University of Texas at Austin Coach Eldrick Floreal is confident that sprinter Kevona Davis will be a strong contender at Jamaica's national championships next month. Despite facing criticism and doubts from fans, Coach Floreal believes in Davis's progress and her ability to overcome past challenges.

Davis, who ran wind-aided times of 10.98 and 22.02 at the recently concluded NCAA Division 1 National Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, is expected to vie for a spot on Jamaica’s team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August and Coach Floreal believes that after prior failures the former Edwin Allen High School star will be ready to compete this year.

 I think Kevona is going to be ready. The goal this year is to go to the Jamaican championship and compete. She has not competed (previously). She's showed up and participated. She's going to compete,” Floreal said of his athlete who boasts personal bests of 10.95 and 22.23, in the 100m and 200m, respectively.

“She's going to actually run what she's running now in the (NCAA) championships, and its maturity.”

Coach Floreal acknowledged the skepticism surrounding Davis's development but dismissed it considering the clear steps forward she has been taking. He addressed concerns by highlighting the unique approach they have taken to accelerate her progress, acknowledging that it didn't always go as planned.

"I've taken quite a bit of flak from Jamaica, and in true Jamaican fashion, I said, 'Me no care. I don't care.' My job is to help this young woman," Coach Floreal explained, emphasizing his commitment to supporting Davis.

The coach recognized that Davis had struggled with confidence issues and made mistakes in previous competitions. However, he emphasized that these were normal errors and not indicative of a lack of talent. Coach Floreal attributed them to a lack of self-belief and the pressure of competition.

"One of the most difficult things is to identify a step process that goes backward. Most people coach forward. I coach backwards," Coach Floreal explained his coaching philosophy. He shared that he envisions Davis reaching her full potential and then works backward to determine the necessary steps. This method, although unconventional, aims to ensure a solid foundation for sustained growth.

Davis's lack of confidence and occasional mistakes in competitions are areas Coach Floreal has been focused on. He believes that her experiences in the NCAA and Jamaica have impacted her mental state, and his role as a coach is to rebuild her belief in herself.

Reflecting on Davis's progression, Coach Floreal highlighted the ups and downs she has faced throughout her career. He mentioned specific instances where her confidence took a hit, such as false starts and disappointment in previous races. Despite these setbacks, he emphasized that Davis has shown resilience and an ability to bounce back, slowly improving over time.

The coach shared some behind-the-scenes efforts to nurture Davis's mental strength, such as dedicating additional training sessions and reassurance to rebuild her confidence. He stressed the importance of taking the necessary time to help athletes mature, comparing it to shifting gears in a car, where skipping steps can lead to stalling.

“No matter how bad Kevona's had a rough road, she's always come back. She's always comes back every year, done a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better,” he said emphasizing that Davis is making the steps necessary to be the best she can be.

“If you have ever driven a car, a stick shift. If you go from the first gear to the third gear, everybody knows what happens. The car starts and cuts off. You have to go to the second gear. You have to match up the second gear and then shift to the third gear. And sometimes these gears take time because they have been unable to comprehend what the coach wants.

“But she has to develop. Everybody wants 10.7 now. You're not getting that right now because there's a lot of things I need to fix before I even get there.  If you're a really qualified coach, you understand that you're going to have to take time and sometimes go backwards to come back forward. It's not like instant oatmeal, some of this stuff takes time.”

Coach Floreal expressed his satisfaction with Davis's progress and is optimistic about her readiness for the upcoming Jamaican national championships.

In conclusion, Coach Floreal acknowledged that talent alone is not enough to succeed in the highly competitive world of athletics. He emphasized the importance of mental fortitude and the ability to handle the pressures of the sport independently. With Davis's continuous growth and unwavering determination, Coach Floreal believes she has what it takes to make her mark at the national championships and beyond.

Julien Alfred, Ackelia Smith and Jaydon Hibbert capped their respective impressive seasons with regional awards for the 2023 NCAA Division I Track and Field season announced by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Jamaican-born Mark Elliott was named Southeast Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year.

