Barbadian 400m superstar Sada Williams took home four awards at the Barbados Olympic Association’s annual Awards Ceremony on December 22 at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

Williams, who won gold in the women’s 400 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in a new meet and national record of 49.75, was rewarded for that feat.

In addition to being named Senior Female Athlete of the Year, she also received the International Excellence award and the coveted President’s Award from BOA chief, Sandra Osborne.

“I am extremely honoured to receive such an important award – the President’s Award. I also want to recognise the other nominees who also had an outstanding season,” the 25-year-old World Championships bronze medallist said.

“The successes I had this past season would not have been possible without the contributions and encouragement of so many people, too many to name and I sincerely thank each one of you for helping me make this a memorable season and for giving me a chance to win this award,” she added.

In addition to her medals at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, Williams also took silver at the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas in August.

Jamaica’s men were the only Caribbean nation to crack the top ten for the most points accumulated at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon in July.

The team, who is in a rebuilding phase after dominating men’s track and field for almost a decade, finished in a three-way tie for fifth on the table with 20 points. Eight points are accumulated for first place and a point for eighth.

Hosts USA, thanks to standout performances from the likes of Noah Lyles, Michael Norman and Fred Kerley to name a few, absolutely dominated the Championships and finished at the top of the table with 118 points.

The rest of the top ten was rounded out by Kenya (46), Great Britain (28), Canada (24), Jamaica (20), Ethiopia (20), Uganda (20), Norway (17), Spain (17) and South Africa (12).

Jamaica’s only medal came in the 4x400m where the team of Akeem Bloomfield, Jevaughn Powell, Nathon Allen and Christopher Taylor ran 2:58.58 for silver behind the USA.

They also finished just outside the medals in the 4x100m where Akeem Blake, Oblique Seville, Yohan Blake and Jelani Walker combined to run 38.06 to finish behind Canada (37.48), USA (37.55) and Great Britain (37.83).

Individually, Seville had the best performance finishing fourth in the 100m in 9.97 behind the American trio of Fred Kerley (9.86), Marvin Bracy (9.88) and Trayvon Bromell (9.88).

Jamaica’s other two individual finalists to place in the top eight were Jaheel Hyde who finished sixth in the 400m Hurdles and Christopher Taylor who finished seventh in the 400m.

2022 World Championship 400m bronze medallist Sada Williams was controversially left out of Barbados’ Independence Awards as the country celebrated their 56^th year of independence on Wednesday.

Barbadian journalist Mike King described the omission of Williams from the list of awardees as “shocking” and “inexcusable” in a Facebook post.

“To leave World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams out of the Independence Awards is a national scandal. Members of Cabinet should hold their heads down in shame,” he added.

Williams enjoyed a career best 2022 season in the one lap event.

In July, she ran a personal best and national record 49.75 for bronze at the World Championships in Eugene. She followed that up in August by winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 49.90 and silver at the NACAC Championships in Freeport in 49.86.

In addition to those medals, Williams also enjoyed four top three finishes on the Diamond League circuit last season. She finished third in Monaco and second in Lausanne and Brussels before crossing the line third once again at the Diamond League final in Zurich.

Barbadian Commonwealth Games 400m champion and World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams gifted her medals from the 2022 season to the Barbados Olympic Association on Thursday.

“Today, I had the honor of gifting my medals to the Barbados Olympic Association where they can be showcased in their museum for any and everyone visiting to view them,” Williams said on her Instagram page on Thursday.

Williams enjoyed a career best 2022 season in the one lap event.

In July, she ran a personal best and national record 49.75 for bronze at the World Championships in Eugene. She followed that up in August by winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 49.90 and silver at the NACAC Championships in Freeport in 49.86.

In addition to those medals, Williams also enjoyed four top three finishes on the Diamond League circuit last season. She finished third in Monaco and second in Lausanne and Brussels before crossing the line third once again at the Diamond League final in Zurich.

