Ackera Nugent, the 2023 NCAA 100m hurdles champion, has achieved another milestone by graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Advanced Communication. The 22-year-old track and field standout turned professional in 2023 shortly after clinching the NCAA title and has now successfully completed her academic journey while pursuing her athletic career.

Nugent, who joined the University of Arkansas in January 2023 after two seasons at Baylor University, remained committed to her studies even after signing a professional contract. In an Instagram post celebrating her achievement, Nugent expressed heartfelt gratitude to her mother and shared a message of inspiration.

“No one hustles harder than a first-gen who is paving the way," Nugent wrote. "You will succeed in all you do, and light will shine on your path."

Acknowledging her mother's sacrifices and unwavering support, Nugent continued, "Your selfless love and sacrifices have shaped me into the person I am today. There are no words to fully repay you for all that you have done, but I promise to do everything in my power to ensure that you live a wonderful and fulfilling life ahead."

Nugent's journey to graduation comes on the heels of her outstanding performance at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2023, where she blazed through the 100m hurdles to claim victory in 12.25 seconds. Reflecting on her championship win, Nugent credited her coach's guidance and expressed satisfaction with her performance.

"It feels amazing to know that I've just got to trust my coach, and I follow instruction very, very well," Nugent said back then. "To be able to follow those instructions and see the time, I feel very pleased."

Despite her academic success, Nugent made the strategic decision to turn professional in track and field, aiming to pursue her athletic dreams to the fullest while maintaining her dedication to education.

"I'm staying in school because I feel like getting my degree is very important," Nugent explained during an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV.

By going professional, Nugent is poised to embark on a new chapter in her athletic career, leveraging her talent and determination to excel at the highest levels of competition.

Brianna Lyston, the standout LSU sophomore, demonstrated her exceptional talent at the SEC Outdoor Championships on Thursday by running a lifetime best of 22.31 seconds in the 200m, securing her spot in the finals scheduled for Saturday.

 Despite facing a challenging headwind of 1.0m/s, Lyston delivered a remarkable performance to win her heat and surpass her previous personal best of 22.53 set in Kingston two years ago. Her impressive run solidifies her status as a formidable competitor in collegiate track and field.

 Joining Lyston in the finals is Nickeisha Pryce, a senior from the University of Arkansas, who also secured her place with a strong performance, clocking a time of 22.75 seconds.

 In Saturday's final, Lyston will face a stacked field that includes Tennessee's Jacious Sears who ran 22.66 in her heat on Thursday as well as Razorback Amber Anning (22.66) as well as South Carolina's JaMeesia Ford (22.47) and McKenzie Long of Ole Miss (22.37).

 In addition to Lyston's outstanding achievement, Kimar Farquharson and Tyrese Reid showcased their talent in the 800m event, both advancing to the finals.

 Farquharson, representing Texas A&M, clocked an impressive time of 1:47.57, while Reid, representing the University of Mississippi, secured his spot with a time of 1:48.07.

The Caribbean will be represented in the final of the women’s 200m at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships through Jamaican University of Texas standouts Dejanea Oakley and Kevon Davis.

Oakley, a former Clarendon College standout, was the fastest qualifier in Thursday’s heats at the Clyde Hart Track & Field Stadium with 23.00 while Davis, a 200m semi-finalist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, ran 23.32 in the heats to advance to Saturday’s final as the fifth fastest qualifier.

Oakley is fresh off running a new 200m personal best 22.73 at the Texas Invitational on April 26. She competed at last year’s Big 12 Championships, failing to advance from the heats of the 400m.

Davis was a runner up in both the 100m and 200m at last year’s Big 12 Outdoor Championships with times of 11.04 and 22.51. She was beaten by former Texas teammate and current World Indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred in both events.

The men’s 200m saw Jamaican Baylor senior Demar Francis (20.66) and Bahamian Texas Tech sophomore Antoine Andrews (20.74) both advance to the final.

Trinidadian Houston junior Dillon Leacock ran 51.83 to advance to the final of the 400m hurdles.