Alfred, who hails from St Lucia, the South Central Region Female Track Athlete of the Year, capped a record-breaking, undefeated season at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she won the 100, 200 and led off the winning 4×100 relay.

Her wind-aided mark in the 100-meter final of 10.72 equaled the fastest all-conditions effort in collegiate history, while her wind-aided mark in the 200 of 21.73 is the fastest all-conditions time in collegiate history. Alfred ran the opening leg of a Texas 4×100 relay that obliterated the collegiate record twice this season, ultimately to 41.55 in Austin.

Smith, who hails from Clarendon, Jamaica, is the South Central Female Field Athlete of the Year. She won the long jump and finished runner-up in the triple jump at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Her mark in the triple jump of 14.54m made her the third-best performer in collegiate history. Smith made waves at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, too, when she soared 7.08m in the long jump to become the second-best performer in collegiate history behind Tara Davis. 

Hibbert, who won more than a handful of awards in this is freshman year, was the co-South Central Region Field Athlete of the Year.

Hibbert, who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, capped an undefeated season in the triple jump with a victory at the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He bounded 17.56m to record the fourth-farthest mark in collegiate history.

That was his second-best effort of the season, because earlier at the SEC Outdoor Championships, he shattered the collegiate record – and set an all-time World U20 outdoor best – with his majestic 17.87m, a personal best.

Hibbert’s coach Travis Geopfert, the Associate Head Coach at Arkansas, earns recognition as the Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year in the South Central Region.

Geopfert’s event group played a significant role in Arkansas’ success, scoring 31 of the team’s 53 points, leading them to finish as the NCAA team runner-up.

Notably, Hibbert, a freshman coached by Geopfert, emerged as the SEC Field Athlete of the Year, remaining undefeated in the triple jump and winning the NCAA title by a remarkable two-foot margin. Moreover, Arkansas became only the third school in NCAA history to achieve a 1-2 finish in the long jump, with Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock securing the top two positions.

Geopfert’s coaching expertise also contributed to Arkansas winning the SEC team title, with the team scoring 69 out of 149 points. With 11 years of coaching experience at Arkansas, Travis Geopfert specializes in coaching jumps and combined events.

Elliott, the Southeast Region Men’s Head Coach of the Year, in his 10th year as Director of Track & Field at Clemson, led the Tigers to the team title at the ACC Outdoor Championships, winning four events. Clemson was in 10th place the ACC Championships before moving up to win on the final day. His athletes earned six entries to the 2023 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, including Giano Roberts, who set a school record of 13.31 in the 110 hurdles.

 

 

In an exclusive interview with University of Texas Head Coach Eldrick Floreal, it has been revealed that two-time NCAA 100m champion Julien Alfred is expected to announce her decision to turn professional next week. Coach Floreal, who has played a pivotal role in Alfred's development, also shared insights into how he helped her overcome challenges, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to become arguably the best female sprinter in NCAA history.

While the 22-year-old Alfred has not finalized any professional contracts yet, the plan is for her to remain in Austin and continue training under Coach Floreal's guidance. "Yeah, I mean that's the plan right now,” Floreal told Sportsmax.TV Wednesday.

“I mean obviously select agents and shoe company and all this stuff. But right now the plan first remains in Austin, to continue training this year, next year and beyond."

Coach Floreal further mentioned that Alfred has been meeting with various agents and shoe companies, indicating significant interest in her success. He expressed confidence that Alfred would make an official announcement next week after finalizing an agent and securing a contract.

Alfred enjoyed a spectacular season for the University of Texas indoors and outdoors, capped by her triple-gold medal performance at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas on Saturday.

Running on her home field for the last time as a student athlete, the St Lucian sprint queen ran a slightly wind-aided 10.72 (2.3m/s) to win the 100m and 21.73 (w2.5m/s) to take 200m gold barely an hour apart to lead Texas’ women to the national title for the first time in 18 years. It was the first time in NCAA history that an athlete was running the two fastest times in all conditions on the same day of a national championships.

