Olympian Maurice Smith (L) makes a point to Ardenne High School principal Nadine Molloy (R) while Flo Darby, chariman of the Ardenne Alumni Foundation and Olympion/sponsor Yohan Blake look on. They were at the launch of the Ardenne Inaugural Optima 5K Run Walk on Wednesday on the school campus.
Olympians Yohan Blake and Maurice Smith came out in support of the Ardenne Inaugural Optima 5K Run/Walk which was launched on Wednesday at the school's conference room in Kingston.
The organizer, the Ardenne Alumni Foundation is headed by Flo Darby, who said that the Inaugural Optima 5K Run/Walk is one of its premier fundraisers to support the construction of a state-of-the-art Health & Wellness Centre on the school grounds to serve the over 2000 students and staff at the institution. Ground was broken earlier this year for the planned JMD$60-million-dollars two-storey facility.
Construction is expected to begin in 2024.
When completed the Wellness Centre will house a reception and waiting area, three offices for guidance counsellors, two consultation rooms, nurse's station, student and staff sickbays and associated rest rooms, general male and female rest rooms, a coffee/tea/beverage station, student lounge, multi-purpose room and multi-purpose roof terrace.
Blake's support is in the form of sponsor through his water brand - Reviere Water - which was itself launched recently and will become available to the public on November 1. He said that he plans to attend the event which is slated for Saturday, November 4 starting at 6:30 am at the school’s gate on Ardenne Road.
Blake has the second fastest time (9.69) in the 100m and is the youngest male athlete to ever win gold in the 100m at the World Championship.
Smith attended the launch to show his support for the event in recognition of his brother and sister who both attended Ardenne High as well as his friends and fellow Olympians Brandon Simpson and Nickeisha Wilson.
The now retired decathlete encouraged everyone to join him at the start line even though 5K is not his preferred event in track and field. Smith won a silver medal in 2007 World Championship in Osaka, Japan.
Jennifer Small aka 'Jenny Jenny' whose daughter is a student at Ardenne has also thrown her support behind the event in the form of 'spokesperson'.
The Ardenne Alumni Foundation is headed by Flo Darby, who said that the Inaugural Optima 5K Run/Walk is one of its premier fundraisers to support the building of a state-of-the-art Health & Wellness Centre on the school grounds to serve the over 2000 students and staff at the institution. Ground was broken earlier this year for the JMD$60 million dollars two-storey building with the intention to start construction in 2024.
When completed the Wellness Centre will house a reception and waiting area, three offices for guidance counsellors, two consultation rooms, nurse's station, student and staff sickbays and associated rest rooms, general male and female rest rooms, a coffee/tea/beverage station, student lounge, multi-purpose room and multi-purpose roof terrace.
Meet manager Alan Beckford said that the race/walk will start on time at 6:30 am, will have a full medical team and four water stops. Ardenne High School's principal, Nadine Molloy welcomed the event and promised that everybody at the school will be out in full to ensure its success.
Chairperson of the organizing committee Dr. Kamille Adair Morgan appealed to the public to participate by registering as soon as possible. Registration cost is JMD$2,000 for adults and JMD$1,200 for students.
Several sponsors have already committed support for the event. They are Barita Foundation, General Accident, Reviere Water, Marathon Insurance Brokers, Lashings Villas, Rehab Villas, Rehab Oasis, TIP Friendly society, HomeMaid Jamiaca, Yushaine Morgan & Company, Clean Crew Jamaica, Simply Perfect Events, Krystal Clear Productions, Church of God Jamaica, Ministry of Health & Wellness and Ramsons.
Asafa Powell's absence cost Jamaica a faster 4x100m world record in 2012, suggests Gatlin
In a recent episode of the Ready, Set, Go podcast, American sprint legend Justin Gatlin delved into the hypotheticals of Jamaica's historic 4x100m relay run at the London 2012 Olympics, suggesting that the world record of 36.84 seconds could have been even faster had former world record holder Asafa Powell been part of the lineup.
Powell, renowned for his blistering speed having held the 100m world record at 9.77 and 9.74s, missed out on the opportunity to join the likes of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, and Usain Bolt in that record-breaking relay team due to a groin injury sustained during the final of the 100m.
Gatlin, reflecting on the potential of the Jamaican squad, speculated that adding Powell to the mix could have propelled them to an astonishing 36.5-second mark.
"Adding Asafa Powell to that already formidable lineup of Bolt, Blake, Carter, and Frater could have pushed the team to an even faster time," Gatlin remarked on his podcast. Powell's absence, while the team still delivered Olympic gold, left room for speculation on just how much quicker they could have been.
