After a disappointing exit in the semi-finals of the 100m at the Paris Olympics in August, Jamaica's Ackeem Blake made it his mission to win the Diamond League title. The 22-year-old sprinter, who had entered the Olympics with high hopes, was left dejected after finishing fifth in his semi-final heat with a time of 10.06 seconds. However, Blake was determined not to let that setback define his season.

With the guidance of his coach, Michael Frater, Blake refocused his efforts on the Diamond League Final in Brussels. "After a devastating exit in the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, my team and I decided that we must put all our resources into making and taking the Diamond League Final," Blake revealed on Instagram after his victory.

The Jamaican sprinter knew that he needed to prove himself on the international stage, and the Diamond League presented the perfect opportunity to do so.

Blake's resolve to rebound from his Olympic disappointment was fueled by the belief that he had more to offer. Earlier in the year, he had shown glimpses of his potential by winning a bronze medal in the 60m dash at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. With a personal best of 9.89 seconds, Blake knew he had the speed to compete with the world's best. What he needed was the mental fortitude to bounce back after a major setback.

Frater played a crucial role in this mental and physical preparation. Blake credited his coach for guiding him through every phase of his comeback. “In this moment, I was deeply focused,” Blake said. “I could hear my coach guiding me through every phase of the race.” The meticulous planning and intense focus that went into preparing for the Diamond League paid off as Blake stormed to victory in a time of 9.93 seconds, defeating a high-calibre field that included American sprinters Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.

Blake's triumph in the Diamond League was not just about the win itself but about redemption and resilience. It was a testament to his determination to overcome adversity and a reminder that setbacks can serve as stepping stones to success.

Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake and the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando both secured wins at the Gala dei Castelli, a two-day World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Bellinzola, Switzerland from September 8-9.

Blake, a bronze medallist at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow earlier this season, continued his fine form lately with 9.96 to win the men’s 100m ahead of South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.04) and Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (10.11).

Ogando, a 200m finalist at the Paris Olympics last month, won the event in Switzerland comfortably in 20.19 ahead of Canada’s Aaron Brown (20.49) and Switzerland’s William Reis (20.55).

Both Blake and Ogando will be in action at the Wanda Diamond League final from September 13-14 in Brussels.

On the women’s side, Puerto Rican Olympic medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn took top spot in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.52, just ahead of American Grace Stark (12.54). Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji ran 12.82 in third.

Camacho-Quinn will also be in action in Brussels.

Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred will only be doing the 100m at the Wanda Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium from September 13-14.

The 23-year-old St. Lucian, who also took 200m silver at the Paris Olympics last month, confirmed her participation in the marquee event after her run at the Zurich Diamond League on September 6.

There, in her first race since her history-making performance in Paris, Alfred produced a time of 10.88 to finish second to American Sha’Carri Richardson in a rematch of the final in Paris where Alfred took gold in a personal best and St. Lucian record 10.72.

“It felt good. Right now, I’m just really having fun and trying to finish strong,” Alfred told Citius Mag after her race in Zurich, noting that she hasn’t really got a chance to relax since Paris.

“I did for a few days but I really haven’t had a chance to take it all in yet,” she said.

The 2023 Bowerman Award winner described her training since the Olympics as “up and down,” noting that she’s still just fine tuning and working on other things.

As it relates to her final race of the season in Brussels, Alfred says she has no particular goal in mind.

“Nothing in particular, really. Just finishing strong. That’s all I care about,” she said.

Finally, Alfred still hasn’t got a chance to go back to St. Lucia since the Olympics, instead heading to her home base in Texas to finish out the season.

“Just celebrating with my country” was Alfred’s response when asked what she’s looking forward to when she returns home for the first time as an Olympic champion.

Olympic finalists Roshawn Clarke and Shiann Salmon both produced their best performances of the season in winning efforts at the Zurich Diamond League on Friday.

Clarke, who was a DNF in the Olympic final in Paris last month, ran a season’s best 47.49 to win in a stacked men’s 400m hurdles ahead of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (47.58) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.02).

Salmon, sixth place in the final in Paris, dipped below 53 seconds for the first time in her career with an excellent personal best 52.97 to win ahead of Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell (53.17) and Shamier Little (54.07).

Also, among the winners on Friday was Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock who produced a best jump of 8.17m to take top spot over rival and Olympic and World champion Miltiadis Tentoglu (8.02m) and Simon Ehammer (7.98m).

Two-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters threw 85.72m to take the win in the men’s javelin ahead of Germany’s Julian Weber (85.33m) and Japan’s Roderick Genki Dean (82.69m).