“I thought it only fitting to share my achievements to the people of Barbados after all the overwhelming support from this past season. To all my fellow Bajan athletes, I hope you take this opportunity and remember that even though we’re from a little island, we can do big things."

Natoya Goule won the 800m but Shericka Jackson finished a shocking fifth while Kirani James suffered a mild upset in their respective events at the Galà dei Castelli meeting in Bellinzona, Switzerland on Monday.

Goule ran a solid 1:59.05 for an easy win in the 800m. Taking control of the race with just over 400m to go, the Jamaican sped away from the field leaving Anita Horvat in her wake.

The Slovenian clocked 2:00.76 for second place with Anna Wielgotz of Poland finishing third in 2:01.24.

In what must have been the surprise of the meet, Jackson, whose 10.71 makes her the second fastest woman in the world this year, was fifth in the 100m in 11.19.

Marie Josee Ta Lou, meanwhile, won impressively in 10.86 ahead of Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.00) and Egypt’s Hassant Hemida (11.07), who were second and third, respectively.

Murielle Ahoure-Demps was fourth in 11.18.

Ackeem Blake ran 10.09 for fourth place in a closely contested 100m dash that was won by American Brandon Carnes in 10.04.

Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya was second in 10.05, the same time given to the USA’s Kendal Williams who was third.

Andrennette Knight ran 52.23 to finish third in the 400m that was won by Lada Vondrova of the Czech Republic in 51.60. Laviai Nelson of the United Kingdom was second in 51.72.

Even though world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk was down for the 400m, James on the basis of his consistent performances this season must have been favoured to win the one-lap sprint.

But no one told the South African who edged the Grenadian to win in a meet record 44.33 to James 44.38. Zakhiti Nene of Africa ran 45.75 for third.

Earlier, Damion Thomas ran 13.38 for second place in the 110m hurdles race which American Jamal Britt claimed victory in 13.18.

Brazil’s Rafael Pereira was a close third in 13.41.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn rebounded from the disappointment of finishing fourth at the Diamond League final in Zurich last week Thursday with a comfortable victory in the 100m hurdles.

The Puerto Rican clocked 12.72 beating American Nia Ali, who ran 12.80 for second place.

Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska finished third in 12.95.

The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino and Grenada’s Kirani James secured 400m wins at the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday.

The 25-year-old Paulino, who took silver at the World Championships in Eugene in July, secured the Diamond Trophy with a brilliant personal best and world leading 48.99.

It was a Caribbean 1-2-3 as her teammate Fiordaliza Cofil ran 49.93 for second while Bajan World Championship bronze medallist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sada Williams was third in 49.98.

James, who also took silver at the World Championships, ran 44.26 to win his Diamond Trophy ahead of Americans Bryce Deadmon (44.47) and Vernon Norwood (44.66).

Caribbean women dominate the field for the women’s 400m at Thursday’s Diamond League final in Zurich.

Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, silver medallist at the World Championships behind Bahamian superstar Shaunae Miller-Uibo, will be present having won at the Doha, Rabat and Lausanne legs of the Diamond League circuit.

Her countrywoman Fiordaliza Cofil will also be in the field. The 21-year-old finished third at the Lausanne event before running a big personal best of 49.80 to win in Brussels.

Bajan World Championships silver and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sada Williams will also be looking to add to her stellar season that has seen her lower her country’s national record to 49.75. She finished second in Rabat, Lausanne and Brussels and third in Monaco.

Jamaican World Championship finalists Stephenie Ann McPherson and Candice McLeod are the other Caribbean women in the field while it is rounded out by Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, Anna Kielbasinska and The Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver.

In other events, Trinidadian Commonwealth Champion Jereem Richards as well as the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando will go in the men’s 200m while Jamaican World Championship finalist Natoya Goule will contest the women’s 800m.

Rushell Clayton’s good run of form continued on Tuesday when she won the 400m hurdles at the Palio Città della Quercia, Stadio Quercia in Rovereto, Italy.

