Jamaica discus thrower Fedrick Dacres is looking forward to bouncing back strongly in the upcoming season after an admittedly difficult 2021.
The World Athletics Championships silver medallist missed out on the final of the Men's Discus Throw, at the Olympics in Tokyo, after throwing a best mark of 62.91m. The mark was well below his personal best of 70.78 but the thrower has struggled to get close to the distance, set two years ago, after undergoing a series of surgeries.
“This year has been my hardest year in track and field because of the whole surgery thing. I think overall I have done overall five surgeries in six years but this was the hardest,” Dacres said.
It was really the (throwing) hand, I’ve done a few knee surgeries done surgery on the other hand but it wasn’t the main hand. So, for me coming back this year I struggled but it is what it is,” he added.
The athlete did, however, stage a rebound of sorts after throwing 65.33 to finish in third place at the Wanda Diamond League final last month.
“I think I finished well, not too well at the Olympics, but coming third at the Diamond League isn’t so bad. I’ll take that as I push for next year.”
Elaine Thompson-Herah was the only Caribbean athlete to win on the final day of the Diamond League season in Zurich on Thursday but a few others came very close.
Olympic medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Hansle Parchment were impressive winners at the Continental Tour Gold meeting at the Stadion Slaski in Chorzow, Poland on Sunday.
Fraser-Pryce, the Olympic 100m silver medalist, who was running her first race since her lifetime best 10.60 in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 26, sped to a meet record 10.81 to win by daylight over Swiss athlete Mujinga Kambundji who stopped the clock at 11.08.
Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.15) was further back in third. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye ran 11.19 for fourth.
Parchment, the Olympic champion, recovered from an average start to overhaul Devon Allen and win in 13.26. Allen clipped the last hurdle but managed to finish second in 13.37 while Damion Thomas was third in 13.50.
The women’s sprint hurdles event was won by Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan in 12.64 ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper who clocked 12.75. The USA’s Christina Clemons was third in 12.92.
Jaheel Hyde ended up on the podium after finished third in the 400m hurdles in 48.89. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos was an easy winner in 48.50 over Turkey’s Yasmani Copello, who ran 48.80.
Candace McLeod, a finalist over 400m in Tokyo finished third in the 400m. Among the leaders up to 300m, the Jamaican faded to third clocking 51.88. The Polish pair of Natalia Kaczmarec and Anna Keilbasinska took the top two places in 50.70 and 51.19, respectively.
Meanwhile, Anderson Peters threw 83.61m for a second-place finish in the men’s javelin throw. However, he was no match for Germany’s Johannes Vetter, who flung the spear 89.60m for victory.
Fedrick Dacres took third place in the men’s discus. He threw a best mark of 64.91m that was bettered by Lithuania’s Andrius Gudzious (65.89m) and Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh (66.65m)
Andre Degrasse was an easy winner in the 200m in 20.21. His compatriot Jerome Blake took second place in 20.32. Olympic relay gold medalist Filippo Tortu was third in 20.40.
The opening session of the track and field portion of the Tokyo Olympics was highlighted by a trio of strong performances, with Jamaicans Natoya Goule, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showing impressive form.
Overall, though, there were plenty of solid performances as the event that will see the bulk of the Caribbean’s athletes, competing over the next few days, got underway.
First up, the Jamaican trio of Fedrick Dacres, Traves Smikle and Chad Wright opened competition in the Men’s Discus. Wright was the only one to progress to the final as the last qualifier, finishing 12th overall with a throw of 62.93 metres.
Dacres was only two centimetres behind Wright, throwing 62.91m to finish 13th overall, while Smikle could only manage a best distance of 59.04m to finish 25th overall.
Goule was the first competitor to grace the track and started things off with a bang as she ran a very impressive 1:59.83 to win heat 2 of the women’s 800 metres.
The men’s 400 meters hurdles saw four Caribbean men progress to the semi-finals. The list included Jamaicans Kemar Mowatt, Jaheel Hyde and Sean Rowe and The British Virgin Islands Kyron McMaster.
Mowatt finished 4th in heat 1 with a time of 49.06. Hyde ran 48.54 to comfortably win heat 2. Both McMaster and Rowe advanced from heat 4, with McMaster winning with a time of 48.79 and the Jamaican finishing 3rd with a season’s best of 49.18.
The session was capped off by the heats of one of the most highly anticipated events at the Olympics, the women’s 100 metres.
