GRIFFITH...They (Jamaica) have worked with Trinidad in terms of developing the coaches there.
Barbados Today
If things go according to plans, then Jamaica and Barbados will execute a partnership with aimed at enhancing athletics training and coaching quality in Barbados.
This was revealed by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, who pointed out that plans are currently in the pipeline for a collaborative effort between the two island nations, which will involve an exchange of coaching expertise to elevate the standard of sports training.
“There’s a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Jamaica and us to exchange coaches to be able to work with them in terms of how we develop,” Griffiths revealed, adding that plans for the bilateral initiative was birthed by a similar partnership between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
“I was in Washington at a conference and had a sit-down with Minister [Olivia] Grange, Minister of Sports in Jamaica. They have worked with Trinidad in terms of developing the coaches there,” he noted.
Griffith acknowledged that there are concerns about the current coaching standards in Barbados and, as such, emphasized the necessity of having highly skilled coaches to match the calibre of world-class athletes.
“I won’t push it at this meeting, but I’m concerned with the level of coaches. I think that if you’re going to have a world-class athlete, you must match that athlete with a world-class coach,” he declared.
That said, Griffiths pointed out that upcoming infrastructural developments are in place to complement ongoing sporting initiatives within the country.
“I’m looking to see how we can have that marriage where we can fuse resources together in terms of working with Jamaica to develop the athletes on island. Hopefully by next week or the week after, you will see work starting on the old netball stadium to turn that into a multi-discipline facility for netball, basketball, and volleyball,” he shared.
Seville sizzles with personal best 19.96s-clocking at Atlanta City Games
With the Olympic Games now approximately 11 weeks away, Jamaica's Oblique Seville indicated his readiness for the global multi-sport showpiece, as he clocked an impressive personal best 19.96 seconds to win the men’s 200m at the Adidas Atlanta City Games at Piedmont Park, on Saturday.
Seville, running from lane four, in the four-athlete field, blew away the competition to win in a negative 1.1 metres per second wind reading, and took apart his previous best of 20.17s.
Such a performance from Seville certainly laid down a marker for what is to come at the Racers Grand Prix and National Trials in the coming months, as he targets a medal or two at this summer’s Paris Olympic Games.
The 23-year-old won ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who clocked a season’s best 20.04s, while American Elija Goodwin (20.47s) and Jamaica’s 400m World champion Antonio Watson (20.99s), completed the field.
There were no such fortunes for the Caribbean ladies in the women’s 200m, as Junelle Bromfield (23.44s) of Jamaica, and Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams (23.47s) were fourth and fifth respectively. The event was swept by Americans Lynna Irby-Jackson (22.67s), Kennedy Blackmon (22.96s) and Lauren Williams-Jones (23.18s).
The same was true for Jamaica’s Demisha Roswell (12.98s) and Yanique Thompson (13.13s), who placed fourth and fifth respectively in the women’s 100m hurdles. American Kendra Harrison (12.67s) finished tops ahead of Nigeria’s World record holder Tobi Amusan (12.73s) and Great Britain’s Cindy Sember (12.86s).
Carey McLeod placed third in the men's long jump.
America’s World 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway topped the event in a World leading 13.07s, running in a slight headwind. Robert Dunning (13.40s) and Michael Dickson (13.50s) were second and third, also with season’s best marks.
The much-anticipated men’s 150m was expectedly won by American World sprint double champion Noah Lyles, who stopped the clock in 14.41s. Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (14.66s) and Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando (14.86s) were second and third, while Jamaican Tyquendo Tracey (15.90s) was fifth.
In the men’s long jump, Jamaica’s Carey McLeod continued his good early season form with a third-place finish, after a best leap of 7.92m. The event was won by Italy’s Mattia Furlani, who cut the sand at 8.06m, while American Damarcus Simpson was second with a season’s best leap of 7.94m. Bahamian Laquan Nairn (7.70m) was fifth.
Jamaica’s Chanice Porter, with a season’s best 6.58m, and Tissanna Hickling (6.50m), were fifth and sixth in the women’s long jump, won by American Tara Davis-Woodhall, who cut the sand at 7.17m. Another American Quanesha Burks (6.89m) and Nigeria’s Ese Brume (6.87m) were second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Akani Simbine indicated that he was still a part of the conversation for in the men’s sprints, as he topped the 100m with a World Leading 9.90s in a slight 0.4 metres per second headwind. Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (10.00s) and American Kendal Williams (10.05s) were the runners-up.
