Jamaica’s 200m World Champion Shericka Jackson is among the five finalists for Women’s World Athlete of the Year honours as the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2023 continues.
Jackson, the second-fastest woman of all time over 200m, won her second World 200m title in Budapest in August, breaking her own championship record of 21.45 when she sped to a winning time of 21.41. She capped her incredible season winning the Diamond 100m and 200m crowns in Eugene, Oregon.
However, she is pitted against athletes who have also been outstanding in 2023. Among them are Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, the winner of the Berlin marathon and World marathon record holder.
Also among the five finalists is Netherlands superstar Femke Bol, who won the World 400m hurdles title in Budapest and set a new World indoor 400m record during the season.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, perhaps the favourite for the award, won World 1500m and 5000m titles in Budapest and set world records at 1500m, mile and 5000m.
Last, but certainly not least is the imperious Yulimar Rojas. The Venezuelan won the triple jump World title for a fourth time in Budapest and was also crowned the Diamond League champion in 2023.
The World Athletes of the Year will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms on 11 December, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2023.
Excelsior leads Jamaican 1-2-3 in Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m at Penn Relays
Excelsior High emerged victorious in the Championship of America High School Boys 4x100m on the third and final day at the 128th Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Their quartet of Ryeem Walker, Damor Miller, Malike Nugent and Lennon Green combined to run 40.45 to secure the school’s first win in the event since 1967.
Kingston College (Daniel Clarke, Yourie Lawrence-Clarke, Nyrone Wade, Marcinho Rose) were second in 40.53 and Herbert Morrison (Ky-Mani Hemmings, Tavaine Stewart, Chance Segree, De Andre Daley) completed a Jamaican 1-2-3 with 40.56 in third.
Smith produces season’s best to win long jump at Texas Invitational
Texas junior Ackelia Smith produced an NCAA leading performance to take top spot on day one of the Texas Invitational at the Mike A. Myers Stadium on Friday.
The 22-year-old reigning NCAA champion produced a season’s best 7.10m, her first jump over 7m this season, to win ahead of Trinidadian Puma athlete Tyra Gittens (6.72m) and UTSA’s Ida Breigan (6.65m).
This is a welcome return to form for Smith who suffered a torn hamstring at the NCAA Indoor Championships in early March.
Smith was Jamaica’s national champion in the long jump in 2022 and was a finalist in both the long and triple jump at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Paulino extends 400m winning streak to seven in Shanghai
Dom Rep’s Marileidy Paulino followed up her triumph at the season’s Diamond League opener in Xiamen last week with another victory at the Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday.
The reigning World champion produced 50.89 to win ahead of American Talitha Diggs who ran 51.77 and Bajan two-time World Championship bronze medallist Sada Williams who ran 52.00 in third.
Paulino’s winning streak in the 400m has now stretched to seven races.
It was déjà vu in the women’s 100m hurdles as reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn just pipped World Indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record holder Devynne Charlton on the line, just as it played out in Xiamen last week.
Camacho-Quinn ran 12.63 compered to Charlton’s 12.64. Two-time World champion Danielle Williams was third in 12.74.
The men’s 110m hurdles saw American Daniel Roberts get his second win in a row to kick off the Diamond League season. His winning time was 13.12, comfortably ahead of Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya (13.23) and Olympic champion Hansle Parchment’s season’s best 13.26.
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