In a much-anticipated Olympic final rematch in the women’s 100m, American Sha’Carri Richardson (10.84) this time secured victory over St. Lucian Olympic champion Julien Alfred (10.88) and British 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith (10.89).

Puerto Rican Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran 12.36 to win the women's 100m hurdles ahead of Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.40) and Olympic champion Masai Russell (12.47).

2021 Olympic champion Hansle Parchment ran a season’s best 13.18 for fourth in the men’s 110m hurdles won by Olympic champion Grant Holloway in 12.99. Sasha Zhoya took second in a personal best 13.10 while Freddie Crittenden ran 13.15 in third.

Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic ran a respectable 19.87 for fifth in the men’s 200m. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo took the win in a fast 19.55, just ahead of American Kenny Bednarek (19.57). Erriyon Knighton ran 19.79 in third while Fred Kerley ran 19.81 in fourth.

The next stop on the Diamond League circuit will be the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 13 and 14.

Two of the medal favorites in the Women’s 100m at the World Athletics U-20 Championships in Lima, Peru, Jamaica’s Alana Reid and BVI’s Adaejah Hodge, both successfully advanced from the heats on Tuesday’s opening day of the youth track and field showcase.

Hodge was first up, competing in the first heat alongside Caribbean counterpart Kishawna Niles from Barbados.

As expected, Hodge cruised to 11.45, the fastest time in the heats, to win ahead of Niles who will also be in the semifinals after running 11.63 in second.

Reid, Jamaica’s national junior 100m record holder, was up next in the third heat.

The former Hydel High standout, who represented her country in the Women’s 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics recently, ran a comfortable 11.46 to win her heat.

Dominican Republic’s Liranyi Alonso (11.77) and Puerto Rico’s Frances Colon (11.83) also booked spots in the semi-finals.

On the Men’s side, Jamaica’s Gary Card and Deandre Daley secured safe passage through to the semifinals.

Card, who has a personal and season’s best of 10.07 which he did to defeat Daley at the JAAA National Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston in June, eased to a time of 10.40 to win the fifth heat.

Daley, a 10.08 performer at his best, recovered from a stumble at the start of his race to cruise home in 10.37 to win heat six.

Bahamian Carlos Brown Jr (10.48) also made it through to the semis scheduled for later on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Jamaica’s quartet of Demarco Bennett, Nastassia Fletcher, Marcinho Rose and Alliah Baker advanced to the final of the Mixed 4x400m relay with a time of 3:24.77 to finish second in their heat behind Germany who won in 3:24.10.

In the field, Jamaica’s Shaiquan Dunn threw 19.53m to advance to the final of the Men’s shot put.

In the triple jump, Jamaica’s Chavez Penn barely booked a spot in the final, jumping 15.32m to take the twelfth and final spot, finishing just two centimeters ahead of Colombia’s Santiago Theran.

Trinidad & Tobago's Janae De Gannes produced 6.03m to advance to the final of the women's long jump.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked a historic moment for the English-speaking Caribbean, with athletes from the region delivering extraordinary performances that etched their names into Olympic history. This edition of the Games was particularly significant for several Caribbean nations, as they celebrated groundbreaking victories and shattered longstanding records, further solidifying the region's presence on the global stage.

St Lucia experienced a moment of immense national pride, as the island nation secured its first-ever Olympic medals in spectacular fashion. Julien Alfred became a household name after she clinched gold in the women’s 100m, blazing across the finish line in a remarkable 10.72 seconds, breaking her own national record and earning St Lucia its first Olympic gold. Alfred’s incredible speed nearly led her to a double triumph, but she settled for silver in the women’s 200m, clocking a commendable 22.08 seconds. These achievements not only catapulted Alfred into the spotlight but also marked a historic milestone for St Lucia, a small island nation now basking in the glory of its Olympic success.

Dominica also had its first taste of Olympic victory, thanks to the outstanding performance of Thea LaFond. Competing in the women’s triple jump, LaFond delivered a stunning leap of 15.02m, breaking the national record and securing Dominica’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. LaFond’s triumph in Paris resonated deeply within the nation, bringing joy and pride to Dominicans worldwide.

Grenada, a nation with a rich Olympic history, added to its growing medal tally with two more bronze medals. Anderson Peters, a seasoned javelin thrower, once again demonstrated his prowess by securing bronze in the men’s javelin throw with an impressive distance of 88.54m. Lindon Victor further bolstered Grenada’s standing with a hard-fought bronze in the men’s decathlon, excelling across 10 grueling events to earn his place on the podium.