American Aleia Hobbs won the women’s 100m in a season’s best 10.88s in a slight tailwind of 0.5 m/s. Her compatriots Tamar Clark (10.98s) and Mikiah Brisco (11.00s), also clocked season’s best for second and third.
McCalla claims Men’s Physique title at Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados
Wayne McCalla is Jamaica’s newest IFBB Pro after capturing the men’s short class physique title at the Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados on May 11.
McCalla, who was named Jamaica’s male bodybuilder of the year at the RJR/Gleaner Sports Foundation’s National Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year awards in January, beat out competition from Barbados’s Kevon Carter and Suriname’s Raphael Kromokarijo for the crown.
Haiti’s Jean Jahnsen took the title in the medium category ahead of Jamaica’s Rayon Henry and Barbados’ Julian Belgrave.
Haiti also took top spot in the tall class through Marc Louis who won ahead of Barbados’ Bukkiah Providence and Jamaica’s Jevaughn Rosewell.
In men’s lightweight bodybuilding, Suriname’s Rudolph Getrow took top spot ahead of Barbados’ Curtis Kirby and Timon Howard.
At middleweight, the Dominican Republic’s Jeifry Richardson won gold ahead of Barbados’ Sanaj Lewis and Mexico’s Juan Galvan.
Guyana’s Nicholas Albert tool gold in the light heavyweight division ahead of Grenada’s Andrew Hyacinth and Suriname’s Anthony Nekrui while Barbados’ Nicholas Harris won the heavyweight crown ahead of Guyana’s Julio Sinclaire and Aruba’s Albert Kelly.
Antigua & Barbuda’s Shaquelle Thomas won both the men’s open classic bodybuilding and classic physique titles.
Jamaica’s Aldaine Taylor and Thomas’ countryman Jameel Knight were second and third in the bodybuilding section while Barbados’ Jurad Mason and Taylor rounded out the top three in the physique division.
Barbados’ Rashida Belgrave beat out Venezuela’s Lisset Campos for the short women’s body fitness category while Venezuela’s Anyer Camacho won the medium category ahead of Jamaica’s Ashane Gordon-Morrison and Barbados’ Allison Gotip.
Trinidad & Tobago’s Angela Campbell was the only competitor in the women’s open physique competition.
The women’s fit model open title was won by Barbados’ Shanequa Allamby ahead of Slovakia’s Ester Viznerova.
St. Kitts & Nevis’ Toni Nisbett won the women’s short bikini title ahead of Italy’s Eva Leone and Jamaica’s Jolene Miller while Barbados’ Shanequa Allamby won the medium category ahead of countrywoman Danielle Gill and Mexico’s Angelina Aleksandrovych.
The short women’s wellness title went to Guyana’s Hannah Rampersaud ahead of Antigua & Barbuda’s Jeredith John-Jules while the medium section went to Venezuela’s Gil Delgado ahead of the UK’s Shanda Carr and Suriname’s Vanessa Henry-Forster.
The overall titles were distributed as follows: Men’s Physique-Jean Jahnsen, Wellness-Gil Delgado, Body Fitness-Rashida Belgrave, Bikini Fitness-Toni Nisbett, Bodybuilding-Nicholas Albert.
Grenadian Olympians Kirani James, Lindon Victor set to compete on different continents this weekend
As they continue sharpen their skills ahead this summer’s Olympics Games in Paris, France, Grenadian Olympians Kirani James and Lindon Victor are set to compete at separate meets on different continents this weekend.
James, the 2012 Olympic champion and three-time medalist, has been confirmed for the LA Grand Prix on Saturday, May 18, at the Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, California. This will be his second race of the season having opened at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix on April 28.
Meanwhile, Victor, a decathlete, will take part in the Hypo Meeting at the Mosle Stadium in Gotzis, Austria, from Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 19.
The Hypo Meeting is a World-Athletics organized combined events gold level meet that features the world’s top heptathletes and decathletes in two days of grueling competition.
Victor, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist and the holder of several national records for Grenada has his sights set on the 2024 Paris Olympics where he will make his third Olympic appearance for the Spice Island.
Following competition in Austria, Victor will fly home to Grenada where he will contest the long jump and the 100m at the Grenada Invitational on June 6.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