Earlier Saturday, Alfred ran the lead-off leg of the Longhorns’ 4x100m relay team that won in a fast 41.60. Only the NCAA national, meet and facility record of 41.55 they ran 48 hours earlier, is faster.

However, once an athlete goes the professional route, there are several factors that are critical to achieving success.

Reflecting on Alfred's potential and talent, Coach Floreal acknowledged the shift that comes with transitioning to the professional level. He emphasized the importance of mindset and the ability to manage oneself as an individual athlete, as opposed to representing a university or group. Coach Floreal highlighted the need for athletes to handle the business side of the sport and likened their careers to running a corporation.

“Right now the corporation is called Julien Alfred Incorporated and I am the CEO but when they go pro the corporation is called Julien Alfred Incorporated, they become the CEO. I'm no longer responsible for all this stuff. So they have to make that adjustment," Coach Floreal explained. He emphasized that success at the professional level hinges on an athlete's ability to manage their own corporation and handle the outside pressures that come with it.

Regarding Alfred's talent, Coach Floreal acknowledged her remarkable achievements and consistent performance under pressure. He emphasized her ability to deliver exceptional performances when it matters most, distinguishing a great athlete from the rest.

While Coach Floreal acknowledged the time and maturity it took for Alfred to reach her current level, he attributed her progress to the development of her talent and her growing ability to handle the stresses of being a world-class athlete.

The conversation shifted towards Alfred's experiences during the pandemic, during which she faced anxiety due to being unable to return home. Coach Floreal played a crucial role in providing support and creating a safe space for Alfred. He shared, "So being available becomes important. I was just available, like I am for all the athletes that I coach, guiding them not just in training but also through personal challenges."

Coach Floreal emphasized the importance of building relationships and trust with his athletes, ensuring they have the confidence to overcome obstacles. He underscored his commitment to their success and the belief that he would never put their careers in jeopardy.

As Julien Alfred prepares to make her highly anticipated professional announcement, the track and field world eagerly awaits her next move. With the unwavering guidance and support of Coach Eldrick Floreal, Alfred is poised to make a significant impact in her professional career, continuing her journey to greatness.

After failing to launch her season due to family commitments and injury, five-time world 100m champion is likely to open her 2023 season at Jamaica’s national championships next month.

The 36-year-old Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in April citing a family emergency. She would later pull out of the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya in May because of a knee injury that saw her fly out to Italy for treatment.

She subsequently returned to Jamaica where she returned to training just under a month ago but has not competed at any of the island’s All Comers meets put on by the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA), leaving fans speculating whether they would see her at all this season.

Having won the 100m title at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in July last year, Fraser-Pryce has a bye to the championships set for Budapest in August.

However, in a post on social media on Wednesday, the three-time Olympic gold medallist gave her fans something to quell their concerns.

“Just a girl from Waterhouse who continues to dream and believe! See you at National Trials!” the 2022 Laureus Female Athlete of the Year posted on Facebook.

Those words would have eased the fears of her fan base who can now look forward to seeing ‘Mommy Rocket’ at the National Stadium in Kingston from July 6-9.

In 2022, Fraser-Pryce delivered what is considered by many the greatest season by a female sprinter. She ran a record seven times under 10.7 second and won a record fifth 100m title at the World Championships to become the first running athlete in history to win five titles in the same event since the championships began in 1983.

 

A date has been set for the unveiling of a statue of the world’s fastest man in Miramar, Florida, Sportsmax.TV has been informed.

Located in southern Broward county, Miramar, a city of just under 150,000, boasts a thriving, large and diverse Jamaican community.

The statue of three-time Olympic 100m and 200m champion, Usain Bolt, is set to be unveiled on Saturday, July 15, 2023, Vice Mayor Alexandra Davis revealed on Tuesday.

“We have a date for the unveiling confirmed,” she told Sportsmax.TV. “The Friday (July 14), we will have a fundraising event, then Saturday, July 15 will be the unveiling with a programme on the track with young athletes and a press conference with the unveiling last.”

Davis also revealed that the statue that was done by noted sculptor Basil Watson is ready for the delivery and installation and that the foundation on which it will be mounted ‘almost’ done.