Gatlin, a seasoned sprinter himself, understands the unique pressure and responsibility that comes with relay events. "There is a difference between being an individual runner at the Olympics or world championships and being part of a relay team," he explained. "If you falter as an individual, it's on you; but in a relay, it's on the country's back."
Reflecting on the challenges of breaking a world record in relay events, Gatlin emphasized the need for everything to align perfectly. "36.8 is a gigantic order. 37 low is a tall order," he admitted. "Everyone needs to be in peak condition and ready to run."
Looking ahead to the future, Gatlin also weighed in on Team USA's chances of breaking the 12-year-long Jamaican 4x100m relay world record in 2024. "It's going to take a near-perfect performance from a team firing on all cylinders to surpass what Jamaica achieved in 2012," Gatlin predicted.
Williams, Charlton, Tapper to line up in 100m hurdles at Xiamen Diamond League
Track & Field fans around the world will be treated to an exciting clash in the women’s 100m hurdles at the season’s opening Diamond League meet in Xiamen on Saturday.
Jamaica’s two-time World champion, Danielle Williams, will take on newly crowned World Indoor 60m champion and record holder, Devynne Charlton, as well as 2021 Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper.
World record holder Tobi Amusan and reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn are also set to line up on Saturday along with Americans Alaysha Johnson and Masai Russell.
The field is completed by Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, 2022 World Indoor champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela and China’s Yanni Wu.
Reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment will compete alongside countryman Orlando Bennett in the 110mm hurdles.
Bajan two-time World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams will line up in the 400m alongside Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams.
Bahamian Anthonique Strachan will take on some of the world’s best in the 200m.
Finally, Jamaica’s World Indoor 60m bronze medallist Ackeem Blake, 2011 World 100m champion Yohan Blake and reigning national 100m champion Rohan Watson will all line up in the 100m against a stacked field including the likes of American world champions Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.
Blake to clash with Kerley, Coleman at Shanghai Diamond League on April 27
Three of the world's biggest sprint superstars will kickstart their 2024 Wanda Diamond League campaigns in the men's 100m at the second meeting of the season in Suzhou on April 27th.
US stars Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman and Jamaican legend Yohan Blake will go head to head in China, in the first men's 100m race of the campaign.
Each has won a world championship over the distance, while Coleman is the reigning 100m Wanda Diamond League champion thanks to his victory over Noah Lyles in Eugene last September.
2021 Wanda Diamond League champion Kerley dominated the 100m in 2021 and 2022, winning the World Championships title in Eugene and taking silver in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Kerley: “I am excited to come back to China in April. 2024 is a very important year with the Olympic Games taking place in Paris in August and it will be great to start my Diamond League season in China.”
The American has fond memories from Shanghai, having won the Diamond League 400m event there in 2019.
Following his title win last year, Coleman has started his 2024 season brightly, taking his second world indoor 60m victory in Glasgow. He is the world record holder over that distance and, alongside Kerley, shares the sixth fastest 100m time of all-time in 9.76s. The pair also formed half the USA quartet that took 4x100m world gold in Budapest last summer.
Coleman: “I’m excited about coming to China to compete again. Last time I was there they showed a lot of love and support and I was able to pull out my best performance of the year in front of a great crowd. I’m looking forward to opening my season with another great performance in China and starting my Olympic campaign off on a great note.”
Few athletes in history have been as good for as long as two-time Olympic and world champion Blake. The 35-year-old claimed his first Diamond League victory back in 2011 and has held the 100m and 200m Diamond League records for more than a decade.
In 2011, the year he became the youngest athlete ever to win a world 100m title in Daegu, Blake clocked 19.26 in Brussels in the 200m. A year later, he cruised to 9.69 in Lausanne, a time which only former-training partner Usain Bolt has ever bettered over 100m.
Blake: “Suzhou, I will be there to run on April 27. It’s going to be my first time in Suzhou, I am looking forward! It’s going to be fun and you don’t want to miss it. Come and enjoy a wonderful show.”
The trio boast in total six Diamond League titles, with Coleman having also taken the 100m crown in 2018, Kerley the 2021 edition of the same distance, as well as the 400m win in 2018.
They join a star-studded line-up in Suzhou, with major names in other events including Mondo Duplantis and Mutaz Barshim.
The Wanda Diamond League is the premier one-day meeting series in athletics. It comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on 13th-14th September.
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