Running Magazine reports that Usain Bolt, the legendary eight-time Olympic gold medalist, has achieved a remarkable milestone even in retirement—holding the world record for the 100m sprint for the longest period in the event's history.

Bolt's record-setting time of 9.58 seconds, achieved at the 2009 World Athletics Championships final in Berlin on August 16, 2009, has now stood for an impressive 14 years, eight months, and 23 days. This accomplishment surpasses the previous longest-standing record held by American sprinter Jim Hines.

Jim Hines made history by clocking the first sub-10 second 100m in June 1968, becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier in the event. Hines, known for his prowess both on the track and as a football player, held the world record from 1968 until 1982, marking an illustrious era in sprinting.

Despite being retired from professional track and field since 2017, Bolt remains confident about the durability of his records. In a December interview, Bolt expressed that he was "not worried" about his records in the 100m and 200m sprints being broken any time soon.

"It's a great title to have," Bolt shared in the same interview with World Athletics. "It's something that I enjoy hearing and I enjoy knowing."

Bolt's dominance in the 100m began in May 2008 when he first set the record, followed by breaking it twice more in August 2008 and exactly a year later in Berlin, where he achieved his historic time of 9.58 seconds.

Now at 37 years old, Usain Bolt continues to be celebrated as the fastest man ever, leaving an indelible mark on the history of athletics with his exceptional speed and enduring records. Despite the passage of time, Bolt's legacy remains a testament to his unparalleled talent and dedication to the sport.

In an exclusive interview prior to her 400m hurdles debut at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston on Saturday, World Championship 400m hurdles bronze medalist Rushell Clayton has revealed her ambitious new goals for the upcoming season, setting her sights on achieving faster times and securing her first Olympic medal at the Paris 2024 Games.

Clayton, who impressed with a personal best of 52.81 to claim bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, kicked off her season with a lifetime best performance, clocking 51.81 in the 400m at Gainesville, Florida, in early April.

When Clayton won the bronze medal in Doha in 2019, Dalilah Mohammad won in a world-record time of 52.16. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the silver medal in a time of 52.20. Since then, McLaughlin-Levrone has gone on to dominate the event while lowering the world record to a seemingly impossible time of 50.68 at the 2022 championships in Eugene, Oregon.

During that time, Clayton was busy rebounding from injury and has been on a pathway of improvement ever since. She was sixth in Eugene in 54.36.

Reflecting on her journey and setbacks, Clayton, who has never made an Olympic final, expressed determination to surpass her previous achievements and target even faster times. "Yes, I have a new goal. Getting into the finals and getting onto the podium, you will have to run fast," Clayton affirmed. "I am more focused on placements than time. I know it may take 51 to get on that podium (in Paris) and I will be ready to run that but I don’t want to focus so much on time because a lot of times when you focus on times you forget about every other thing."

Acknowledging her growth and progress, Clayton emphasized her physical and technical improvements over the past seasons. "I think over the last two seasons, I've got faster, got stronger," Clayton remarked confidently. "I used to be strong but I think I am way stronger now and I have been doing a lot of speed work. When you do speed work, it doesn’t come right away but I am starting to feel like I am getting faster because of my stride patterns now and how I am able to distribute around the track. My training is focused on all aspects needed to run fast."

Clayton's dedication to enhancing her performance includes strategic adjustments to her stride patterns and race tactics. "I have changed my stride pattern between the hurdles," she revealed. "A few people have asked me if I was running a particular stride pattern. The two fastest ladies in the world (McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol), they’re doing 14 strides and I had to try it out and so far it has been doing good. I am learning stride patterns. I am learning more about the event and I am super-excited about my new race pace."

Looking ahead to the national championships in June, Clayton outlined her strategy of preparing through targeted race participation. "I am feeling good. I don’t normally open my season this late but then I remember I ran all the way to September (last year) and I had a PB in my first run (this season)," Clayton shared optimistically.

 "I think I am on the same schedule as I did last season. We ran a certain number of hurdle races before trials and that was maybe four so I leaning towards that. There are not a lot of four-hurdle races around the globe and when you line up it’s like a World Championship final so we pick the races; my team and I, we sit down and decide we’re going to run three or four races and we’re leaning towards about four hurdle races before trials and it kicks off at the Jamaica Athletic Invitational."