Marileidy Paulino held off a strong challenge from Sada Williams to win the 400m at the Athletissima Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday.

World championships gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Commonwealth champion Sada Williams have both advanced to the final of the 400m of the 2022 NACAC Open Championships that got underway in Freeport, the Bahamas on Friday.

Sada Williams created history on Sunday when she became the first Barbadian woman to win a gold medal in the 400m on the penultimate day of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Jamaican World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts went one better at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Friday, taking gold in the Women’s triple jump.

Ricketts, who got silver four years ago, won with a Commonwealth Games record 14.94m which she did in the first round.

Dominica’s Thea Lafond made it a Caribbean 1-2 by taking the silver with 14.39m ahead of England’s Naomi Metzger (14.37m).

Elaine Thompson-Herah will get an opportunity to win her second gold medal after advancing to the final of the Women’s 200m.

The double Olympic champion, who ran 10.95 to win the 100m on Wednesday, cruised to 22.63 to win semi-final three and advance to Saturday’s final.

Her Jamaican teammate Natalliah Whyte will also be in the final after running 23.09 to finish second in semi-final one.

On the Men’s side, Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards will get an opportunity to defend his title from 2018 after running 20.40 to win semi-final three and advance.

In the 400m, Barbadian World Championships bronze medallist Sada Williams will be in the final after running 51.59 to win semi-final two. Jamaica’s Junelle Bromfield also advanced from that race as a fastest loser courtesy of a 52.18 effort to finish fourth.

Jonathan Jones ran 45.82 to win semi-final two and advance on the Men's side. Joining him in the final will be Jamaica's Anthony Cox who ran 45.98 for third in semi-final one and nathon Allen who was second in semi-final three with 45.99. 

Jamaican national junior 100m champion Tina Clayton showed fine form to advance to the semi-finals of the Women’s 100m at the World Under-20 Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia on Tuesday.

Clayton, who ran 11.09 to win the World Junior title in Nairobi last year, cruised to 11.38 to win the first heat. The Edwin Allen High standout sped to a personal best and national junior record 10.96 to win the Jamaican junior title in June.

Lirangi Tejada of the Dominican Republic finished fourth in heat one in 11.66 to advance as a fastest loser.

Joining her in the semis will be high school teammate Serena Cole, who was equally impressive in heat two, running 11.38 for victory. 

Barbados’ Kishawna Miles ran 11.58 for third in heat three to advance.

In the 400m, Jamaica’s Dejanea Oakley won heat four in 53.70 to advance. Her teammate Rickiann Russell ran 54.63 to finish fifth in heat five and advance as a non-automatic qualifier.

Javonya Valcourt of the Bahamas also advanced as a non-automatic qualifier after finishing fifth in heat three in 55.31.

On the Men’s side, Jamaica’s Delano Kennedy and Shaemar Uter both safely got through to the semi-finals. Kennedy ran a personal best 46.24 for third in heat two while Uter finished second in heat three in 46.66.

Moving to the 400m hurdles, Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands was the second fastest qualifier to the semi-finals after running 58.33 to win the third heat. Jamaica’s Oneika McAnuff will also be in the semi-finals after a third-place finish in heat five in 59.45.

In the field, Jamaica’s Brandon Pottinger cleared 2.08m to advance to the final of the Men’s high jump.

Jamaican World 200m Champion Shericka Jackson got back to winning ways in the shorter sprint with victory at the Meeting Internazionale di Atletica Leggera in Italy on Saturday.

Jackson, who also took silver in the 100m at the recently concluded World Athletics Championships in Eugene, ran a modest, by her standards, 11.13 into a -0.2 m/s headwind to take the win ahead of fellow Jamaicans Natasha Morrison (11.31) and Shokoria Wallace (11.36).

In the 400m, Junelle Bromfield produced 52.35 for a comfortable victory ahead of Ukraine’s Kateryna Karpyuk (53.10) and Slovakia’s Alexandra Bezekova (54.27).

