Rising sprint sensations Ackeem Blake and Alana Reid have been included in a 31-member squad named by the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) to represent the island at the World Athletics Relays, scheduled for May 4 and 5 in Bahamas.

Jamaica’s athletes are expected to contest the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, as well as the Mixed 4x400m relay, at the two-day spectacle which will take place at the refurbished Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

Blake and Reid have been listed among the respective 4x100m relay pools, which also includes Kemba Nelson, Natasha Morrison, and reigning University champion Kadrian Goldson.

World Indoor bronze medallist Rusheen McDonald, World and Olympic relay medallist Janieve Russell, and World 400m hurdles finalist Roshawn Clarke, headline the pool for the 4x400m and Mixed 4x400m relays respectively.

Full team: Female 4x100m –Kemba Nelson, Alana Reid, Jodean Williams, Remona Burchell, Mickaell Moodie, Natasha Morrison, Yanique Dayle

4x400m & Mixed Relay –Stacey Ann Williams, Charokee Young, Leah Anderson, Ashley Williams, Junelle Bromfield, Janieve Russell, Tovea Jenkins, Roniesha Mcgregor

Male 4x100m –Ryiem Forde, Nigel Ellis, Bryan Levell, Kadrian Goldson, Odaine Mcpherson, Ackeem Blake, Javorne Dunkley

4x400m & Mixed Relay –Malik James-King, Rusheen Mcdonald, Zandrion Barnes, Roshawn Clarke, Demish Gaye, Anthony Cox, Karyme Bartley, Assinie Wilson, Sean Bailey

Management Team –Dennis May (Team Leader), Trevor Campbell (Team Official), Jennifer Brown (Team Official), Maurice Wilson (Technical Director), Paul Francis (Coach), Reynaldo Walcott (Coach), Mark Elliott (Coach), Yanique Weekes (Doctor), Garfield Simmonds (Medical)

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson produced her usual strong finish to be crowned Diamond League champion in the women’s 100m, while compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah continues to upgrade with a season’s best time for third at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on Saturday.

Like the men’s event, the women’s dash was just as explosive, with Jackson, the World Championships silver medallists, registering her first 100m victory over American World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson to end that chapter of her season on a high.

Jackson, who is also favoured for the 200m crown, clocked 10.70s with a storming finish from lane six, as she swept by the fast-starting Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who clocked a season’s best equaling 10.75s.

Double Olympic champion Thompson-Herah once again demonstrated that she is gradually overcoming her struggles with injuries with a season’s best 10,79s.

Richardson was fifth in 10.80s, while another Jamaican Natasha Morrison clocked a big personal best 10.85s in sixth.

Elaine Thompson-Herah ran a massive season-best of 10.84s to win the 100m dash at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday.

Struggling for form primarily because of injury throughout most of the season, the double-double Olympic champion ran her best race this season with a commanding performance that would have inspired confidence that she is finally getting back to her best.

In her devastating wake was compatriot Natasha Morrison, who ran a season’s best 10.95 for second place. Great Britain’s Dina Asher Smith was third in 10.97.

Sashalee Forbes was fifth in 11.17.

This was Thompson-Herah’s third season best time in as many races after running 10.92 in Switzerland on September 4, which followed an 11.00 clocking on August 31.

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.

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.

Jamaica’s Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah signalled some semblance of improvement, as she clocked a season’s best 11.00 seconds for third behind newly minted World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 100m at the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday.

Thompson-Herah, who has been struggling to get back to her best after battling injury, ran a well-paced raced from a tidy break, but couldn’t get back to Richardson, who continues to display her superb form this season.

The American won in 10.88s, with another Jamaican Natasha Morrison (11.00s), running her heart out from lane one, to edge Thompson-Herah for second.

Thompson-Herah’s time bettered her previous season’s best of 11.06s, and though it is well off her personal best of 10.54s, it signals a step in the right direction since she started working with Shanikie Osbourne on a provisional basis.

Meanwhile, Shashalee Forbes (11.2s), the other Jamaican in the event, placed fifth, while Anthonique Strachan (11.39s) of the Bahamas failed to figure on this occasion, placing ninth.

It was always expected to be an almighty clash between reigning women’s 4x100m relay champions United States and Olympic champions Jamaica. In the end, it was the Americans who prevailed in the final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.

The American quartet of Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson, topped the event in a Championship record 41.03s Championship Record, ahead of their Jamaican counterparts – Natasha Morrison, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shashalee Forbes and Shericka Jackson –who ended in season’s best 41.21s.