With a renewed focus on podium placements and faster times, Clayton seems poised to elevate her performance to new heights and make a compelling bid for Olympic success in Paris this summer.

Naggo Head Primary dethroned Spanish Town as champions of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Championship, as they easily romped the event at GC Foster College, on Wednesday.

They amassed an impressive 313 points to pocket the $350,000 winning prize, while Spanish Town (236.5 points) had to settle for second position at the $250,000 runner-up prize, while third-placed Greater Portmore (229 points) received $200,000. The surprise package St John’s Primary (155 points) and Southborough (100 points) completed the top five.

The fourth to 10th-placed teams received $100,000 each for their efforts.

It was another day of record-breaking feats, with Nichkolet Brown of St John’s taking down the first of the day in the Girls’ Long Jump Open with a record leap of 4.57m. She won ahead of Shamielia Anderson (4.35m) of Friendship Primary.

Keneisha Robinson of Naggo Head captured the Girls’ 70m Hurdles in 12.16, with her teammate Shenell Coleman (12.92) finishing third. Afharia Anderson of Spanish Town was second in 23.23.

Donte Barrett and Kaydon Henry secured another 15 points for Naggo Head in the Boys’ 70m Hurdles. Barrett won in a new record 10.77, lowering his own mark of 11.36 set on Tuesday, while Greater Portmore's Dwayne Oakley (11.39) and Henry (11.57) were second and third respectively.

In arguably the race of the championship, Spanish Town’s Katalia Sterling outlasted favourite Waivany Walker of Naggo Head in the Girls’ Class one 400m, winning in a record 1:01.04, just ahead of Walker (1:01.11), who established the previous record on Tuesday.

The outstanding Robinson of Naggo Head returned to claim her second gold capturing the Class Two 300m in a record 43.55.

St John’s Primary controlled the Boys’ Class One 400m and Class Two 300m, which were won by Iandre Brown (58.93) and D’Andre Gobern (43.79).

The sprints turned up some impressive displays, but none more than Kashmer Gunther of Southborough Primary, who stopped the clock at 12.08 in the Boys’ Class One 100m. He erased Jevaney Findley’s 12.13 set last year. Renardo McCalla of Naggo Head took the Class Two event in 12.95, the same time as second-placed Jaden Reid of Southborough.

In the girls’ section, Shamara Chin of Greater Portmore took the Class One 100m with a record run of 12.93, while Allia Royal of Davis Primary captured the Class Two in Na13.91.

There were record runs in the Class Four 60m sprints as Azaria Williams of Naggo Head won in 9.15, ahead of Jada-Kaye Brown (9.45) of Greater Portmore. Vaughn Chambers of Crescent Primary won the boys’ equivalent in a record 8.76, just ahead of Jamair Dixon (8.77) of Kensington Primary.

Perez Pearson of St John’s leapt 5.15m to better his previous record of 4.91m in the Boys’ Long Jump Open. Jaydon Allen (4.97m) of Greater Portmore and Friendship’s Damarion Crooks (4.93) were second and third, respectively.

Pearson returned to anchor his team to Medley relay victory in a record 1:54.32. They won ahead of Kensington (2:00.45) and Naggo Head (2:02.77).

In the Girls Medley Open, Kensington won in 2:00.69, ahead of St John’s (2:06.31) and Naggo Head (2:06.35).

Naggo Head topped the Girls’ 4x200m relay in a record 1:49.12, erasing the old mark of 1:52.31 held by Greater Portmore. Spanish Town (1:52.66) and Greater Portmore (1:54.44) were the runners-up.

Southborough closed the day’s proceeding in style. They won the Boy’ 4x200m relay in 1:46.55, ahead of Naggo Head (1:48.18) and St John’s (1:50.92).

Naggo Head and Eastern Champions Lysson of St Thomas lead the top eight teams into the Grand finale set for May 20-22 to decide the all-island champion.