Former national record holder Rusheen McDonald ran 46.56 for second in the men’s equivalent behind Canada’s Cole Austin (45.51). Italy’s Giuseppe Leonardi was third in 47.43.  

The recently concluded 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene saw the Caribbean region grab the opportunity to represent themselves well on a global stage with both hands.

The region took home 17 medals in total including five golds, nine silvers and three bronzes with Jamaica leading the Caribbean medal count with 10 ahead of Grenada and the Dominican Republic who got two each while the Bahamas, Barbados and Puerto Rico all took home one apiece.

There were a number of standout performances throughout the 10 days starting with Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

Fraser-Pryce produced a championship record 10.67 to defend her 100m title and win her fifth in total. Fraser-Pryce also won her second 200m medal in her World Championships career, a silver in a season’s best 22.81.

Jackson ran a personal best 10.73 for silver in the 100m behind Fraser-Pryce and followed that up with one of the performances of the championships in the 200m. She produced a time of 21.45 to win her first global title and become the fastest woman alive over the distance.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah came third in the 100m in 10.81 to complete Jamaica's second consecutive 100m clean sweep at a major championship.

Fraser-Pryce, Jackson and Thompson-Herah then teamed up with Kemba Nelson to win silver in the 4x100m in 41.18 behind the USA (41.14).

We now move to the 400m where the Caribbean women swept the medals. Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo became the first female to complete the world event cycle (gold medals at the World Youth Championships, World Junior Championships, World Indoor Championships, World Championships and Olympics) by finally winning her maiden world title with a world-leading 49.11.

The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, the world leader coming into the Championships, followed up her silver medal in Tokyo last year with 49.60 to claim silver once more.

Barbados’ Sada Williams produced a brilliant personal best and national record 49.75 to take home bronze, becoming the first Barbadian woman to win a World Championship medal.

In the men’s equivalent, Grenadian superstar Kirani James ran 44.48 for silver behind American Michael Norman (44.30). This was James’ third World Championships medal and first since 2015 when he won bronze.

Paulino was also part of the brilliant quartet that took the Dominican Republic to gold in the Mixed Relay. Paulino combined with Fiordaliza Cofil, Lidio Andres Feliz and Alexander Ogando to run 3:09.82 for gold.

Staying on the track, Jamaica’s Britany Anderson followed up on the promise she’s shown all season to secure a silver medal in the 100m hurdles.

Anderson ran a new national record 12.31 in the semi-finals before running a wind-aided 12.23 to secure the silver medal behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan who clocked an astounding 12.06 for victory after running a legal world record 12.12 earlier in the semis.

Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran the same time as Anderson to take home bronze.

Jamaica picked up silver medals in both the men's and women's 4x400m relays. The men comprising of Ackeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, Jevaughn Powell and Christopher Taylor registered 2:58.58 to finish behind the USA (2:56.17) while the women with Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Stephenie Ann McPherson and Charokee Young produced 3:20.74 to finish behind the Americans (3:17.79).

In the field, Grenada’s Anderson Peters became only the second man to defend his javelin world title.

The 2022 world leader produced a best throw of 90.54m to successfully defend his title from Doha three years ago, replicating a feat only matched by Czech world record holder Jan Zelezny who won consecutive world titles in 1993 and 1995 before returning to top spot in 2001.

Peters produced an amazing series, registering 90.21m, 90.46m, 87.21m, 88.11m, 85.83m and 90.54m in his six rounds.

Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts produced a season’s best 14.89m to take silver in the women’s triple jump behind Venezuelan world record holder and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas (15.47m).

Ricketts produced jumps of 14.89m, 14.86m, 14.37m, 14.40m, 14.62m and 14.80m for one of her best series of her career.

The region will be hoping for an even better showing at the 2023 World Championships scheduled for August 19-27 in Budapest, Hungary.