Great Britain’s quartet of Asha Phillip, Imani Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita, was third in a season’s best 41.97s.

During the event, Fraser-Pryce who has been braving a chronic knee injury, suffered what is reported to be a muscle strain, but like a warrior, pushed through the difficulty to safely hand off the baton, ensuring the country ended with a medal.

Defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Julien Alfred all turned in impressive opening runs to advance to the semi-finals of the Women’s 100m dash at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday.

American upstart Sha’Carri Richardson and the ever-improving Marie Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast also demonstrated their immense talents setting up what is expected to be an intense semi-final round and an electrifying final on Monday.

Fraser-Pryce, who is going for a record-extending sixth world 100m title allayed fears about the impact of her injured knee, blasted out of the blocks but did not engage the after-burners as she cruised through the line in 11.01.

Swiss champion Mujinga Kambundji who has had her own issues with injury this season, came in second in 11.08. New Zealand’s fastest woman Zoe Hobbs advanced to the semis finishing third in 11.14.

 In similar fashion, Jackson the 2022 silver medalist, cruised to victory in Heat 4 in 11.06. Trinidad and Tobago’s veteran Michelle Lee Ahye took second place in a season’s best 11.16 with Germany’s Gina Lukenkemper third in 11.21.

Alfred, the NCAA champion, shook off her rust by winning her heat in 10.99 while holding off Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, who clocked 11.03 for second place. Gambia’s Gina Bass was third in 11.10.

Meanwhile, the USA’s gold medal hopeful ShaCarri Richardson cruised to an easy win in her heat stopping the clock in 10.92 with Jamaica’s Natasha Morrison 11.02 trailing in her wake. Italy’s Daynab Dosso ran a national record 11.14 to finish third and also advance to the semi-finals.

Ta Lou, who has run a lifetime best of 10.75 this season, let it known that she has no intention of being a bridesmaid at these championships, when she cruised to an easy time of 11.08 to win her heat ahead of Jamaica’s Sashalee Forbes, who clocked in at 11.12.

Buoyed by the cheers of her home crowd, Hungary’s Boglárka Takacs, finished third in 11.18.

Britanny Brown of the USA won her heat in 11.01 ahead of Great Britain's medal hopeful Dina Asher-Smith and Jaël Bestue of Spain who clocked 11.28.

Polish sprint star Ewa Swoboda also turned in an impressive performance storming to a 10.98 run to win her heat ahead of the USA’s Tamari Davis (11.06) and N'Ketia Seedo of the Netherlands, who clocked in at 11.11, a new personal best.

In a remarkable display of resilience and determination, Olympic relay gold medallist, Briana Williams, defied the odds and made a triumphant comeback at the Jamaica National Athletics Championships on Friday night.

Despite battling injuries throughout the season, she managed to finish fourth in the highly competitive 100m race, clocking in at a season's best time of 11.01 seconds.

The race was dominated by some of Jamaica's finest sprinters, with Shericka Jackson leading the pack and setting a world-leading time of 10.65 seconds to claim victory. Sashalee Forbes, who achieved a personal best of 10.96 seconds, secured second place, closely followed by Natasha Morrison in third place with a time of 10.98 seconds.

For Williams, this achievement was nothing short of miraculous. Just a week prior, her hopes of participating in the trials seemed bleak after suffering an injury. However, through the relentless efforts of the staff at the YB Rehabilitation Centre, she made a remarkable recovery, defying the odds to secure a spot on Jamaica's team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

In a post-race interview, Williams expressed her gratitude, acknowledging the support she received during her challenging journey. "Last week, the unbelievable happened to me, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to run at trials this week. The YB Rehabilitation Center worked tirelessly on me, and I just want to thank God that I made it out here and was able to run all three healthy races," she revealed.

 While the fourth-place finish may not have been her ultimate goal, Williams remained positive, focusing on the progress she had made despite the setbacks.

"The season's not over. I still have more personal bests to run, but I just want to thank God that I still made the team," she said, emphasizing her determination to continue improving.

The Olympic relay gold medallist also highlighted the improvements in her race execution, crediting her coaches at Titans International for their unwavering support and guidance. She acknowledged the hard work they put into refining her performance and expressed confidence in her increased strength compared to the previous year.

“Definitely a lot stronger than last year. Just a few more things to work on and just focused on being healthy for the rest of the season so I can get lower my times each race.

“Right now it's going well. I'm just happy that I made it without feeling it (the hamstring) and I'm so grateful.”