The Western Championship starts on Thursday.

Top 10 -Naggo Head (313), Greater Portmore (236.5), Spanish Town (229), St John’s Primary (155), Southborough (100), Davis Primary (95), St Catherine (76), Kensington (69), Ascot (56), Homestead (48.5)

Naggo Head Primary surged to a 12-point lead heading in the final day of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Championship at GC Foster College, in St Catherine, on Tuesday.

They won three of the eighth relays, all in record fashion, which propelled them to 89 points after 11 finals. Naggo Head is followed by Greater Portmore on 77 points, while defending champions Spanish Town Primary are third with 74.5 points, with St John’s Primary (58 points) in fourth. Davis Primary rounds out the top five on 33 points.

There will be 29 finals on Wednesday's final day with the Central Champion to be crowned at the end.

The winning school will walk away with $350,000, with $250,000 going to the second-placed team, and $200,000 for third. Fourth to 10th place teams will collect $100,000 each.

In the day’s first final, Yasheka Lewis of Gregory Park won the Girls Cricketball Open with a throw of 43.86m smashing the record for the second time in two day. She earlier threw 41.09m.

Naggo Head got massive points finishing second and third courtesy of Tahnida Gordon (40.82m) and Deranique Gordon (38.73m).

Bridgeport Primary won the Girls Class Four 4x100 relay lowering the record they set on Monday to 1:01.50. Greater Portmore (1:01.82) was second, ahead Davis Primary (1:01.97).

In the Boys’ Class Four 4x100, Naggo Head sped to an impressive 58.94 and destroyed the previous record of 1:00.14 set earlier by Greater Portmore. Davis primary (59.87) and Greater Portmore (1:01.43) were the runners-up.

Naggo Head returned and won the Girls' Class Three relay in a record 55.28 and erased their own mark of 56.75 established in the heats. Davis Primary (56.31) continued their good showing in second position.

The Boys’ Class Three 4x100 relay was an exciting one, with Greater Portmore just edging Naggo Head in a thriller. They clocked a record 54.44 to Naggo Head's 54.48.

As the records continued to tumble, Naggo Head continued to pile up the points, as they captured the Girls' Class Two 4x100 in a record run of 52.73, ahead of Greater Portmore (53.40) and Spanish Town (54.83).

So impressive were Naggo Head girls that the boys in the same class, ran a record 53.12. That record was clocked by Greater Portmore, who won ahead of Southborough (53.32), and Ascot Primary (53.45).

Greater Portmore took the Girls' Class One 4x100 in 52.81, which was also a record. They won ahead of Naggo Head (53.07) and Spanish Town (53.09).

The final relay, the Boys' Class One, saw Spanish Town secure their only win, clocking 50.34 ahead of Southborough (50.65).

Devynne Charlton has donated her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).

The 28-year-old Charlton lowered her own world-record, which she set when she ran 7.67 in New York in New York on February 11, when she ran 7.65 to win her first global title in the Scottish capital.

She finished clear of France’s defending champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Charlton took silver behind the French athlete in Belgrade two years before.

Charlton handed over her Glasgow top to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe at the official press conference staged infield at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.

"Charlton’s near faultless final in Glasgow was one of two world records during a standout evening session," said Coe.

"On behalf of the Museum of World Athletics, I gratefully thank Charlton for her generous donation, which perfectly embodies her exceptional indoor season.

"In an Olympic year, it is worth reflecting that Charlton’s singlet joins an artefact of a sprint hurdling legend in the MOWA. Our museum’s collection holds the embroidered ‘Nederland’ badge which Fanny Blankers-Koen wore when winning the Olympic 80m hurdles gold, one of four victories achieved by ‘The Flying Dutchwoman’ at the London 1948 Olympic Games."

Charlton expressed joy and excitement at the donation.

"I am very happy to present my world indoor championship winning singlet and bib to the Museum of World Athletics. I will be excited to see them displayed online in 3D and exhibited around the world. I hope they help inspire future athletes and fans about the excitement of athletics,” she said.