In November 2021, Davis, who was born in the United Kingdom but raised in Jamaica where she attended school right up to the tertiary level, announced plans to mount a statute of the 100m and 200m world record holder at the Ansin Sports Complex, which was once the training ground for Jamaica's World U20 100m and 200m gold medallist Briana Williams.

“We wanted to make sure we had a world-class Olympian as part of the art in public places,” said Davis back then.

However, the decision sparked division among the city commissioners, chief among them Winston Barnes, who believes the USD$250,000 price tag was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“Attaching ourselves to monuments or icons is not going to make us a 24/7 city,” Barnes  was reported saying. “We’re not a tourist city — come on. I do not think we have the luxury to try to create monuments of icons simply at the fancy of elected officials.”

However, Davis divulged that much of the cost for the project is being paid by developers. "I created an Art in Public Places fund that is paid for by developers who cannot provide artwork at their facility," she explained.

Payment for the statue is reportedly to be made in four installments.

Bolt won gold medals in both the 100m and 200m in world-record times at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. He shattered both record again at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany establishing times of 9.58 and 19.19 in the 100m and 200m, respectively. Both records still stand today, 14 years on.

The towering Jamaica would go on to defend his Olympic titles in London in 2012 and again in Rio, Brazil in 2016 before hanging up his spikes in 2017.

Bolt also won World Championships gold medals in both short sprints in 2013 and 2015 as well as 200m gold in Daegu, South Korea in 2011.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Olympic gold medalist and World Championships men's head coach Harvey Glance died June 12th after suffering a heart attack earlier in the week. He was 66.

As an athlete, Glance won Olympic 4x100m relay gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where he also finished fourth in the 100m with a 10.19 clocking.

He was also a member of the USA’s gold medal winning quartet in the 4x100m at the 1987 World Championships in Rome.

Moving into coaching after his retirement from competition, Glance took over as head men's and women's coach at his alma mater from 1991-96, and then moved to archrival Alabama in 1997, heading the men's program until his retirement in 2011. He led the Crimson Tide to an NCAA Indoor Championships runner-up team finish in 2002 and produced a slew of all-Americans and SEC contenders during his tenure.
 
Along the way, Glance became a respected international coach and administrator, serving as head men's coach for Team USATF at the 1999 Pan American Games and then as head men's coach at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He also served as a men's assistant coach for the 2008 Olympic team covering the sprints and hurdles and was an assistant men's coach at the 2006 World Junior (U20) Championships.
 
Continuing to coach one of his greatest Alabama athletes after retiring from the university, Glance guided Kirani James of Grenada to Olympic gold in the 400m in 2012 after winning the World Championships in 2011. James also earned silver in the 400m at the 2016 Games and bronze at Tokyo in 2021 and was the silver medalist last summer at the World Championships in Eugene.

 

 

Two-time World Championship silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts was the lone Caribbean winner at the 2023 Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on Tuesday.

The Jamaican, who also took gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, jumped 14.20m, her third furthest mark this season, to take the win ahead of Turkey’s Tugba Danismaz (14.03m) and Slovenia’s Neja Filipic (13.83m).

Another Commonwealth champion, BVI’s Kyron McMaster, took second in the Men’s 400m hurdles in 48.57. France’s Ludvy Vaillant took the win in 48.50 while American Khallifah Rosser was third in 49.16.

Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey, who won the 800m at the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Poland last week, was fourth in the 1500m in 4:04.65. The event was won by Ireland’s Sarah Healy in 4:03.85. Italy’s Gaia Sabbatini was second in 4:03.88 while Great Britain’s Ellie Baker ran 4:03.95 for third.

Trinidadian 2012 Olympic champion, Keshorn Walcott, threw 83.12m for fourth in the javelin. Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the event with a world leading 89.51m throw. Finland’s Oliver Herlander threw 87.32m for second while Germany’s Julian Weber was third with 85.82m.

2019 World Championships runner-up, Fedrick Dacres, threw 66.09m for fifth in the discus throw. Swedish World and Olympic champion, Daniel Stahl, won the event with a season’s best 70.38m. Reigning World champion, Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, was second with 68.67m while Austria’s Lukas Weisheidinger was third with 66.84m.

