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• Improving core, mental strength the main focus for Alfred in preparation for 2025 season

  Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred will emphasize improving her core strength in preparation for the 2025 season, with an eye on improving her performances in the 200m.

  Despite being the second fastest woman ever in the event indoors with her 22.01 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2023, with only the legendary Merlene Ottey going faster with 21.87 in 1993, Alfred has often said she’s not a fan of the half lap event.

  Alfred also won the 200m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2023 with a wind-aided 21.73.

  This year, she won Olympic silver in the event in Paris in August, running 22.08 behind American Gabby Thomas who’s winning time was 21.83.

  A month before the Olympics, Alfred set a personal best 21.86 in a winning effort at the London Diamond League meet.

  Speaking on the latest episode on Out d Blocks on the SportsMax TV YouTube Channel, Alfred spoke about wanting to get stronger.

   “I think I have a lot to work on. I have to get stronger, especially my core. On the track, I think that getting stronger mentally as well as physically is really what I have to work on,”

  The 23-year-old also mentioned that her coach, Edrick Floreal, is working to improve how she feels about the 200m.

  “I’ve spoken about the 200m for a really long time and how I feel about it. My coach is going to work with me with how I fell about the 200m in getting stronger and being more comfortable in that,” she said.

  “It might take some longer races, I don’t know but I think he’s really trying to help me get stronger mentally as I approach the 2025 season, especially as it pertains to the 200m,” Alfred added.

  With these performances in mind, one can only imagine the times Alfred will be able to run if she starts to actually enjoy the event.

  If that happens in 2025, her personal best is definitely in danger and it would be no surprise to see her leave the Tokyo World Championships in September with a pair of gold medals.

   

   

• Jamaican Olympian Aleen Bailey and husband Joseph Taylor expecting first child, celebrate with baby shower with family and friends

  Jamaican Olympian Aleen Bailey and her husband Joseph Taylor are celebrating an exciting new chapter in their lives as they prepare to welcome their first child. The couple marked the occasion with a heartwarming baby shower on Sunday, attended by close family and friends, including collegiate coach and close friend Soyini Thompson, and former Jamaican thrower Zara Northover, who presided over the couple’s wedding in November 2023.

  Bailey, a decorated athlete, has had an illustrious career on the track. A seven-time Carifta Games gold medalist, Bailey rose to global prominence when she won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team. Her relay success continued, with another gold medal at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany. Throughout her career, Bailey represented Jamaica with distinction, earning numerous accolades in the national colours, making her one of the country's most celebrated sprinters.

  

  (Soyini Thompson Facebook)

  Aleen and her husband Joseph are all smiles with their dear friend Zara Northover on Sunday.

  The baby shower was a joyful gathering filled with love and anticipation for the couple’s impending parenthood. Surrounded by their support system, Bailey and Taylor celebrated the next step in their journey together, a journey that began when they tied the knot under the warm Jamaican sun in a beautiful ceremony at the St Andrew Scots Kirk United Church in Kingston.

  Their wedding, officiated by Reverend Nigel Nusey and longtime friend Northover, was a heartfelt celebration of love, faith, and the powerful bond shared by two outstanding athletes. Northover, Bailey’s former roommate during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, expressed her gratitude for being a part of the couple’s journey, reflecting on the significance of God’s blessing in their marriage.

  The couple’s reception at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston was a further testament to the love they share, surrounded by family, friends, and members of the athletic community that has played such an important role in their lives.

  Now, as they prepare to welcome their first child, Bailey and Taylor are entering a new chapter, continuing their journey of love and family. The support from their friends and loved ones was palpable at the baby shower, a day filled with happiness, excitement, and anticipation for the new arrival.

   

   

• Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce reflects on the sixth anniversary of her statue at Independence Park

  Two-time Olympic 100m champion and five-time World 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, has marked the sixth anniversary of the statue erected in her honour at Independence Park in Kingston. The statue, which was unveiled on October 14, 2018, stands as a symbol of her incredible achievements and contributions to athletics.

  On Monday, the legendary sprinter took to Facebook to reflect on the momentous occasion, posting, "Growing up, statues represented important people who were no longer alive. October 14, 2018, was a monumental feeling to see yourself larger than life with your very own eyes."

  The unveiling of Fraser-Pryce’s statue, which took place six years ago, drew government officials, diplomats, and loyal fans to the National Stadium, despite heavy rain associated with a broad trough across the western Caribbean. The ceremony lasted over two hours, with various speakers praising Fraser-Pryce, the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic 100m gold medallist, for her remarkable career and her inspirational journey.

  

  Prime Minister Andrew Holness unveiled the statue during the special ceremony at Statue Park, where other Jamaican sporting greats are also immortalized.

  Back then, Fraser-Pryce, reflecting on her journey, remarked, "Early in my journey, I wasn’t a model athlete. However, once I found out the power I had in my legs and was convinced that hard work is the key to success, I bought a stake into my own vision for my future."

  She shared a message of encouragement for those chasing their dreams, emphasizing resilience and perseverance: "We all have our dreams, and sometimes we do not get to pursue them. However, if you are alive, you can still be able to achieve them. A delayed dream doesn’t mean a dream denied."

  The 37-year-old sprinter remains one of the most iconic figures in global track and field, and the statue commemorating her legacy stands as a testament to her enduring impact on Jamaican and world athletics.