Lamara Distin’s impressive season continued on Saturday when she won the high jump at the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Texas.

Re-stating her intentions to prolong her career until the 2024 Games in Paris, two-time Olympic 100m gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is targeting 10.5, perhaps 10.4 seconds in the blue ribbon sprint.

The 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce revealed her revised objectives after coasting to a second-place finish over 200m at the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday evening. The 2013 200m world champion, ran 22.79 after easing down 50m from the finish line in the race won by Bahamian Athonique Strachan in 22.55.

“The aim was to come out here today and get a run in. I haven’t raced in a while so I was definitely good to come and get a good run,” said the four-time 100m world champion before revealing what her new goals are, having achieved one of her goals of running 10.60 last season.

“10.6 after having that season last year has definitely opened a new door for me in terms of the dreams and the goals I am chasing this season. I am looking forward to running 10.5 and possibly 10.4, so that’s the aim and I think I am on my way to doing that, I just have to continue to trust that God will give me the strength, trust the coach and just continue to put in the work.”

Fraser-Pryce said her training has been going well, especially now that her training group at Elite Performance has grown over the past season with like-minded athletes Olympian Julian Forte and Rushell Clayton and the 2019 World Championship 400m hurdles bronze medallist among others.

“It’s good. It’s good to have training partners that have a similar mindset in terms of the work and what is required to be successful. To have teammates like those, you come to training in the morning, you’re feeling a little down or something is not happening, the work ethic also motivates you to put that work in. The vibe is good, the environment is good.

“It’s a great group and I am really in an expectant mood for them as club mates.”

Several Jamaican Olympians will be on show this weekend at the next staging of the Velocity Fest Series at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Chief among them are the likes of Olympic medalists Hansle Parchment, Shericka Jackson and Stephenie-Ann McPherson.

Parchment, who is set to compete at the 2022 Drake Relays next week, will shake off some rust in the 110m hurdles where he will line up against rising star Rasheed Broadbell, Tyler Mason and Michael O’Hara, who is returning from an injury that ended derailed him last season.

Jackson, who has run a couple of 400m races this season, steps down to the half-lap sprint where she will match times with McPherson, who will also step down to the 200m for this meet along with fellow quarter-miler Tiffany James.

Also down for the 200m is the speedy Natasha Morrison, Anthonique Strachan and Sasha Lee Forbes.

2014 NCAA 100m champion Remona Burchell is in the line-up for the 100m along with long jumper Tissana Hickling, Kashieka Cameron as well as 2008 Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist Melaine Walker.

The men’s 100m will feature Julian Forte, Tajay Gayle as well as Waseem Williams, Yohan Blake, Chadic Hinds and Antonio Watson.

The Women’s 400m event promises to be compelling as it should have Janieve Russell, Candice McLeod, Anastassia Le-Roy, James, Junelle Bromfield and the veteran Christine Day among the participants.

John Campbell scored 82 and Michael Thompson took three wickets as United Stars defeated Surrey Risers by 68 runs in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Thursday.

In his 37-ball innings, the West Indies opener smashed seven fours and six sixes before he was dismissed off the last ball of the innings as United Stars made 155-3. Campbell put on 84 for the second wicket with Alwyn Williams who hit three fours and four sixes in his 18-ball 45.

Oshane Thomas was the best of the bowlers, taking 2-30 from his two overs.

In reply, Surrey Risers could only manage 87-6 as Thompson 3-15 and Tyrone Daley 2-17 combined to tear through the line-up. Only opener Chadwick Walton, who scored 36 and Delbert Gayle (24) managed double figures.

In the second match on the day, Man of the Match Jermaine Blackwood scored 46 and Kennar Lewis 27 as Surrey Kings defeated Surrey Royals by eight wickets.

Batting first, Surrey Royals scored 90-8 from their 10 overs. Javelle Glen, 23, and Pete Salmon, 20, were the leading scorers against the bowling attack led by Andre Dennis 1-12 and Oraine Williams 1-14.

Lewis and Blackwood made light work of the chase, getting to 95-2 from just 5.2 overs.

Everton Oharo 1-8 and Pete Salmon 1-18 were the wicket-takers for the Royals whose attack wilted under the onslaught of Blackwood, whose 46 came from just 17 balls and included five fours and four sixes.

Lewis remained unbeaten after smashing four sixes from the 14 balls he faced.