Olympic champion Tori Bowie died from childbirth complications, according to her autopsy report.

In the initial report of her death on SportsMax.tv on May 3, no cause of death was given.

According to the report from Florida's Orange County Medical Examiner's Office, the 32-year-old had a "well-developed fetus" and was undergoing labor at the time of her death. She was about eight months pregnant, and her death was ruled natural.

According to the autopsy report, “possible complications” contributing to Bowie’s death include “respiratory distress and eclampsia.”

Eclampsia is a “rare but serious complication of preeclampsia,” according to the Cleveland Clinic, which notes that preeclampsia can cause high blood pressure and organ damage.

Preeclampsia is typically “managed before it progresses to eclampsia,” according to the March of Dimes.

In Bowie’s case, it is unclear if she was being treated for preeclampsia, but complications of eclampsia can cause disorientation, and in some cases lead to a stroke or death, the Cleveland Clinic notes.

According to the autopsy, the 5-foot-9-inch Bowie weighed 96 pounds at the time of her death.

Bowie was a three-time Olympic medalist and a two-time World champion.

Normally at 36-years-old, Track & Field athletes are way past their prime and getting ready to walk away from the sport.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, however, is not normal.

The three-time Olympic Champion is coming off the best season of her career and, quite possibly, the best individual season any sprinter, male or female, has had in the history of the sport.

The Jamaican won 11 out of the 12 100m races she competed in and her times were as follows: 10.67, 10.67, 10.70, 10.87, 10.93, 10.67, 10.66, 10.67, 10.62, 10.74 and 10.65. The third 10.67 performance was done to win her fifth World Championship title at the Eugene World Championships last July where she also ran 21.81 for 200m silver.

For her exploits, the legendary sprinter was named the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year at the prestigious 2023 Laureus Sports Awards in Paris in May.

With all that in mind, why would someone want to walk away from a sport at their best because of age?

Fraser-Pryce has that same question.

“Ageism is something that we should talk about because I hate the fact that a basketball player or a football player can play sport at 40, a Nascar driver or an F1 driver is 42 or 50 and he gets to continue but why can’t I continue?” Fraser-Pryce said in an interview with Athletics Weekly.

“It’s my job and as long as I’m showing up healthy, I’m going to re-write the books and I’m excited about that,” she added.

Fraser-Pryce says she hopes to keep inspiring athletes of all generations by showing them that anyone, no matter your age, can achieve great things if they put their mind to it.

“I’m hoping that I can continue not just to inspire other athletes but myself because my coach tells me every day ‘you know you’re 36, right?’ and I’m like ‘yeah that’s crazy!’ Gone are the days where, at 36, most athletes would have been retired at home doing something else at home,” she said.

“I still feel good; I still feel hungry and it’s just amazing to see what I’ve been able to accomplish over the years and the body of work. I think, at this stage, it’s really about impact and showing female athletes, or athletes overall, what you can do if you really have that conviction, and, the things that we tell ourselves, if we continue to work at that then greatness is possible from that. For me, it’s getting up every morning feeling rejuvenated; still feeling like there is something I’m chasing that is right there and I’m almost touching it, I just need a little more push,” Fraser-Pryce added.

She is currently recovering from a knee injury she sustained just a day before she was set to open her season at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on May 13.

 

 

 

 

NCAA champions Julien Alfred and Ackera Nugent have been named among four nominees for the Class of 2023 Honda Sport Award for Track & Field, Executive Director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA), Chris Voelz, announced on Monday.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. 

The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network on June 26 in Los Angeles.

Alfred, a graduate student from Castries, St. Lucia, helped the Texas Longhorns to the 2023 NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championship team title and is a member of The Bowerman watch list.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games 100m silver medalist captured top honors in the 100m and 200m and holds the collegiate record in the 100m. She remains undefeated in the 100m on the season.

Nugent is a junior hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, and is also a 2023 Bowerman watch list honoree.

