As LSU sophomore sprinter Brianna Lyston continues to achieve remarkable success on the track, Head Track Coach Dennis Shaver remains focused on keeping her grounded amidst the rising excitement and expectations surrounding her performances.
Lyston's recent accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary. She kicked off her indoor season by clinching the SEC 60m title and followed it up with a stunning victory at the NCAA National Indoor Championships, where she clocked a personal best of 7.03 seconds in the 60m dash. This impressive time not only secured her the national title but also placed her as the second-fastest woman in collegiate history and the fifth-fastest Jamaican woman ever over this distance, trailing only legends like Merlene Ottey, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Veronica Campbell-Brown.
Transitioning to the outdoor season, Lyston made headlines once again at the recent Battle of the Bayou meet, where she blazed through the 100m in a wind-aided time of 10.87 seconds, finishing second behind Favor Ofili. This time ranks as the fastest opening race ever recorded by a collegiate woman under any conditions, highlighting Lyston's exceptional talent.
In light of Lyston's rapid rise to prominence, Coach Shaver emphasizes the importance of staying grounded amid the noise and expectations that come with such early success. "There's going to be a lot of noise," Coach Shaver acknowledges. "People talking, 'oh, you're running too much, or, oh, you're not this and that and everything else.'"
Coach Shaver underscores the significance of maintaining focus and perspective in the face of external pressures, especially in today's age of social media. "Social media has made it really difficult for these young women," he remarks, recognizing both its potential as a support platform and its pitfalls as a distraction.
To keep Lyston grounded, Coach Shaver encourages her to appreciate the journey ahead and understand that her current achievements are just the beginning. "This is the beginning of a long journey for her," he emphasizes. "You need to enjoy it, but you also need to understand that the consistency about how you go about your daily living and preparing yourself to be the best student-athlete you can be here at LSU is a real job."
Furthermore, Coach Shaver points out the valuable resources within LSU's track program, with former standout athletes like Favor Ofili, Aleia Hobbs, and Micaiah Brisco serving as mentors for Lyston. Their experiences provide a guiding light for Lyston to navigate the demands of collegiate athletics and maintain a balanced perspective on her accomplishments.
Despite the high expectations, Coach Shaver maintains a realistic outlook on Lyston's progress. Reflecting on her impressive performance at the Battle of the Bayou, he acknowledges the strong competition she faced and emphasizes the need for consistent dedication and communication to sustain her success.
As Brianna Lyston continues to make waves in collegiate track and field, Coach Dennis Shaver remains steadfast in his commitment to nurturing her talent, ensuring that she not only excels on the track but also thrives in the broader journey of student-athlete development at LSU.
Lyston runs the 200m at the Tom Jones Invitational this weekend.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
“The favourite is Thompson”-Boldon highlights Jamaican champion as man to beat in 100m in Paris
Trinidadian four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon has named Jamaican sprinting sensation Kishane Thompson as his favourite to take 100m gold at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Thompson, 23, is currently the world leader in the event after running a personal best 9.77 to win the 100m title at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston in June.
The MVP Track Club-trained sprinter also produced times of 9.82 and 9.84 in the heats and semi-finals, respectively, at those national championships and, most recently, ran 9.91 shutting down to win at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary on July 9.
“Thompson is the favourite,” Boldon said in an interview with LetsRundotcom on YouTube on Friday.
“I know Noah (Lyles) is the World champion. I think Noah made it a little bit more interesting by running that 9.81 into a headwind which kind of almost converts to a 9.77 but there’s no way you can look at the way in which Thompson ran that 9.77 and just go ‘Oh Noah will beat him.’ Noah has his hands full with that guy,” Boldon said.
Blazing speed acknowledged, one thing that Thompson lacks that his other competitors don’t is experience competing at the highest level of the sport with this being his first time representing Jamaica at any level.
If there is anything to prevent Thompson from delivering on the form that he’s shown so far this season, Boldon believes that would be this lack of experience on a stage like the Olympic Games compared to his peers.
“There are things which I see people completely ignoring. Kishane Thompson has not been under the microscope of Olympic favourite. Rounds are a great equalizer. Noah has the medals that he does because of how well he runs rounds. Is Noah suddenly a lock for the silver? No but he does have his hands full,” he said.