Tokyo Olympics 110m hurdles gold medalist is set to make his debut this season at the Drake Relays set for the Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa from April 27-30.

Former West Indies fast bowler Corey Collymore has been appointed head coach of the Barbados Women Cricket team that will represent the West Indies at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8.

Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange has called for private sector support for the Primary Schools Athletics Championships that return on May 26 after a two-year absence.

The minister made the appeal during Tuesday’s launch of the event at the National Stadium in Kingston, which hosted the 49^th Carifta Games that concluded on Monday.

“Between May 2 and 4 we will have the Eastern Championships at Stadium East to start us off, followed by the Central Championships between May 9 and11 at the GC Foster College, then the Western Championships at STETHS between May 12 and14 culminating with the grand finale, the inaugural staging of the National Athletics Junior Championships for Boys and Girls in the National Stadium from May 26 to May 28,” the minister said in outlining the schedule for the build-up to the championships. 

 “I am making an appeal to the private sector to provide sponsorship for these Championships in the same way support is given to the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships. There will be as many as 500 participating schools and so I am inviting the private sector to come on board now with support for the primary-level event.”

The minister said the government has invested a lot in the development of sports in the country but it is unable to go it alone, hence the need for additional support for the championship that has proven to be the crucible from which so many of Jamaica’s athletic stars have emerged.

“Over time, the Government has invested millions of dollars at the primary school level in track and field and (Institute of Sports) INSPORTS can take credit for laying the foundation on which the careers of many of our outstanding athletes have been built,” she said.

“Athletes the likes of World and Olympic 100m gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic and World 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker, Olympic bronze medalist, Warren Weir, 2008 Olympic 100m silver and 200m bronze medalist Kerron Stewart, CARIFTA Games Under-17 200m champion and record-holder Jazeel Murphy, and 2007 World Youth 200m champion Ramone McKenzie and many others.

“More recent stand-out athletes to have competed at Primary School Champs have been Christopher Taylor, Tyreke Wilson, Raheem Chambers and Brianna Lyston. In the just-concluded CARIFTA Games, Jamaica won a record 92 medals. It begins at INSPORTS.”

Holy Thursday was an extra special day for Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Candice McLeod, who was presented with the University of the West Indies Premier Award for Sports at the university's Mona campus

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson have both been confirmed for the World Continental Tour Gold Kip Kieno Classic at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya on May 7, Media Liasion Elis Makori confirmed to Sportsmax.TV on Wednesday.

Fraser-Pryce, 35, has yet to open her season as she prepares for the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July when she hopes to add another title to her collection of nine gold medals that includes an unprecedented four 100m titles as well as a 200m title.

The two-time Olympic 100m champion also confirmed her participation on social media on Wednesday.

 “One of the most asked questions on the page (Facebook) has been “when are you visiting Kenya? Kenyan fans, how does May sound? See you in Nairobi,” said Fraser-Pryce, who will be most likely going for a fifth 100m title this summer.

According to Makori, the four-time Olympic 100m medallist, will most likely be running the blue-ribbon sprint at the meet. This most likely will mean that she will be going up against upstart American ShaCarri Richardson, who has also been confirmed.

Richardson was down to compete at the Bermuda Games last weekend but was a no-show.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Jackson competed on the indoor circuit where she ran a lifetime best 7.04 while finishing sixth in the final of the 60m dash at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March.

So far this outdoor season, she won the 400m in 51.29 on April 2, at the Velocity Fest at the National Stadium in Kingston and then at the Bermuda Games on April 9, she ran 51.40s for a second victory.

Namibia’s Christine Mboma, the Tokyo Olympic 200m silver medallist and Fred Kerley of the USA are also down to compete.

Six years after he played in the Big Bash League, Chris Gayle will return to Australia to play league cricket in the 2022/2023 season in the colours of the Endeavour Hills Eagles.

Trudi Carter and Khadijah Shaw each scored hat-tricks as Jamaica clobbered The Cayman Islands 9-0 on Saturday to set up a top-of-the-table showdown with the unbeaten Dominican Republic at Sabina Park on Tuesday.

Carter scored in the seventh, 16^th and 17^th minutes as Jamaica scored five in the first half against the home side playing at the Truman Bodden Stadium in Georgetown. Tamoy Phillips’ own goal in the 12^th and Jody Brown’s goal in the 14^th meant that Jamaica scored all five goals within the first 20 minutes of the match.