"It is a great honour to have my achievements recognised in the museum alongside those of many all-time greats, whose careers I dream to emulate as I fulfil my track ambitions," she added.

Charlton’s World Athletics Indoor Championships winning kit will also sit with the shoes and clothing of two other world indoor 60m hurdles champions in the Heritage Collection of the MOWA.

Olympic champions Gail Devers of USA and Sally Pearson of Australia, respectively world indoor 60m hurdles champions in Birmingham 2003 and Istanbul 2012, donated their singlets, bib numbers and running spikes to the MOWA from their 2004 (60m gold, 60m hurdles silver) and 2014 (60m hurdles silver) world indoor campaigns.

If things go according to plans, then Jamaica and Barbados will execute a partnership with aimed at enhancing athletics training and coaching quality in Barbados. 

This was revealed by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, who pointed out that plans are currently in the pipeline for a collaborative effort between the two island nations, which will involve an exchange of coaching expertise to elevate the standard of sports training. 

“There’s a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Jamaica and us to exchange coaches to be able to work with them in terms of how we develop,” Griffiths revealed, adding that plans for the bilateral initiative was birthed by a similar partnership between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

“I was in Washington at a conference and had a sit-down with Minister [Olivia] Grange, Minister of Sports in Jamaica. They have worked with Trinidad in terms of developing the coaches there,” he noted.

Griffith acknowledged that there are concerns about the current coaching standards in Barbados and, as such, emphasized the necessity of having highly skilled coaches to match the calibre of world-class athletes. 

“I won’t push it at this meeting, but I’m concerned with the level of coaches. I think that if you’re going to have a world-class athlete, you must match that athlete with a world-class coach,” he declared.

That said, Griffiths pointed out that upcoming infrastructural developments are in place to complement ongoing sporting initiatives within the country.

“I’m looking to see how we can have that marriage where we can fuse resources together in terms of working with Jamaica to develop the athletes on island. Hopefully by next week or the week after, you will see work starting on the old netball stadium to turn that into a multi-discipline facility for netball, basketball, and volleyball,” he shared.

The women’s 400m hurdles promises to be one of the most exciting events at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational set for May 11 at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The field will include a number of the world’s top hurdlers including global medallists including the likes of Rushell Clayton, Shamier Little and Dalilah Muhammad.

Muhammad won Olympic gold back in Rio eight years ago and took silver in Tokyo five years later. Her time in the Tokyo final, 51.58, remains a personal best and makes her the third-fastest woman ever.

At the World Championships, the 34-year-old won gold in 2019 in a then-world record 52.16. She was also among the medals in Moscow in 2013, London in 2017 and Eugene in 2022.

Clayton took bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and had a similar result last year in Budapest with a personal best 52.81.

Little is a two-time World Championship silver medallist. The first came back at the 2015 edition in Beijing and the second came in Budapest last year.

Her personal best 52.39 was done back in 2021 and puts her fifth all-time.

Saturday’s field is completed by two-time Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell, Pan Am Games champion Gianna Woodruff, World Championship finalists Andrenette Knight and Anna Cockrell and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Shiann Salmon.

Jamaican hammer thrower Nayoka Clunis set a new national record with a 71.83m throw at the USATF Throws Festival at the University of Arizona on Saturday.

Clunis, who represented Jamaica at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, broke the previous national record of 71.48m set back in 2016 by Daina Levy.

The 28-year-old started her series on Saturday with a 69.51m effort in the first round before producing 71.13m, 70.01m, 70.20m and 70.38m in the next four rounds.

She then uncorked her national record-breaking throw in the sixth and final round, finishing sixth overall in the competition.

Her best throw prior to Saturday was 71.18m done in Canada last year.

American Brooke Andersen threw 79.92m to win and was followed by China’s Jie Zhao (74.10m) and American Annette Echikunwoke (73.80m).

Elsewhere, 2019 World Championship silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.87m to win the women’s shot put ahead of Americans Adelaide Aquilla (18.47m) and Jessica Ramsey (18.34m).

Rajindra Campbell threw 21.69m for second in the men’s equivalent behind American Payton Otterdahl (22.41m). Mexico’s Uziel Munoz threw 21.68m for third.