The event featured 10 athletes from the Caribbean.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Joella Lloyd finished 7th in heat 1, in a time of 11.54.
Heat 2 was comfortably won by Jamaica’s defending double Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, who signalled her intent at these games with a smooth 10.82.
Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago also competed in heat 2 and finished 6th in 11.48.
Tristan Evelyn of Barbados ran 11.42 to finish 6th in heat 3.
Amya Clarke of St. Kitts & Nevis finished 7th in heat 4 with a time of 11.71.
Heat 5 was the turn of multiple-time Olympic and World Champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, to announce herself in Tokyo.
She didn’t disappoint, winning in a time of 10.84 to advance to the semi-finals.
Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas was next up on the track, finishing 3rd in heat 6 to advance.
Heat 7 saw the most Caribbean representation with Shericka Jackson of Jamaica, Michelle Lee-Ahye of Trinidad & Tobago and Jasmine Abrams of Guyana all taking part.
Ahye won the heat with a time of 11.06, finishing just ahead of Jackson who ran 11.07 for 2nd while Abrams finished 7th in 11.49.
The fastest overall qualifier from the heats was Marie-Jose Talou of the Ivory Coast who ran 10.78 to win the 4th heat.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce leads a strong 61-member Jamaica team headed to the Olympic Games this summer.
The Pocket Rocket leads a strong female contingent that includes 2016 Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah as well as ‘surprise’ elite sprinter Shericka Jackson. In-form Stephenie-Ann McPherson and rising talent Candice McLeod are also included as well as rising sprint hurdlers Megan Tapper and Britany Anderson.
Briana Williams, the 2018 World U20 sprint double champion makes her first Olympic team as a reserve for the 100m and a member of the 4x100m relay squad.
Yohan Blake, the 2012 double Olympic silver medalist also makes the team along with Demish Gaye and the proven 110m hurdles trio of Ronald Levy, the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion, Damion Thomas and Hansle Parchment.
The full team comprises
(100m Men): Tyquendo Tracey, Yohan Blake, and Oblique Seville. Julian Forte (r).
100m Women) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah. Briana Williams (r).
4x100m relay Men Jevaughn Minzie, Nigel Ellis.
4x100m Women: Remona Burchell, Natasha Morrison.
200m Men: Rasheed Dwyer, Yohan Blake, Julian Forte
200m Women: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah. Natasha Morrison (r)
400m Men: Demish Gaye, Christopher Taylor, Sean Bailey. Nathon Allen (r)
400m Women: Stephenie Ann McPherson, Candice McLeod, Roneisha McGregor. Stacey Ann Williams ®
4x400m Men: Nathon Allen, Karayme Bartley, Rusheen McDonald. Nathon Allen ®
4X400M Women: Stacey Ann Williams, Tovea Jenkins, Junelle Bromfield.
4x400 Men: Karayme Bartley, Rusheen McDonald.
800m: Natoya Goule
110m hurdles: Ronald Levy, Damion Thomas, Hansle Parchment. Phillip Lemonious ®
100m hurdles: Megan Tapper, Yanique Thompson, Britany Anderson. Danielle Williams ®
400m hurdles Men: Jaheel Hyde, Kemar Mowatt, Shawn Rowe. Leonardo Ledgister ®
400m hurdles Women: Janieve Russell, Ronda Whyte, Leah Nugent. Shian Salmon ®
1500M Aisha Praught *
Long jump Men: Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod.
Long jump Women: Tissanna Hickling, Chanice Porter
Triple jump Men: Carey McLeod
Triple jump women: Shanieka Ricketts, Kimberly Williams
Shot Put Women: Danniel Thomas-Dodd, Lloydricka Cameron *
Discus Men: Fedrick Dacres, Chad Wright, Traves Smikle
Discus Women: Shadae Lawrence
4x400m Mixed Relays: Javier Brown, Keeno Burrell, Davonte Burnett, Tiffany James, Charokee Young, Kemba Nelson.
Natoya Goule-Toppin won her eighth 800m national title in impressive fashion and Shericka Jackson cruised into Sunday’s final with the fastest time in the 200m on Saturday’s penultimate day of Jamaica’s National Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Like Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, fresh off winning her fourth 100m title on Friday night, was also impressive in advancing to Sunday’s final where she will once again face off with Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, who was third in Friday night’s 100m final.
Goule, who has been enjoying an impressive season, clocked a season-best 1:57.84 in a commanding performance in the two-lap event. She was in control from the start and pulled away after the first lap to run her fastest time since she ran a national record 1:56.15 in 2018.