Miraculously, Jamaica failed to add to the scoreline in the remaining time before the interval.

The domination continued after the break as Shaw scored three within 11 minutes (54’, 56’, 65’) as Jamaica boosted their goal-difference advantage over the Dominican Republic which were only able to defeat Bermuda 1-0.

Kayla McCoy came on as a substitute for Shaw and added her name to the score sheet in the 88^th minute to complete the rout.

The lopsided victory means Jamaica leads Group C with the maximum of nine points, the same as the Dominican Republic but Jamaica has scored 19 goals and conceded one in their three matches. The Dominican Republic has 14 from their three matches, which means that they need to defeat Jamaica on Tuesday to win the group and advance to the next round of competition.

A win or a draw for Jamaica means they advance.

Camperdown High School’s Roshawn Clarke smashed the championship record and exacted revenge on Kingston College’s Rayon Campbell in the finals of the 400m hurdles on Day 4 of the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.

Clarke, beaten by Campbell at the recent Carifta trials exploded over the final 200m of the race to surge past Campbell and pulled away down the home stretch to win in 49.50, breaking the record set of 49.86 set by Jamaica College’s Javier Brown in 2021.

Campbell, who ran 49.52 to beat Clarke at the Carifta trials struggled over the final half of the race and was a distant second in 50.54 while his teammate Antonio Forbes took the bronze medal in 51.48.

Oneika McAnnuff of Hydel High School won the Girls’ Open equivalent in a personal best of 57.68 over Safhia Hinds of St. Jago High, who ran 59.33 for the silver medal. Tonyan Beckford of Edwin Allen was third in 1:00.07.

Daniel Wright of Excelsior High School won the Class II event in 52.83 ahead of Calabar High School’s Zacre Braham (53.31) and Kingston College’s Jordan Mowatt (53.70).

In action in the field, Michael-Andre Edwards of Jamaica College soared out to 6.55m to win the Class III long jump over Courtney Kinglock of Kingston College (6.18m) and Deandre Jennings of St Jago (5.94m).

In the Class IV high jump for girls, Hydel High School’s Zavien Bernard cleared 1.64m to win gold over her teammate Kaira Wright (1.55m) and St Jago High School’s Alexia Williams (1.50m).

Ahshareah Enoe of Edwin Allen won the Class I event with 1.76m over Malaika Cunningham of Wolmer’s Girls, who cleared the same height but lost on the countback. Chenessa Davis of Excelsior High School was third with a clearance of 1.65m.

Excelsior had better fortune in the Class II discus where Najhada Seymoure won gold with a mark of 45.14m. Shamoyea Morris of Edwin Allen won the silver medal with her best throw of 43.49 while Victoria Christie of Camperdown High was third having thrown 43.09m.

Jafar Moore of Kingston College won the Pole Vault Open event with a clearance of 4.00m. He won comfortably over Nicholai Blossom of Jamaica College who cleared 3.60m for the silver medal and Mark Phillips of Wolmer’s who cleared 3.40m.

Samantha Pryce of Holmwood Technical claimed gold in the 2000m steeplechase after crossing the finish line in 7:10.52 more than eight seconds ahead of Taiefa Gowe of Hydel High, who clocked 7:18.77 and Sushana Johnson of Edwin Allen High, who was third in 7:19.73.

The boys' race was won by Kingston College’s Gianni Henry (6:10.78) over Nellie Ambriton of Jamaica College (6:25.33) and Jalen Brown of St. Jago High (6:30.76).

Coming off her impressive 200m season opener at the Florida Relays on April 1, Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Briana Williams believes a new personal best for the half-lap sprint is a possibility when she takes on a strong field at the USATF/Bermuda Games on Saturday.

Williams, who ran a personal best of 7.04 at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March, blazed to her best ever opener in the 200m, clocking a nippy 22.82 in Gainesville, signalling that good things could be in store for the 20-year-old Jamaican this season.

However, in Bermuda, both her speed and mettle will be tested when she lines up alongside world leader Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, USA's Dezerea Bryant and Twanisha Terry as well as Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas.

Not one to be daunted by the opposition, Williams said she is eager to step into the blocks on Sunday with a new personal best in mind.

“I’m really thrilled to run my second 200m of the season in Bermuda, it’s my first time there,” she said. “The field is very strong and I’m looking forward to a new personal best, it’s time to update that number and run a very strong and fast race.”