The men’s discus throw saw 2019 World Championship runner-up Fedrick Dacres produce 64.07m for third behind the American pair Reggie Jagers (64.25m) and Joseph Brown (64.57m).

USA broke their own 10-year-old championship record to dominate the women’s 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, before their teammates threatened the men’s 4x100m mark to clinch another win in Nassau on Sunday (5).

After helping her nation to a heat win and Olympic qualification on Saturday, Gabby Thomas vowed they could go even quicker in the final. She wasn’t wrong.

The women’s 4x100m championship record of 41.88 had been set at the inaugural World Athletics Relays in Nassau in 2014. A decade on, another US quartet made history in the Bahamian capital, as Tamari Davis, Thomas, Celera Barnes and Melissa Jefferson combined to clock 41.85 and cap a successful campaign.

They won by almost a second, while France proved they will be a force at their home Olympics later this year by securing the runner-up spot in 42.75. Third place was claimed by Great Britain & NI in 42.80.

As she had done in the previous day’s heats, Davis got the race started for USA, running a strong first leg to put her nation ahead. Olympic and world 200m medallist Thomas, who joined Davis on USA’s world title-winning team in Budapest last year, was ready to take over and she maintained the advantage before handing the baton to Barnes.

They had put Jefferson in a great position and the win never looked in doubt, as the two-time world relay gold medallist surged down the home straight. The fight for second place was won by France, as Mallory Leconte – racing in lane one – held off Great Britain’s Aleeya Sibbons. Germany finished fourth and Australia fifth.

While her teammates posed for photos, Thomas left the track to prepare for the 4x400m final less than 20 minutes later, which USA also won.

The men’s 4x100m championship record of 37.38 was also set by USA in Nassau but in 2015, during the second edition of the event. It still stands, but only just, as Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King and Noah Lyles teamed up to run a world-leading 37.40.

That same US quartet had run 37.49 to win the heats and they were similarly dominant in the final, winning by almost half a second ahead of 2022 world champions Canada.

Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse anchored Canada to second place in 37.89. Olympic champions Italy crossed the line next, but the team was later disqualified for a changeover occurring outside the zone. As a result, France secured third place in 38.44, just 0.01 ahead of Japan and Great Britain who both clocked 38.45 and were separated by only one thousandth of a second.

“We were talking after the race about what else we can do,” said Lyles, who ran the anchor leg during USA’s world title win in Budapest after his individual 100m and 200m victories. “Me and Kyree can get more out of that exchange zone and Kenny and Kyree can do the same. We were faster today, but still, it is all about the zone.”

The team certainly looked in the zone. Lindsey ran the first leg, going up against Canada’s Aaron Brown. Bednarek then took over from Lindsey and ran the second leg against athletes including Italy’s Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs.

Bednarek handed the baton to King and then Lyles powered home to secure the win, chased by De Grasse, France’s Aymeric Priam and Sota Miwa of Japan.

Teams that missed out on Paris places on day one had another chance to book their spots for the Olympics in a second round of races ahead of the finals on Sunday. Competition was fierce, with the top two in each of the three heats securing automatic qualification for the Olympics.

The 2021 World Relays winners Italy cruised to the first 4x100m Paris place of the evening, winning the first women’s heat in 42.60. It shows they mean business as despite not making it through to defend their title in Nassau, they went more than a second faster than their winning time from three years ago. Cote d’Ivoire missed out on an automatic qualifying place by just three thousands of a second on day one but multiple global medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith was determined that her team would not be denied again. She received the baton behind Italy and Spain but stormed past Maria Isabel Perez, and almost caught Arianna De Masi, to secure the second spot in 42.63.

Jamaica will defend their Olympic title after they secured their Paris place on the second attempt. After finishing fifth in their race in the first round, they were dominant winners on day two, with world U20 200m bronze medallist Alana Reid crossing the finish line in 42.74. More than half a second back, Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand gave chase to finish second in 43.54.

Nigeria and Switzerland were well away in the third and final heat and while Nigeria clinched victory in a close finish – 42.71 to 42.75 – they were both rewarded with Paris places.