Second was Jasmine Fray who ran 2:03.92 and Aisha Praught-Leer third in 2:05.31, times that are well short of the Olympic standard of 1:59.50 and so neither will make the trip to Japan this summer.
In the semi-finals of the Women 200m, Jackson and Fraser-Pryce both achieved the Olympic standard of 22.80 heading into Sunday’s final. Jackson was the most impressive qualifier cruising to a time of 22.28 easing down to win her semi-final heat ahead of Ashanti Moore who ran a personal best of 22.86.
Natalliah Whyte also made the final on time when she finished third in 23.15.
Fraser-Pryce was also impressive easing down considerably to win her heat in 22.40 over Natasha Morrison, who ran 23.08 for second place and an automatic place in the final. Kevona Davis made it through on time when she clocked 23.20.
Thompson-Herah was the slowest of the semi-final winners as she eased to victory in 22.90. Finishing second was Briana Williams, who was fourth in Friday night’s 100m. The 19-year-old Nike athlete clocked 23.48.
No other runner from that heat advanced to the final.
Meanwhile, Julian Forte was the fastest man heading into Sunday’s final when he clocked 20.22 to win his heat ahead of Rasheed Dwyer, who ran 20.30.
Schoolboy Antonio Watson made it into the final on time as he ran 20.53 for third.
Yohan Blake ran 20.29 easing down to win his heat and qualify for the final. Romario Williams was the other automatic qualifier in 20.78 from that heat.
The opening heat was won by 100m champion Tyquendo Tracey in 20.38 ahead of Nigel Ellis (20.41). Jevaughn Minzie (20.43) made it through on time.
Christopher Taylor was the fastest man heading into the finals of the 400m. Taylor ran 45.31 to advance along with Karayme Bartley, who ran 45.40 from the first semi-final. Sean Bailey advanced from the other semi-final running 45.42 to finish ahead of Demish Gaye 45.83.
The other finalists were Rusheen McDonald (46.03), Javier Brown (46.07), Keeno Burrell (46.14) and Nathon Allen (46.17).
Stephenie-Ann McPherson ran an impressive 50.18 to advance to the finals along with Stacey-Ann Williams (50.84), Candice McLeod (51.04), Charokee Young (51.40), Roneisha McGregor (50.97), Tovea Jenkins (51.72), Tiffany James (51.77) and Junelle Bromfield (51.78).
World U20 silver medalist Britanny Anderson cruised into the final of the 100m hurdles taking her heat in 12.65 ahead of Megan Tapper, who ran a season-best 12.86. Also through was the 2019 World Championship silver medalist who won her semi-final in 12.70 ahead of Yanique Thompson, who ran a season-best 12.73.
Daszay Freeman was third in 12.82 which means she also qualifies for the final.
Ackera Nugent recovered from a bad start to win her semi-final in 12.78. Shimayra Williams also booked her place in the final clocking 12.87. Jeanine Williams makes it in on time after crossing the finish line in 13.04.
On a night when the USA’s Grant Holloway came within 0.01 of the world record, Omar McLeod was given a scare in his semi-final heat that he managed to win ahead Ronald Levy as both advanced to the final. McLeod ran his second-fastest time of the season 13.04 and had to work hard to shake off Levy, who ran a season-best 13.08 for second place.
Olympic medalist Hansle Parchment, who is returning from injury, showed he has a lot left in the tank running 13.19 to win his heat ahead of Phillip Lemonious (13.21) and Damion Thomas (13.27). Orlando Bennett (13.49) was also an automatic qualifier.
Andrew Riley (13.65) and Jordani Woodley (13.89) are also through to the finals.
Fedrick Dacres won the discus with 64.31m and Lamara Distin cleared 1.90 to win the Women’s High Jump.
Elaine Thompson-Herah won both the 100 and 200m at the inaugural NACAC New Life Invitational in Miramar, Florida, on Saturday.
American Trayvon Bromell will square off against Jamaican Yohan Blake in the men’s 100 metres dash at the inaugural North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) New Life Invitational.
Shadae Lawrence, Jamaica women’s national record holder in the discus, shattered the record twice on her way to a second-place finish at the USATF Throws Festival at the University of Arizona on Saturday evening.
Fedrick Dacres, the 2019 World Championship discus silver medalist said he is not satisfied but thankful following his season-best throw that earned him victory at the 2021 Tucson Elite Classic in Arizona on Thursday.
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