Cynthia Bolingo stormed past a talented field to win the 400m at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday. Candice McLeod was among those who she zipped past down the home stretch, the Jamaican finishing in fifth in 50.82.

Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands and Shamier Little of the USA, as well as McLeod, battled for the lead over the first 300m with the American taking the lead coming off the curve into the home straight. She seemed headed for victory before Bolingo unleashed a stirring run to take victory in 50.02.

Klaver managed to edge ahead of Little to take second place in 50.16 with the American fading to third in 50.58.

Great Britain’s Victoria Ohurugou managed to out-lean McLeod at the line to take fourth in 50.81.

Reigning two-time World 200m champion Shericka Jackson says she is eyeing Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 34-year-old 200m world record when she lines up in the event at the Brussels Diamond League on Friday.

Griffith-Joyner set the world record of 21.34 at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Jackson first came close to that mark at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene when she produced 21.45 for gold.

This year in Budapest, Jackson came even closer, running 21.41 to defend her title.

“At the World Championships I was so close. Just a little wind and I would’ve been the world record holder,” Jackson said at the pre-meet press conference on Thursday.

“Coach and I have spoken and we are going after it this year. I hope to get it tomorrow. If I do, that would definitely ease a bit of pressure off me going into the Diamond League final in Eugene,” she added.

Jackson then added that the conditions as well as her execution will have to be good for her to break the record.

“There is no perfect race but I just want to run a good race tomorrow. We’re right there and it would be good tomorrow if we got some Jamaican weather,” she said.

Jackson will run out of lane six tomorrow.

On Thursday, the prestigious Allianz Memorial Van Damme welcomed three track and field legends into its esteemed Hall of Fame. Among the honorees was the Jamaican sprinting sensation Asafa Powell, whose remarkable career includes being a former 100m world record holder and achieving the remarkable feat of running under 10 seconds an astounding 97 times.

The Allianz Memorial Van Damme, a renowned athletics meeting with a storied history dating back to 1977, has decided to establish a Hall of Fame to pay tribute to athletes who have left an indelible mark on the event. This year, the ceremony welcomed not only Asafa Powell but also track and field icons Marie-José Pérec and Sergey Bubka.

Powell, who has long been associated with the Memorial Van Damme, participated in the event nine times between 2003 and 2017. Over the years, he earned his place as a crowd favorite, competing in the 100m at the King Baudouin Stadium and clinching victory on five occasions.

 Wilfried Meert, the former meeting director of the Allianz Memorial Van Damme from 1977 to 2016, recalled Powell's memorable moments, saying, "Powell then won in 9.87, a Jamaican record. That was of course later wiped off the tables by one Usain Bolt. In 2008, Powell almost beat Bolt at the Memorial. Powell was known for his rocket launch while Bolt with his long frame never took off like a spear. Only in the last 20m did  Bolt recover: 9.77 versus 9.83."

 Powell's legacy extends beyond his wins at meetings. Despite his occasional struggles at major championships, he was a key contributor to the Jamaican relay team, clinching gold at the Olympic Games and World Cup.

 In his reaction to the induction, Powell expressed his gratitude, saying, "Honored to be inducted into the hall of fame of the @memorialvandamme along with some legends of the sport. I ran six of my 97 sub-10’s here in Brussels at arguably the best meet in the world. The memories of this place will stay with me forever! I can’t thank Wilfried Meert enough for your support and encouragement through the years. You’ve built an amazing event with creativity and integrity that is second to none. To now be affiliated with the legacy of the meet is truly one of my greatest honors."

Marie-José Pérec and Sergey Bubka, two other track and field legends, were also honored during the ceremony, further cementing the Allianz Memorial Van Damme's commitment to celebrating the history and achievements of the sport.

Born in Guadeloupe in 1968, Pérec won gold in the 400m at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Four years later in Atlanta, she defended her title and won Olympic gold in the 200m, a phenomenal double. In addition to three Olympic titles, Pérec also has two world and a European 400m titles.