The Arkansas hurdler captured the 2023 NCAA Championship title in the 100m hurdles setting a new all-conditions collegiate record 12.25 in the event.

The record also ranks 10th in the world. She swept the hurdles this year after capturing the 60m crown at the NCAA Indoor Championship.

The other Track & Field nominees are jumper Jasmine Moore from Florida and 400m and 400m hurdles star Britton Wilson of Arkansas.

Arkansas’s Jaydon Hibbert has allayed any fears that he suffered an injury during his fourth-round attempt at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships on Friday.

Hibbert pulled up limping during his run up and appeared to have suffered an injury after he was seen limping during his walk back. However, the World Under-20 record holder said the limping was due to cramping.

“It was a good competition and I’m really grateful. Anything could have happened. Could’ve gotten injured but I came out healthy,” Hibbert said on social media on Friday.

“Ready for the rest of the season but we have to rest first,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, Hibbert jumped 17.56m to secure the triple jump title at the championships, adding to his stellar season which also saw him take the SEC Indoor and Outdoor crowns as well as the NCAA Indoor title.

At those SEC Outdoors, Hibbert produced a World Under-20 record 17.87m, the furthest jump in the world this year.

 

Jamaica will send a 19-member field-events heavy team to the 2023 CAC Games to be held in San Salvador from June 23 to July 8.

Orville Byfield has been appointed head coach and will have Dwayne Jarrett, Michael Vassell and Grace Bourah as his support staff that will marshal the squad that mainly features US-based collegiate field-event athletes.

The 13-member men’s team includes, hammer thrower Daniel Cope, long jumper Jordan Turner, triple jumpers O’Brien Wasome and Owayne Owens as well as high jumper Raymond Richards and javelin thrower Elvis Graham.

 Giano Roberts and Odario Phillips will compete in the 110m Hurdles while Jevaughn White is the lone representative in the 100m. Rajay Hamilton and Tarees Rhoden are down to contest the 800m and Troy White is set to take on the 400m hurdles. Zidane Brown will participate in the 400m.

Among the women, Adrienne Adams and Marie Forbes will contest the discus throw while Danielle Sloley competes in the Shot Put.

Erica Belvit and Forbes will contest the Hammer Throw.

Lashanna Graham has double duty in the 400m and 400m hurdles while Yanique Dayle will challenge for medals in the 100m and 200m.

The delegation is also comprised of a support team that includes team manager Brian Smith, assistant manager Marva Samuels, physiotherapists Dionne Bennett, Kamla Forbes and Rockecia Wynter.

Olympic and World Championship silver-medalist, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, continued her unbeaten start to the 2023 season by outdueling American 400m hurdles world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, to win the 400m at the Paris Diamond League on Friday.

McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning Olympic and World Champion and in the 400m hurdles, ran extremely aggressively in the first 300m before Paulino used her experience in the flat 400m to reel her in and cross the line first in 49.12. The American ran a personal best 49.71 for second while 2019 World Champion Salwa Eid Naser ran 49.95 for third.

Elsewhere on the track, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, who set a spectacular 1500m world record in Florence last week, was at it again, running 14:05.20 to set a new world record in the 5000m. Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, the previous world record holder, was second in 14:07.94 while her countrywomen Ejgayehu Taye was third in 14:13.31.

Commonwealth Champion, Kyron McMaster, ran a season’s best for fifth in the 400m hurdles.

The BVI native, who fell at the LA Grand Prix on May 27, ran 48.65. The race was won by American CJ Allen in 47.92 ahead of France’s Wilfried Happio (48.26) and World Championship bronze medalist Trevor Bassitt (48.28).

Jamaica’s Natoya Goule ran a season’s best 1:58.23 for third in the Women’s 800m. Keely Hodgkinson took the race in a new personal best, British record and world leading 1:55.77 while American Ajee Wilson was second in 1:58.16.

2011 World 100m champion, Yohan Blake, ran 10.16 for fourth in the Men’s 100m behind reigning 200m World Champion, Noah Lyles (9.96), Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (9.98) and Botswanan World Junior record holder Letsile Tebogo (10.05).