It was the first time that the Spice Island had won multiple medals at the same Olympic Games. These achievements continued Grenada’s tradition of Olympic success, adding new chapters to the island’s storied athletic history.

Jamaica, a nation synonymous with sprinting dominance, experienced a shift in its Olympic narrative at the 2024 Games, with the majority of its six medals coming from field events. Roje Stona led the charge, breaking the Olympic record in the men’s discus throw with a colossal throw of 70.00m, securing Jamaica’s first and only gold medal of the Games. Wayne Pinnock contributed to the island’s medal haul with a silver in the men’s long jump, leaping an impressive 8.36m. Rajindra Campbell added to the field event success with a bronze in the men’s shot put, delivering a powerful throw of 22.15m.

Shanieka Ricketts also created history when she won the silver medal in the triple jump, securing Jamaica’s first ever medal in the field at an Olympic Games.

In addition to their field event successes, Jamaica’s sprinters also made their mark. Kishane Thompson, a rising star in the sprinting world, claimed silver in the men’s 100m with a blistering time of 9.79 seconds, a result determined by a photo finish that showcased the razor-thin margins of victory at the highest level.

 Rasheed Broadbell added to Jamaica’s sprinting legacy by earning a bronze in the 110m hurdles, clocking a season-best 13.09 seconds in another photo finish that highlighted the intense competition in Paris.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be remembered as a landmark event for the Caribbean, where athletes from St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, and Jamaica not only created history but also underscored the region’s growing influence in global athletics. These remarkable performances brought immense pride to their nations and showcased the Caribbean’s burgeoning talent and determination on the world stage. As the athletes returned home, they carried with them not just medals, but also the hopes and dreams of their countries, inspiring future generations to strive for greatness.

American Noah Lyles added the Olympic 100m title to his World 100m crown won last year in Budapest with a narrow victory over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and American Fred Kerley in the final of the men’s 100m at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.

Thompson, the Jamaican national champion and current world leader in the event, looked set to claim his maiden Olympic gold medal at about the 85m mark before Lyles used his trademark fast finish to just out-dip him in the end.

Both Lyles and Thompson ended with identical times of 9.79 but Lyles won by five thousandths of a second when the times were rounded down. Lyles’ time was 9.784 compared to Thompson’s 9.789.

Fred Kerley, the 2022 World champion, ran 9.81 for bronze.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine narrowly missed out on a medal running 9.82 in fourth while defending champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy was fifth in 9.85.

Letsile Tebogo (9.86), Kenneth Bednarek (9.88) and Oblique Seville (9.91) rounded out the field.

In a moment of unprecedented triumph for St Lucia, Julien Alfred captured the island's first-ever Olympic medal with a stunning victory in the women's 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Racing in driving rain, Alfred clocked a sensational 10.72 seconds, setting a new national record and defeating world champion Sha'Carri Richardson and her American teammate Melissa Jefferson.

The jubilation was palpable across St Lucia as citizens gathered at multiple watch parties to witness this historic achievement.

To ensure widespread access to this historic moment, the government organized the parties for the expectant citizenry to cheer their heroine on. “What happened is that we set up four locations because we really wanted people to have it at their convenience. The population of Castries has dwindled over the years as people have moved to the outskirts so we had a watch party in Soufrière, in my constituency of Gros Islet, we had in Ciceron, which is her home community, we had a watch party there as well. So, we really had it spread throughout St Lucia and in the South we had it at the View Fort Square,” said Sports Minister Kenson Casimir, who also articulated the collective elation of the nation in the wake of Alfred's landmark win.

"We are ecstatic! We are beyond description right now in terms of what was just achieved as a people," Casimir exclaimed. “Winning an Olympic medal whether it be gold, silver or bronze, a lot of the time the rhetoric is that Julien Alfred won or that sort of thing, the conversation now begins to circle around St Lucia winning a gold medal and this is why there was always a siren call for Corporate St Lucia and other individuals to get involved.

“First National Bank in St Lucia did an awesome job in sponsoring Julien and other athletes and our island championships on the weekend so we have seen the fruits of all what was put in place for our athletes to really thrive.”

Casimir also highlighted his personal pride as the first sports minister under whose tenure St Lucia has won an Olympic gold. "As the first sports minister to bring home a gold for St Lucia, I am absolutely elated."

Reflecting on Alfred's previous accomplishments, including her World Indoor 60m title in Glasgow in March, Casimir hinted at an even grander celebration to come. "Absolutely! It is going to be out of this world; colossal. We've always believed that Julien was special, and she deserves all the credit for her hard work, both mentally and physically. We are really just excited to see what’s next for her.”