World champion athletes Steven Gardiner and Shericka Jackson are among Caribbean headliners set to compete at the Miramar Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex on Saturday.

Gardiner, who is making a return after missing the 2022 World Championships in Oregon with an inflamed tendon, will run the 200m against a line-up that includes Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Botswana’s World U20 100m champion Letsile Tebogo.

The USA’s Kenny Bednarek will also compete in the half-lap sprint that is expected to be electric.

Meanwhile, Jackson, the reigning world 200m women’s champion, will take on a crack field in what will be her third 400m run for the season. She will line up against fellow Jamaicans, the Olympic finalist Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Janieve Russell and Charokee Young as well as American 400m hurdler Shamier Little and Aliya Adams.

World championships finalist Oblique Seville is among 22 sprinters listed for the 100m. The Jamaican prospect will take on compatriots Ackeem Blake, Andrew Hudson, Raheem Chambers, Oshane Bailey, and Michael Campbell for a lane in the finals.

Cejhae Green of Antigua and Barbuda, Ian Kerr of the Bahamas and Eric Harrison Jr of Trinidad and Tobago will also be aiming to make it into the finals. American veteran Mike Rodgers and current star Ronnie Baker will also be in contention.

Among the women, Briana Williams returns to her former training ground, hoping to make up for her poor performance over 200m at the recent Velocity Fest meet at the national stadium in Kingston. However, she will have her work cut out for her as she runs her first 100m this season.

A crack field has been assembled that includes the mercurial American Sha’Carri Richardson, compatriots Twanisha Terry, Teahna Daniels, Cambrea Sturgis, Melissa Jefferson and Javianne Oliver as well as Jamaicans Natasha Morrison, Jonielle Smith, Shockoria Wallace and Kashieka Cameron.

The 200m dash for women also promises to be intriguing with the likes of Caribbean stars World Championship 400m bronze medallist Sada Williams lining up against Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas and Jamaica’s Natalliah Whyte.

The race will also include the supremely talented Abby Steiner, Tamari Davis and Kyra Jefferson.

Machel Cedenio lines up in the 400m against Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald and Alonzo Russell of the Bahamas. They will represent Caribbean pride as they do battle with the USA’s Michael Cherry and Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith.

Shafiqua Maloney of St Vincent and the Grenadines will take up the USA’s Ajee Wilson over 800m while Rajay Hamilton goes in the men’s equivalent against Puerto Rico’s Ryan Sanchez.

BVI’s Kyron McMaster will take on Marvin Williams of Jamaica and Andre Colebrook of the Bahamas over the 400m hurdles while Orlando Bennett, Damion Thomas of Jamaica and Shane Brathwaite of Barbados will challenge the might of American Daniel Roberts in the 110m hurdles.

Amoi Brown of Jamaica faces a tough field of Tonea Marshall, Anna Cockrell and Gabby Cunningham in the 100m hurdles that also features Haitian talent Mulern Jean.

In the field events, the long jump for both men and women should provide solid entertainment as 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle, who has been gradually making a return from a long-term knee injury has been included in a field that also has LaQuan Nairn of the Bahamas and Andwuelle Wright of Trinidad and Tobago.

They will have their hands full facing Japan’s Shoutarou Shiroyama.

The women’s event promises to be an evenly matched affair as Jamaica’s Chanice Porter and Barbados’ Akela Jones will match skills against the USA’s Tiffany Flynn and Taliyah Brooks.

Danniel Thomas-Dodd and Lloydricia Cameron will be aiming for podium spots in the shot put as they take on the likes of Adelaide Aquilla and Khayla Dawson of the USA.

Shericka Jackson and Sada Williams produced standout performances at the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday when rising star Tina Clayton took the scalp of Briana Williams in their first encounter as professionals over 200m.

Jackson was the toast of the meet with a stirring run down the home stretch to clock a meet record and season best 50.92, her fastest time ever in March. The reigning world 200m champion has her eyes set on going faster than the 21.45 she ran to win her first ever global title in Eugene, Oregon last summer and on the evidence of what she has accomplished so far this season building on her endurance, she is well on track.

Coming off the final turn, Jackson running in lane six, found herself trailing Elite Performance’s Stacey-Ann Williams, the Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist and simply shifted gears to surge past the 24-year-old quarter-miler towards the finish line.

Williams ran a creditable 51.59 for second place while Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion Janieve Russell finished third in 52.77.

The men’s race was equally thrilling with 2022 Carifta Games champion Roshawn Clarke, who is now at Swept Track Club, holding off the field to win in a personal best 45.85.

