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• Jonielle Smith resilient in comeback journey towards Olympic qualification

  Jamaican sprinter Jonielle Smith is on a determined path to overcome adversity as she sets her sights on qualifying for her first Olympic Games this summer.

  The 28-year-old athlete, who tasted victory as part of Jamaica's gold-winning 4x100m relay team at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, has faced significant setbacks following a motor-vehicle accident later that year which left her battling injuries, particularly to her back.

  After a challenging recovery, Smith's journey took her back to Jamaica, transitioning from Florida-based MVP International to the MVP Track Club, where she has been steadily rebuilding her form but it hasn’t been easy.

  “Trust me. I don’t think anybody trains as hard as Jamaicans. Last year, when I tell you my body went through it, not only from injuries but as simple as the workouts being exhausting. It definitely hit me hard but this year I feel like it’s more just injuries that are my problem rather than the workouts. So that’s a plus. Now, we’re just trying to get back to where we were or even better than where we were.”

  Despite enduring a tumultuous period with injuries limiting her appearances in 2021 and 2022, Smith remains optimistic about her prospects, especially with the Jamaican trials approaching at the end of June.

  

  Reflecting on her current struggles, Smith emphasized the mental fortitude required to regain her form, both in practice and competition. "It’s rough. I think this part of it is mainly mental, trying to find back myself both in practice and now in competition," she said.

  “The good thing is that practice is basically picking up so now I just have to work on continuing to be consistent and then translate that into competition.”

  Regarding her race on Saturday, where she finished third in the Women's 100m B final, Smith admitted it wasn't up to her expectations but recognized it as a stepping stone in her comeback. "It wasn’t what I expected. I really wanted more but we have to take the good with the bad," she shared.

  “Last week was my first month back so this one was like ‘alright we are we, what can we improve on. My execution wasn’t as good as last week, which I don’t like but hopefully whenever I compete again I will be much better.”

  Despite the challenges, Smith has found encouragement in her progress, particularly with her back feeling more stable. However, new issues with her shoulder and neck have emerged this year, impacting her training and race readiness. Nevertheless, Smith remains steadfast, focusing on incremental improvements each day.

  “Thankfully, that’s why I am even more positive now is that my back is actually now behaving. I feel like I have got stronger in those areas in terms of my glutes, hamstrings, and all those supporting areas but for some reason my shoulder and neck decided to go crazy on me this year and it’s a case where we are not really sure of what is going on but it really has affected both training and competition hence why I am basically just going at it (competition) again.

  “But we’re slowly making progress. I still have a couple weeks to go, practice is picking up which I am extremely grateful for so I just need to continue racing and translate training into competition.”

  Smith's coach and support team are working diligently to address her physical challenges and fine-tune her race execution in preparation for the upcoming trials. With just six weeks remaining, Smith is determined to translate her training efforts into competitive success and secure her spot on the Olympic team.

   

   

• Forte balances injury concerns with Olympic aspirations; Rabat Diamond League his next target

  As Julian Forte stepped onto the track at the Jamaica Athletic Invitational, last Saturday, he carried with him a mixture of concern and determination. This as he only recently returned from nursing an Achilles injury, which threatened to derail his season.

  Despite his concerns, Forte, through stubborn determination and a desire to enjoy a successful season, delivered a stellar performance to win the men’s 100m in a season’s best 10.02 seconds, as he improved on the 10.07s he ran a week prior at the JAAA’s All Comers Meet, also staged at the National Stadium.

  Not only did the winning time solidify Forte’s hold as the fastest Jamaican male sprinter this year, but it was also a testament to the hard work and dedication that goes into his training, which is laser-focused on his ultimate goal – securing a spot on the Olympic podium.

  “I'm feeling good. I'm really pleased with my performance and really pleased with where I'm at right now. It hasn't been smooth sailing, but I am really grateful to have come out with a victory,” Forte said, a hint of relief in his voice, as he iced his hamstring.

  “My hamstring never felt a 100 per cent at about 60 metres in, but I never wanted to stop. It didn't feel that bad, so I just kind of carried on with the race. It doesn't feel like anything serious, so I just have to go back, assess it and make sure I come back stronger,” he shared.

  

  With the National Trials to select the country’s athletics team to this summer’s Paris Olympic Games on the horizon, Forte's focus has been on maintaining his fitness and avoiding any setbacks, which is crucial in determining his path to the global multi-sport showpiece dubbed the pinnacle of every athlete’s career.

  While things don’t always go as planned, the 31-year-old, who at his optimum clocked personal best times of 9.91s and 19.97s for the 100m and 200m, intends to keep pushing himself, remain positive, and trust his abilities.

  Simply put, with hard work and a bit of luck, Forte, who was a part of the 4X100m relay team that placed fourth at the Tokyo Games, and boast a Commonwealth Games relay gold medal, has no doubt that he can achieve his dreams of securing an Olympic medal.

  “I just came back about five weeks ago; I was out with an Achilles injury for about seven weeks, so it's never smooth sailing for me and the past seasons were never injury free. But we're trying to learn from each injury and find a way to still compete and still do well,” said Forte, who has represented Jamaica at the 2012, 2015 and 2017 World Athletics Championships.

  “Like I said earlier, I like where I'm at. I think the execution is well done and just glad for victory. So, my expectation is definitely to make it to Paris where I am aiming for a medal at the Games. That is the goal,” he declared.

  For now, Forte has his sights on the Diamond League Meet in Rabat, on Sunday, where he will face off against some of the world's top sprinters.

  “The Diamond League is always a tough competition, but I'm looking forward to the challenge,” he ended.

• Next time I touch the 100m: Kerley has sights set on Bolt’s world record

  2022 World 100m champion Fred Kerley has his sights set on Usain Bolt’s 15-year-old 100m World Record.

  In fact, the 29-year-old says that the next time he does the event, he will become the fastest man ever.

  “World record next time I touch the 100m,” Kerley said on Twitter on Tuesday.

  Usain Bolt’s mark stands at an incredible 9.58 done to win his maiden World Championship gold medal at the Berlin World Championships on August 16, 2009.

  Bolt is the only man to ever run faster than 9.60 with Tyson Gay and Yohan Blake the only other men to run sub 9.70.

  Gay and Blake both have a personal best of 9.69 to be joint-second on the all-time list.

  Kerley, one of the only athletes ever to go sub-10 in the 100m, sub-20 in the 200m and sub-44 in the 400m, has a personal best of 9.76 done at the World Championships in 2022 in Eugene where he went on to claim 100m gold.

  His time puts him in a three-way tie for sixth all-time alongside countrymen Christian Coleman and Trayvon Bromell.

  Asafa Powell (9.72), Justin Gatlin (9.74) and Ferdinand Omanyala (9.77) make up the top ten.

  This season, Kerley has competed four times in the 100m. He opened his season with a win at the Hurricane Invitational on March 16 in Coral Gables, Florida with 10.03 and followed that up at the same venue on April 6 in the Hurricane Alumni Invitational with 10.11 to also come out on top.

  Kerley then competed at the season’s first two Diamond League events in Xiamen and Suzhou on April 20 and 27, respectively. He first ran 10.17 to finish second in Xiamen before running 10.11 for third in Suzhou.

  He most recently competed at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational on May 11 where he ran 20.17 to finish second in the men’s 200m.