Bubka broke the pole vault world record 35 times, 17 times outdoor, 18 times indoor. He recorded his best jump 30 years ago 6.15m at a meeting in Donetsk. He jumped 6m or higher 47 times in his career.

As the 2023 track and field season draws near to a close, Caribbean athletes continued to showcase their excellence at the in Europe where sprinters Natasha Morrison and Oblique Seville emerged victorious in the 100m dash while Rusheen McDonald topped the podium in the 400m dash at the 2023 Palio Citta' della Quercia Rovereto in Italy on Wednesday.

During the entertaining meet, Shanieka Ricketts also produced a near-season-best effort to win the women’s triple jump over fellow Caribbean star Thea LaFond.

Morrison, a member of Jamaica’s silver medal winning 4x100m relay at the recent World Athletics Championships in Budapest, won a closely contested 100m dash in a new meet record of 11.00. She managed to outlast Americans Twanisha Terry, who clocked in at 11.06 for second place with Gina Bass of Gambia close behind in 11.08.

Briana Williams was fifth in 11.22.

Seville won the men’s equivalent in 10 seconds flat over Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who ran 10.15. Mouhamadou Fall of France was a close third in 10.22. Michael Campbell finished fourth in 10.29 with Jamaican champion Rohan Watson farther back in seventh in a time of 10.45.

Rusheen McDonald, the fastest Jamaica in the 400m this year at 44.03, won the 400m in a close finish with Germany’s Manuel Sanders. The Jamaican ran 45.46 while just managing to hold off the German, who a metre behind in 45.53.

South Africa’s Zakithi Nene was not far behind in third in 45.69.

The women’s triple jump featured Ricketts and LaFond, who produced season bests 14.93 and 14.90 for were fourth and fifth, respectively, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. They went at it again in Rovereto with the Jamaican once again coming out ahead.

She produced a jump of 14.92m to take victory with the Dominican darling finishing second with a 14.67m effort.

The two women were miles ahead of the rest of the field as Dovile Kilty finished third with a season-best 14.04m.

Amoi Brown ran 12.85 to finish second in the 100m hurdles. Ireland’s Sarah Lavin claimed victory in 12.76 with Taliyah Brooks of the USA taking third in 12.91.

Reigning double-sprint Olympic Champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah continues to show signs of a potential return to top form in 2024 after a season’s best 10.92 to win at the Gala dei Castelli, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bellinzola, Switzerland on Monday.

Thompson-Herah, who has endured a season riddled with injuries, took the win ahead of Great Britain’s Imani Lansiquot (10.99), her first time below 11 seconds, and Gambia’s Gina Bass (11.12).

This was only Thompson-Herah’s second 100m race since finishing fifth at the Jamaican trials in July. She ran 11.00 for second at the Zurich Diamond League on August 31.

The 31-year-old was a member of Jamaica’s silver medal 4x100m team at the recently concluded World Championships in Budapest where she ran in the heats.

On the men’s side, Oblique Seville ran 10.01 to take the win ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (10.04) and South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.12).

Seville narrowly missed out on a medal in Budapest, finishing fourth in 9.88, the same time credited to bronze medallist, Zharnel Hughes.

Another 100m finalist in Budapest, Ryiem Forde, was seventh in 10.28 on Monday.

Natoya Goule-Toppin rebounded from a sub-par showing in Budapest to take the 800m in 1:57.53, a new meet record.

The USA’s Addison Wiley ran a personal best 1:57.64 in second while Switzerland’s Audrey Werro ran a national record 1:58.13 in third.

Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who was upset by Danielle Williams in Budapest, came out on top with a meet record 12.56 in the 100m hurdles. The Netherlands’ Nadine Visser ran a season’s best 12.61 in second while the USA’s Nia Ali ran 12.63 in third.

Shashalee Forbes, a member of Jamaica's silver-medal winning 4x100m team in Budapest, ran 22.74 for second in the 200m behind the USA's Tamara Clark (22.64). Italy's Dalia Kaddari ran 22.86 for third.