“There are others who are going to be in the 100m that are used to the pressure and pressure is a big thing. If he’s able to pull this off, you write books about stuff like that,” he added.
Thompson's quest for Olympic glory will begin in the heats of the men's 100m beginning on Saturday' August 3.
Jamaica and France sign landmark MOU for bilateral sports cooperation
As the world eagerly anticipates the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Jamaica and France have marked the occasion with a significant step towards enhancing their bilateral relations in the field of sport. On July 24, the Honourable Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and His Excellency Olivier Guyonvarch, the Ambassador of France in Jamaica, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Bilateral Cooperation in Sport.
Minister Grange highlighted the symbolic timing of the agreement, stating, “It is certainly significant that it is happening at the time of the 2024 Olympics in the French capital, Paris. It embodies the importance of sport in establishing cooperation and friendship between the two countries."
The agreement outlines several areas of cooperation aimed at enhancing both nations' sports capabilities. One key aspect of the MOU is the sharing of experiences and the development of joint initiatives in sports. This includes promoting common standards for organizing major sporting events and developing high sports performance through the exchange of best practices, coaching training, and research.
Additionally, the agreement focuses on boosting the sports economy and sports tourism in both countries by sharing valuable information and insights. A significant emphasis is also placed on promoting sports ethics, with both nations committing to collaborate in the fight against doping.
Minister Grange commended the diligent efforts of Ambassador Guyonvarch and the teams from both the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, in finalizing the MOU. She also referenced the ongoing friendship between Jamaica and France, demonstrated by events like the "2024 Road to Paris Olympics," which featured a symbolic relay baton passed globally and included French students from schools across Jamaica.
The MOU also aims to facilitate exchanges in seminars, conferences, and symposia involving experts in various sports disciplines such as fencing, rugby, handball, athletics, canoe-kayak/sprint, sailing, and skateboarding, among others.
Ambassador Guyonvarch expressed his enthusiasm about the agreement, stating, “On the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the signing of this MOU on sports cooperation is a milestone in our bilateral relations, being the most ambitious and comprehensive agreement between our two countries in a strategic field of excellence. The implementation of this agreement, initiated by the Centre for Research on Sports Performance of Guadeloupe and the Faculty of Sports of UWI, will allow us to develop sports science, new practices, and more intense human exchanges between our two countries.”
The follow-up on the cooperation outlined in the MOU will be ensured by a Bilateral Steering Committee, which will meet annually in either of the two countries, ensuring that the goals and initiatives set forth are actively pursued and achieved.
This agreement not only strengthens the bond between Jamaica and France but also paves the way for enhanced sports performance, education, and ethical standards in both nations, promising a bright future for sports collaboration and excellence.
Gardiner, Charlton named flag bearers for The Bahamas ahead of Paris opening ceremony
Reigning 400m Olympic champion Steven Gardiner and World Indoor 60m hurdles champion Devynne Charlton will be flag bearers for The Bahamas at the much-anticipated Paris Olympic Games opening ceremonies on Friday.
Gardiner and Charlton are among the 20 athletes that will represent The Bahamas at the global multi-sport showpiece, which is currently under way and is scheduled to end on August 11.
Track and field and swimming are the two disciplines that the Bahamian contingent will contest at the Games.
Quartermiler Shaunae Miller-Uibo, high jumper Donald Thomas, who is making his fifth Olympic appearance, NCAA and national record holder in the javelin Rhema Otabor, decathlete Ken Mullings, and Charisma Taylor, who contests the triple jump and the 100m hurdles, are also on the team.
Rhaniska Gibbs and Lamar Taylor will represent the Bahamas in the pool.
Meanwhile, quartermiler Lacarthea Cooper finished third in the women’s 400m at the BAAA’s Nationals in 53.38 seconds behind second place finisher Quincy Penn in 53.35 seconds, but did not make the team.
However, Shania Adderley finished fifth in 54.50 seconds and was named to the Olympic team for her contributions as a member of the 4x400m mixed relay team at the World Relays.
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