’s elite women sprinters. She is the first woman under seven seconds this indoor season after breaking the hallowed barrier three times last season during her final NCAA season.

There was daylight between Alfred and the in-form Shashalee Forbes of Jamaica, who was the runner-up in 7.14.

Destiny Smith-Barnett of the USA finished third in 7.16 while Briana Williams was fourth in 7.25.

Meanwhile, Christian Coleman of the USA won the men’s equivalent in 6.51 just managing to hold off Hakim Sani-Brown of Japan (6.54) and Akeem Blake of Jamaica, who overcame a poor start to finish third in 6.55.

Ryiem Forde of Jamaica was fourth in a personal best of 6.60.

In a display of explosive speed and flawless execution Bahamian Devynne Charlton set a new world record in the 60m hurdles at the 2024 Millrose Games in New York on Sunday.

Racing against a stacked field that included world champion Danielle Williams and former world leader Tia Jones and last season’s NCAA 100m hurdles champion Ackera Nugent, Charlton exploded from the blocks and surged to the lead early. She flashed across the line in an astonishing 7.67 a new world record and national record. She broke the previous record of 7.68 held by Sweden's Susanna Kallur since 2008.

Williams, whose focus is on the Paris Olympics this summer, ran a season-best 7.79 for second place with Jones clocking the same time for third.

Nugent also ran a season-best 7.80 for fourth place in the keenly contested event.

Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper was seventh in a personal best 7.98.

In a moment of pure exhilaration, Jamaica's female hammer thrower, Erica Belvit, shattered Jamaica's national weight throw indoor record during the URI Coaches Invitational at Rhode Island on Saturday. The impressive throw of 23.08m not only secured her place in the record books but also marked a significant milestone in her quest for a spot at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

The mark, if ratified, will eclipse the record of 22.95m set by Kim Barnett in March 2004. Erica was a class above her competition that included her younger sister Hope, a senior at Northeastern, who was a distant second with her best throw of 17.92m.

Megan Wood, a junior of Rhode Island was third with 17.02m.

Erica, overwhelmed with emotion, shared her immediate reaction to the record-breaking moment, saying, "I was jumping and screaming! I didn’t expect it; I just knew something was going to happen for sure! I have so much in the tank ready to go."

The achievement comes after meticulous preparation, with Belvit and her coach, Wilfredo de Jesus Elias, dedicating their focus exclusively to the hammer throw and outdoor events in the lead-up to the 2024 track and field season. The URI Coaches Invitational served as a platform to fine-tune her competition mindset after a hiatus from competing.

Reflecting on her preparation for the season, Belvit mentioned, “This meet was just to ‘shake some dust off’ and practice getting into that competition mindset since I haven’t competed since July."

The disappointment of being overlooked for Jamaica's team at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023 fueled Belvit's determination to make her mark in Paris this summer. Addressing the setback, she expressed, "Yes, it changed my whole view of training and competing. I was heartbroken for some time. Now we move forward."

Despite a challenging off-season marked by illness, Belvit's mental fortitude and patience played a pivotal role in her development. She shared insights into her off-season journey, stating, "My off-season started pretty rocky. I had gotten sick, which delayed my start for several weeks. When I was able to start training again, we focused on recovery and gradually increasing my training. I grew so much mentally during that time because I had to be patient with my body."

Looking ahead, Belvit has set ambitious yet straightforward targets for the season. Her focus is on giving her all each day, without regrets or holding back, believing that this approach will propel her toward success.

The 23-metre throw represents a significant step forward for Belvit and her coach. She sees it as evidence that their hard work is paying off and that they are heading in the right direction. As she shifts her attention to outdoor competitions, Belvit is eager to continue her journey, armed with newfound confidence and the belief that she has more to offer in pursuit of Olympic glory in Paris.

A superb bowling performance by the West Indies Academy has put them in control against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Warner Park in St Kitts on the opening day of the 2024 West Indies Championship.

At stumps, West Indies Academy were 60-2, just 77 runs behind the Hurricanes, who were bundled out for a mere 137 thanks to the brilliant bowling efforts of the Academy’s bowlers.

Jeremiah Louis’ late-innings knock of 45 was the only thing that stood between the Hurricanes and complete humiliation as they were blown away by the bowling of allrounder Joshua James, who took 3-11 and Ashmead Nedd, who two wickets came at a cost of only three runs. Johan Layne weighed in with 2-18.

Nyeem Young was the least efficient of the bowlers conceding 52 runs from his 10 overs during which he took two wickets.

Terance Ward score of 28 and Jahmar Hamilton contribution of 22 were the only other noteworthy efforts in an otherwise woeful batting display from the Hurricanes.

Mbeki Joseph will resume on 30 and Ackeem Auguste 15 when play begins on Thursday.