Orlando Bennett ran 13.40 for third in the men’s 110m hurdles won by Switzerland’s Jason Joseph in 13.18. Senegal’s Louis Francois Mendy was second in 13.29.

In the field, 2019 World Championship silver-medallist Fedrick Dacres threw 66.19m for third in the discus behind World Champion Daniel Stahl (67.24m) and Kristjan Ceh (67.15m).

The only Jamaican junior athlete to ever run under 10 seconds, Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, has signed a professional contract with sports apparel giants Adidas.

Nkrumie, who took silver in the 100m at the 2022 World U20 Championships in Colombia, sent shockwaves through the track & field world when he sped to a national junior record 9.99 to take the Class One Boys 100m title at the ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships in March.

Unfortunately, the 19-year-old’s season was then interrupted by a hamstring injury he sustained as the Carifta Games just over a week later.

The former Kingston College standout recovered from his injury in time for the National Championships but was, understandably, far from his best.

He ran 10.21 in the heats but failed to get to the final after a 10.39 effort for sixth in his semi-final.

Nkrumie closed out his season with a silver medal at the Pan Am U20 Championships in Puerto Rico in on August 4. His time in the final was 10.31.

World Championship sprint-relay silver medallist Natasha Morrison and sprint hurdler Amoi Brown emerged victorious in their respective events at Sunday’s Meeting Citta' Di Padova 2023 in Italy.

Morrison, who ran the lead off leg for Jamaica who won the 4x100m relay silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary last month, stormed to victory in the 100m clocking a time of 11.15.

The USA’s Twanisha Terry, who incidentally, was on the USA’s gold-medal winning team, was close behind in 10.21. Briana Williams, who was also a member of the Jamaican relay squad, took third place in a time of 11.39.

Brown, meanwhile, who just missed out on a place on Jamaica’s team to the world championships when she finished fourth at her country’s national championships in July, had better fortunes on Sunday when she dominated the 100m hurdles.

Running into a headwind of -0.8m/s, Brown’s time was 12.83. She had daylight between herself and second-place finisher Hanna Toth of Hungary, who clocked a pedestrian 13.20 with Japan’s Mako Fukube close behind in third in 13.25.

Meanwhile, in the men’s 100m dash, Michael Campbell of Jamaica, finished second in 10.28 after he was pipped at the line by the USA’s Kyree King, who ran a winning time of 10.27. They raced into a headwind of -0.7m/s.

Canada’s Aaron Brown finished third in 10.31.

In the long jump, World Championship bronze medallist Tajay Gayle had to settle for second place after his jump of 8.00m was bettered by France’s Tom Campagne’s effort of 8.09m. Reece Ademola of Ireland jumped 7.97m to secure the other podium spot.

Britain’s Mo Farah secured gold in the 5,000 metres at the World Championships in Daegu on this day in 2011.

Having lost the 10,000m just seven days earlier, Farah managed to hold off competition from American Bernard Lagat to win the 5,000m in 13 minutes 23.36 seconds.

The Briton had faced competition from Dejen Gebremeskel, but the Ethiopian began to face with 100m to go and despite a late surge from Lagat, Farah held on to become the first British man to win a world title over 5,000m.

“I’m very proud, I just can’t believe it,” Farah said after winning the race.

“I just had to go out there and do what I did in the 10k but just get it right this time.

“I just want to thank everyone who’s helped me. It’s great to have my family behind me.

“I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, moving away from home where it’s comfortable relative to everything else and I’m glad I made that choice because it’s working. I’ve got the gold now. It just feels amazing.”

Farah had moved his family to Oregon in the United States to work with coach Alberto Salazar earlier in the year. Salazar has been banned from coaching since 2019 following an investigations by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Farah won double gold at the 2012 Olympics in London the following year before retaining his 5,000m and 10,000m titles at Rio 2016.

The six-time World Champion has confirmed that the Great North Run, taking place next Sunday, will be his final race.