Williams’ personal best of 22.50 was set in 2018 while winning the 200m and completing the sprint double at the World U20 Championships. She was just 16 years old.

Meanwhile, her coach Ato Boldon, who said his young star will be running more 200m races this year, thinks Sunday’s race will be a true test for the young Olympian but believes she is ready for the challenge.

“Briana getting a chance to run a high-quality 200m in April in Bermuda fits her overall plan,” he said. “A year ago, she was battling injuries. She’s fully fit and ready now."

*Editor's note: This story initially stated that the USATF/Bermuda Games would be held on Sunday. The Games will be held on Saturday. Sportsmax.TV apologizes for the error.

Personal best performances were the order of the day during the finals of the 400m on day three of the 2022 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday night.

It ended with St Jago’s Gregory Prince running a lifetime best of 45.99 to win the Class I Boys event in dominating fashion over Deandre Watkin of Jamaica College (46.50) and Shemar Palmer of Manchester High (46.79).

Marcinho Rose of Kingston College won the Class II race in  48.03 for what appeared to be a Pyrrhic victory as he went down injured after crossing the finishing line ahead of teammate Tahj-Marques White (48.39) and Enrique Webster of  St. Elizabeth Technical who clocked 48.90 for the bronze medal.

Troydian Flemmings of Manchester High ran his heart out to win the Class III race in a personal best of 50.25. He was well clear of Samuel Creary of Jamaica College, who ran 51.06 for the silver medal. Demarco Bennett of Excelsior High was third in 51.12.

The girls’ races were just as thrilling as Dejanea Oakley of Clarendon College followed up her victory last year in Class II with a brand new personal best of 51.81 to win the title in her first year in Class I. Oneika McAnnuff Hydel High, the silver medalist in Class II once again won silver in 52.38. Kaylia Kelly of Vere  Technical (53.59) won the bronze medal.

Abigail Campbell of Ferncourt High pulled off a late run down the stretch to win the Class II 400m in a personal best 53.75 ahead of Natasha Fox of  Edwin Allen High (54.26) and Alliah Baker of Hydel High (54.44).

It was an all-rural school sweep of the 400m for the girls as Sabrina Dockery of Lacovia High won gold in the Class III event in 54.76. She finished ahead of the Holmwood Technical pair of Rosalee Gallimore Holmwood Technical and Abriana Wright, who ran 55.47 and 55.79, for second and third, respectively.

In the field, Zachary Campbell of Jamaica College won the Class II Boys shot put with a massive throw of 19.13m. He was more than two metres better than Rajay Hemmings of St Catherine High who put 16.74m. Calabar’s Matthew Clarke won the bronze medal with 15.63m.

Rovman Powell is to assume a more involved role as captain for the Jamaica Tallawahs once the 2022 Hero CPL season gets underway in August.

Powell was appointed captain last season when the two-time CPL champions struggled to find consistency and missed the playoffs after only winning four of their 10 matches.

However, come next season, Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller expects Powell to work more closely with the new coaching staff headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

“I think that Chanderpaul along with the assistant coaches has expressed that to Rovman," Miller revealed in a recent interview with Sportsmax.TV.

"We have been having some great meetings and I think this year we will see that all-inclusive where the player, as the captain, is involved in all aspects of team management, selection, etcetera,” Miller told Sportsmax.TV.

“I think we will see a different side of him (Rovman) this year.”

Turning his attention to Brandon King, who has been brought in to open the batting, Miller said the former Amazon Warrior will be given the opportunity to express himself in the coming season.

“Brandon is another dynamic player and we believe that having Brandon at the top of the order with Kennar (Lewis) will produce some exciting games, and Brandon also wanted to come home and we gave him that opportunity to play for the Tallawahs and express himself and we know how Brandon can express himself,” Miller said.

The CEO also hinted that the international players who have been signed will be very suited for the potentially spin-friendly pitches in Guyana that will host several matches including the CPL finals for the next three years. 

"When you see our international players then you will see why we selected those players because they will make a difference in Guyana," said Miller, who also expressed confidence that the Tallawahs will give a good account of themselves in the 2022 season.

"I am confident about the team. Look, we have a dream team support staff - Chanderpaul, Sir Curtly Ambrose, we have Andre Coley. We have an announcement to make in the coming days pertaining to our manager and that will really cement our support staff."