The first of the evening’s men’s 4x100m races saw Germany triumph, as Yannick Wolf held on for the win in 38.57. But the real drama was happening behind him. Liberia were in fourth place at the final changeover but Joseph Fahnbulleh blazed the anchor leg, overtaking Brazil and then Switzerland to clinch an Olympic spot by five thousandths of a second. Liberia and Switzerland both clocked 38.65 – a national record for the former – while Brazil followed in fourth.

Ghana and Nigeria ran away with the second heat and their places for the Olympics never seemed in doubt as they clocked 38.29 and 38.57, respectively. There was more success for Africa in the third and final heat as Akani Simbine ran a storming anchor for South Africa. After that final leg timed at 8.92, he crossed the finish line with 38.08 on the clock to ensure his team will be in Paris.

They’ll be joined by Australia, who were pipped for second place by just four thousandths of a second in the first round, as the quartet went 0.04 quicker than on day one to finish runner-up in 38.46.

Jamaica’s 4x400m women have also booked their place at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer by winning the second round heat at the World Relays in the Bahamas on Sunday. The same four women lined up for the heat with the difference being that Roneisha McGregor running the lead off leg, Charokee Young on the second leg, Ashley Williams on the third leg and Junelle Bromfield on anchor.

The changes proved effective as the Jamaicans ran away with the heat winning impressively in 3:38.54.

India is also on their way to Paris after they finished in second place in a time of 3:29.35.

The Netherlands (3:27.45) and Switzerland (3:28.30) are also through along with Belgium (3:26.79) and Spain (3:27.30), a national record.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s men will have to find another route to Paris after finished fifth in their heat and failed to qualify.

Trinidad and Tobago, though, produced a brave performance to secure a place in Paris. The quartet of Asa Guevara, Jereem Richards, Che Lara and Shakeem McKay battled hard to hold off France and seal the the final qualifying spot. Brazil won the heat in 3:01.86 with the brave Trinidadians finishing in 3:02.39.

Jamaica continued their resurgence from a disappointing first day at the World Relays in the Bahamas when they won their heat in round two of the 4x100m relays to advance to book their tickets to Paris this summer.

Using the same foursome – Jodean Smith, Tia Clayton, Alana Reid and Remona Burchell - that ran on Saturday, changed their running order with Burchell and Reid – switching positions on the third and fourth legs.

The change worked like a charm as they sped to victory in 42.74 seconds to advance to the final and onto Paris.

Jamaica’s Caribbean neighbours, Trinidad and Tobago will also be in Paris this summer. The quartet of Taejha Badal, Reese Webster, Reyare Thomas and Leah Bertrand finished second in 43.54 to advance as automatic qualifiers to the Olympic Games.

Italy, who won the first heat in 42.60 and second-place finishers Côte d'Ivoire (42.63) as well as Nigeria (42.71), winners of heat three and Switzerland (42.75) are also off to the Olympic Games.

The Bahamas and Jamaica rebounded at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, securing their places at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer during round two of the 4x400m mixed relay heats on Sunday.

After a disappointing performance on Saturday, the Bahamas bounced back with a spectacular showing on Sunday, setting a world-leading time of 3:12.81 in the first heat. The Bahamian quartet of Steven Gardiner, Alonzo Russell, Shania Adderley, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo delivered a stellar performance, fending off tough competition from Jamaica, Japan and South Africa, to clinch victory and set a new national record in the process.

Jamaica also sealed their Olympic berth by finishing second in the heat with a time of 3:14.49, showcasing their strength in relay events with the quartet of Zandrian Barnes, Roshawn Clarke, Leah Anderson, and Janieve Russell.

In the subsequent heats, Germany emerged victorious in the second heat with a time of 3:13.85, securing their place in Paris. Switzerland also booked their Olympic spot by finishing closely behind Germany in a national record time of 3:14.12.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland secured their tickets to Paris by winning the third heat with a time of 3:12.99, followed closely by Ukraine in 3:14.49, earning the second qualifying spot from that heat.