Danielle Williams made it two wins from two starts on Sunday since her medal exploits in Budapest after hurdling to a comfortable victory at the ISATF Meeting in Berlin.

The 30-year-old two-time world champion cruised to victory in the 100m hurdles in an easy 12.71. She was well clear of Australia’s Michelle Jenneke, who clocked 12.89 for the runner-up spot. In third was the USA’s Amber Hughes, who crossed the line in 12.98.

The news was not so good for the other Jamaican in the race. Olympic silver medallist Megan Tapper did not complete the event.

However, Williams was not the only Caribbean winner in Berlin on Sunday. Olympic bronze medallist Ronald Levy, who has been making his way back to form after long-term injuries, won the 110m hurdles in 13.45, a season’s best.

Levy got the nod over Just Kwaou-Matthey of France, who was timed in 13.46 in a blanket finish. Italy’s Ndele Simonelli Lorenzo was not far behind in 13.50.

Bahamian star runner Shaune Miller Uibo did not finish her 400m race that was won by Norway’s Henriette Jaeger in a new national record of 51.03.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Jonielle Smith was third in the 100m. She ran a time of 11.33 in the race won by the USA’s Jenna Prandini in 11.24 with Belgium’s Rani Rosius finishing just ahead of the Jamaican in 11.32.

On Friday night, September 1, 2023, the University of Iowa celebrated the induction of Jamaican field-event athlete Peaches Roach Findlay into their prestigious Hall of Fame. The honor comes as a testament to her outstanding achievements during her collegiate career at the university, where she left an indelible mark on the track and field program.

During her time at the University of Iowa from 2003 to 2007, Peaches Roach Findlay emerged as a standout athlete. She was a four-time All-American, a 10-time regional qualifier, and a five-time Big 10 Conference Champion. In 2004, she earned the coveted title of Big 10 Freshman of the Year, setting the stage for a remarkable journey in the world of athletics.

Her athletic journey began at Alpha Academy in Kingston, Jamaica, before she embarked on a life-changing scholarship opportunity at the University of Iowa. Her dedication and talent led to numerous accolades, including a gold medal for Jamaica in the heptathlon at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.

Beyond her success in the heptathlon, Roach Findlay was a three-time Jamaican high jump champion. She also proudly represented Jamaica at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, where she secured a commendable fourth-place finish in the heptathlon.

Today, Peaches Roach Findlay has transitioned from her days as a star athlete to become a high school science teacher in North Carolina. She shares her life with her husband, Adrian Findlay, who himself represented Jamaica as a 400m runner and won a silver medal as a member of Jamaica's 4x400m relay team at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain. Together, they are proud parents of two beautiful children.

Upon receiving this prestigious induction into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame, Peaches Roach Findlay shared her heartfelt sentiments in an exclusive chat with Sportsmax.TV.

 "It means the world to me. This is a result of me making the right decision despite many questioning my choice to go to The University of Iowa. There were only 221 student athletes inducted in the last 34 years. So as a Jamaican field-event athlete, this puts me in the top one percent of all UI student athletes. That is an honor I don't take lightly,” she remarked.

“I'm grateful to have achieved four All-American titles, five Big 10 Championship titles, and a standing school record for indoor and outdoor track and field in the high jump. It is exactly 20 years since I was just a freshman coming from Alpha, coached by the great Kavon Lewis of Kingston College, so to be here today with my husband and children after years of sacrifice, it's a blessing and I'm proud."

Reflecting on her favorite memory from her college years in competition, she reminisced, "My sophomore year, we had an intra-squad meet where I high jumped 6ft (1.83m). That was a moment I remember because it was the first time I got back to jumping at this height since leaving Jamaica. Freshman year was quite a transition, and even though I had a stellar first year earning Freshman of the Year, this jump was a personal milestone for me."

As an experienced international student athlete, the now retired athlete offered valuable advice to others embarking on a similar journey, saying, "Because things are different here, you have to seek out and utilize all of the resources - financial, educational, and mental -  that are available to you. People will help you when you ask and position yourself to receive."