Titan’s International runner Assinie Wilson clocked 45.95 for second place. Malik Kymani James King ran a season-best 46.39 for third.

The 200m races were run in an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ and both were interesting for different reasons.

The ‘A’ final featured World Championship bronze medalist Sada Williams of Barbados, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion and she looked every bit the part as she ran down Toyko 4x100m relay gold medallist Natasha Morrison to win in a season-best 22.98.

Morrison held on for second place in 23.24 while Tovea Jenkins was third in 23.91.

The ‘B’ final had two of Jamaica’s rising sprint stars, Briana Williams, who celebrated her 21^st birthday on Tuesday, March 21 and 18-year-old Tina Clayton, the World U20 100m champion.

In truth, it was expected to be a close contest, but it wasn’t.

Clayton running inside Williams’ surged past her elder rival midway the curve and extended her lead once she hit the straight before going on to win in 23.69. Williams, who got a poor start and ran a poor curve, tightened up down the stretch and was passed by Indian sprinter Srabandi Wada, who finished second in 23.98, forcing the Jamaican to settle for fourth in a disappointing 24.03.

The Men’s 100m final proved to be anti-climactic as the three main protagonists Zharnel Hughes, Julian Forte and Nigel Ellis, all of whom looked sharp in their preliminary heats, were disqualified after false starts.

Without them, Canada’s Brendon Rodney stormed to victory in a personal best 10.17, just ahead of Wolmer’s Boys Jehlani Gordon who ran a personal best 10.22 and the ‘msyterious’ Sachin Dennis, who was third in a season-best 10.23.

Tyler Mason came up trumps in the 110m hurdles winning in 13.68, well clear of Odario Phillips 13.83 and LaFranz Campbell 13.85.

Elvis Graham of GC Foster established a meet record 74.58m to win the javelin over Oraine Thomas (68.97m) and Devon Spencer 68.32m.

Fedrick Dacres threw 64.29m to win the men’s discus ahead of clubmate Traves Smikle (63.77), and Kai Chang of the University of the West Indies (60.69m

Amoi Brown uncorked a lifetime best time to win the 60m hurdles at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas on Friday when Natasha Morrison and Tina Clayton were second and third, respectively, in the 60m Open.

Sada Williams was also third in the 300m Open at the meet where rising star Briana Lyston, a freshman at LSU, ran a personal best over 60m.

Brown, who trains with MVP Track Club, won her preliminary round heat in a personal best 8.13 but had more in store for the final where she blazed to victory in a new lifetime best time of 8.04.

She was comfortably clear of Great Britain’s Cindy Sember, who produced a season best 8.11 for second place just ahead of Florida’s Imani Carothers who ran a lifetime best of 8.15.

Meantime, in the 60m dash, Morrison clocked 7.30 to finish behind Jayda Baylark, who replicated her time of 7.23 from the preliminary round.

Clayton, the World U20 100m champion, in her indoor debut, ran 7.24 in the preliminary round but was unable to replicate or go faster, finishing third in 7.38.

Sada Williams, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist ran 37.13 while finishing third in the 300m. She trailed Great Britain’s Nicole Yeargin, who produced a personal best 36.80 for second place behind the USA’s Alexis Holmes, who also ran a personal best 36.71.

Four-hundred-metre hurdlers Janieve Russell and Andranette Knight ran 37.30 and 37.37 for fourth and fifth, respectively.

Lyston, meanwhile, ran a personal best 7.29 to win her heat and qualify for the preliminary round of the 60m dash. However, she took no further part in the competition.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be in Zurich this week after all.

There were victories for Tajay Gayle and Shanieka Ricketts at the XXXV Meeting Citta di Padova in Italy on Sunday.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was narrowly beaten by American Sha’Carri Richardson in the Women’s 100m at the Luzern World Athletics Continental Tour-Silver Meet in Switzerland on Tuesday.

In -2.0 second winds, Thompson-Herah ran 11.30 to narrowly finish behind Richardson (11.29). The USA’s Celera Barnes ran 11.40 for third.

Jamaica’s Natasha Morrison was victorious in the B-final in 11.42 ahead of Egypt’s Bassant Hemida (11.44) and Gambia’s Gina Bass (11.50).

On the Men’s side, World Championship semi-finalist Ackeem Blake ran 10.22 for third behind Commonwealth champion Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya (10.18) and American World Championship silver medallist Marvin Bracy (10.17).