In the field, Jamaican 2019 World Championship silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 19.25m for fourth in the Women’s shot put behind Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo (19.72m) and Americans Chase Ealey (19.43m) and Maggie Ewen (19.26m).

 

Keely Hodgkinson lowered her personal best and British record with a brilliant performance in the 800 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Paris.

Hodgkinson followed the pacemaker before striking for home 300m from the line, eventually clocking a time of one minute 55.77 seconds, taking 0.11secs off her previous best set in winning Olympic silver in Tokyo.

“I am a little bit shocked that I ran so fast,” the 21-year-old said. “Paris next year, I will definitely be back.

“The weather was really nice, so warm. I had heard good things about the track. With this full stadium and the great crowd, it was amazing. I am so happy.

“Now the aim is to stay healthy, we still have to see, I want to keep running fast. The focus is on the summer, on Budapest (the World Championships).

“What is next with such a fast time early in the season? Well, I do not know. Hopefully I will run even faster.”

Hodgkinson’s record-breaking run came just half an hour after Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen smashed the two-mile world record by more than four seconds.

Ingebrigtsen left the field trailing in his wake as he recorded a time of seven minutes, 54.10 seconds.

The previous mark was set by Daniel Komen in 1997, three years before Olympic 1,500 metre champion Ingebrigtsen was born.

Records continued to tumble as Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set a new world’s best for the 5,000m, just a week after doing the same in the 1,500m in Florence.

Kipyegon produced a blistering last lap to pull away from Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey and clock a time of 14:05.20, taking almost a second and a half off Gidey’s previous mark.

Ackelia Smith fouled her first two jumps and was in danger of not advancing to the finals but she then found her footing to advance to the final round. There, with her final jump of the competition, she won gold on day two of the 2023 NCAA Division 1 Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.

Smith, a sophomore at the University of Texas, uncorked a leap of 6.88m to take the lead late from Alyssa Jones of Stanford, who had earlier produced a lifetime best of 6.86m.

Jones fouled her final jump and thus had to settle for second place.

Jasmine Moore of Florida took the bronze with 6.66m.

Smith’s victory came a day after fellow Jamaican Carey McLeod representing the University of Arkansas won the men’s long jump with a leap of 8.26m with Wayne Pinnock, his college teammate and fellow Jamaican, finishing second with 8.15m.

A third Jamaican, Jordan Turner of the University of Kentucky (8.13m) was third.

The final of the 100m barn burner as medal favourites Ackera Nugent, Alia Armstrong and Masai Russell all advanced to the finals. Razorback Nugent won her heat in 12.55, the second fastest time of the finalists. LSU’s Armstrong was only 0.01 faster having won her heat in 12.54.

Russell won her heat in 12.76.

Demisha Roswell, the 2022 Big 12 champion, failed to advance with her time of 12.99, the 11th fastest time of the semi-finals.

Having dominated the sprints all season, it was no surprise when Texas Longhorn senior Julien Alfred advanced to the final of both the 100m and 200m on Saturday.

The St Lucian led a Texas 1-2-3-4 in the first of three semi-final heats winning in 10.99 with Kevona Davis finishing second in 11.04. Davis’ time was the third-fastest heading into the final as Texas Tech’s Rosemary Chukwuma, the last woman to beat Alfred, ran 11.01 to advance.

An hour later, Alfred won her 200m semi-final heat in 22.33, the same time as Davis, who also won the first of the three semi-finals. Alfred (22.321), however, was the fastest having run 0.007 faster than Davis (22.328), who has been rounding into form throughout the season.

The pair were running on tired legs after the 100m semis and a blistering 4x100m relay heat that Texas won in 41.55, a new meet, facility and championship record.

Former Vere Technical runner, Nickisha Pryce, a junior at Arkansas, ran a lifetime best of 50.31 to advance to the final of the 400m. Only, the two gold medal favorites Britton Wilson also of Arkansas, who ran a new meet and facility record of 49.36 and Texas’ Rhasidat Adekele, who won her heat in 49.86 were faster.

 

 

 

 

 

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