The induction of Peaches Roach Findlay into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame serves as a testament to her dedication, talent, and the remarkable journey she has undertaken since her days as a student-athlete. Her story is a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes from her home country of Jamaica.

World champion Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic extended her rich vein of form in the women’s 400 metres with another victory at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Xiamen, China on Saturday.

Paulino, running from lane five, made her move off the curve and swept by Jamaica’s long-time leader Candice McLeod, to stop the clock in 49.36s. McLeod stayed on for second, equaling her season’s best 50.19s.

American Lynna Irby-Jackson (50.45s) was third, as she got by the tiring World Championships bronze medallist Sada Williams (50.95s) of Barbados.

Hansle Parchment closed out action at Saturday’s Xiamen Diamond League with a season’s best to win the men’s 110m hurdles

The 33-year-old Olympic Champion got his usual slow start but showed strength and excellent technique to blaze past his competitors, including reigning three-time World Champion Grant Holloway, in a season’s best 12.96, the joint-second fastest time in the world this year.

Daniel Roberts, who took bronze behind Holloway and Parchment in Budapest last week, was second in 13.03 while Holloway ran 13.12 for third.

Parchment’s winning time was the second fastest of his career and only the second time he’s gone below 13 seconds. His personal best of 12.94 came on July 5 in 2014 in Paris.

Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson clocked a new lifetime best 9.85s for second in the men’s 100m, behind American Christian Coleman, who equalled the World Leading time of 9.83s at the Wanda Diamond League in Xiamen, China on Saturday.

Thompson, who has been holding good form since his first sub-10 second clocking at Jamaica’s National Championships in July, produced a top performance, which not only shattered his previous personal best of 9.91s, but also makes him the fastest Jamaican this year. He overtook Oblique Seville at 9.86s.

Additionally, the 22-year-old Thompson’s time also makes him the sixth-fastest Jamaican of all time. Only Usain Bolt (9.58s), Yohan Blake (9.69s), Asafa Powell (9.72s), Nesta Carter (9.78s) and Steve Mullings (9.80s), have gone faster.

While Thompson’s achievement, which makes him the 22nd fastest man of all time and also earned him a spot in the Diamond League final, may come as a surprise to many, his coach Stephen Francis did indicate that there was more to come after his one-round run at the national championships.

“He would have run significantly faster but the most important thing is that he feels healthy and can look forward to the rest of the summer. Our plan is to ensure that next year, in the Olympic year, he will have the necessary race experience and a different attitude to tackle the full program,” Francis said then in an interview with Sportsmax.tv.

Thompson just failed to get back to Coleman, who equalled Noah Lyles World leading time, as they competed in a slight tailwind of 0.4 metres per second. American Fred Kerley (9.96s) was third.

Meanwhile, the other Jamaicans, Yohan Blake (10.04s), Rohan Watson (10.18s), were sixth and ninth respectively, while Ackeem Blake, who seemingly picked up an injury finished at the back of the pack in well over 25 seconds.

World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton lead a Jamaican 1-2-3 in the women’s 400m at the Xiamen Diamond League on Saturday.

Clayton produced a meet record 53.56 to take the win ahead of teammates Andrenette Knight (53.87) and Janieve Russell (54.01).

Clayton is fresh off a personal best 52.81 to take bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last week. She also took bronze at the Doha World Championships in 2019.

Grenada’s Kirani James signalled that he is gradually getting back to his competitive best, as he clocked a season’s best 44.38s in winning the men’s 400 metres at the Wanda Diamond League in Xiamen, China on Saturday.

James, who was disqualified for a lane violation at the recent World Athletics Championships, ran his usual well-paced race from lane four to stop the clock in the winning time, which betters his previous season’s best of 44.50s.

He just edged American Quincy Hall, who was also given the same time, while Jamaican Rusheen McDonald (44.82s), was third. Another Jamaican Zandrion Barnes (45.29s) finished eighth.