In an unexpected turn of events at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the 100m semi-finals on Saturday, ending her bid for a record-extending fifth Olympic medal in the event.

The news broke minutes before the highly anticipated race, which included medal favourites, Julien Alfred, the eventual gold medal winner and World Champion Sha'Carri Richardson, who won silver. While unconfirmed reports suggest Fraser-Pryce sustained an injury during her warm-up, the exact details remain unclear.

The 37-year-old Fraser-Pryce, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 100m from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, has had an illustrious career marked by consistency and excellence. She is the only woman in history to win medals in the 100m at four consecutive Olympic Games, a testament to her enduring talent and determination.

In what was set to be her final Olympic 100m appearance, Fraser-Pryce's withdrawal was a significant blow to her fans and supporters worldwide. However, in a heartfelt statement, she expressed her deep gratitude to those who have supported her throughout her remarkable career.

"It is difficult for me to find the words to even describe the depth of my disappointment. I know that my supporters share and shoulder this disappointment with me. I am truly Blessed to have had the steadfast support of my fans since my Olympic debut in 2008,” she said.

“The support of my fans, my country, and the larger community has rooted me in immense gratitude that has sustained me over the course of my career. With every step, with every win, you all have been there for me. My Faith has always affirmed me to trust my journey. Thank you for continuing to be with me today and every day."

Fraser-Pryce's statement reflects her profound appreciation for the support she has received from her fans, her country, and the global athletics community. Her career, marked by numerous accolades and groundbreaking achievements, has inspired countless individuals and cemented her legacy as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.

In addition to her two Olympic gold medals, Fraser-Pryce's illustrious career includes five 100m World Championship titles and a 200m title, as well as a silver medal in the 200m at the London 2012 Olympics and a 200m silver at the World Championships in Oregon in 2022. Her accomplishments on the world stage have solidified her status as a true icon in the sport of track and field.

As the athletics world comes to terms with the end of Fraser-Pryce's Olympic career, her words serve as a reminder of the challenges and unpredictability inherent in sports. Her journey, characterized by resilience and faith, continues to inspire, and her legacy will undoubtedly endure, regardless of the outcome of a single race.

While her quest for a fifth Olympic 100m medal may have ended prematurely, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's impact on the sport and her indomitable spirit remains as powerful as ever.

Three-time Olympic Gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and reigning World champion Sha’Carri Richardson were temporarily denied entry to the warm-up track at the Stade de France in Paris as they arrived to prepare for the semifinals and final of the Women’s 100m at the Paris Olympics on Saturday afternoon.

Video circulating on social media showed both Fraser-Pryce and Richardson waiting outside the gate to enter the facility as security officials denied them entry.

Both athletes reportedly arrived to the venue in private vehicles rather than the team shuttle provided by the organizers and were told they would have to get into the venue another way.

A second video showed Fraser-Pryce trying to make sense of the situation.

“She said they changed the rule yesterday. How can you change the rule and then not say? So, they’re asking all the athletes who, for whatever reason, don’t stay in the village, they can’t come through the gate?” Fraser-Pryce said.

“We came through this gate yesterday and went through security and were okay. The man said we have to go all the way up where everybody else is entering to come back down here. That’s crazy,” she added.

Fraser-Pryce and Richardson are expected to battle for gold in the 100m.

The semifinals are set to start at 12:50pm Jamaica Time (1:50pm EST) with the final scheduled for 2:20pm (3:20pm EST).

The semifinals of the women’s 100m at the Paris Olympics will provide some of the most anticipated battles of the athletics programme.

With all the projected medal contenders successfully making it through the heats on Friday, the fields for Saturday’s semifinals have been set with a monumental clash set to take place in the second semifinal between three of the fastest women on earth.

The second semifinal will see Jamaica’s three-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce lining up against American reigning World champion and current world leader Sha’Carri Richardson as well as St. Lucian reigning World Indoor 60m champion and 2023 Bowerman Award winner Julien Alfred.

Fraser-Pryce was the fastest of the three in Friday’s heats with her 10.92 to finish second behind Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith in the eighth and final heat.

Richardson ran 10.94 to win the first heat while Alfred won the second heat in 10.95.

The rest of the field for semifinal two includes Gina Bass-Bittaye, Rosemary Chukwuma, Bree Masters, Patrizia Van de Weken, Imani Lansiquot and Gladymar Torres.

Jamaica’s Shashalee Forbes will contest the first semifinal against the likes of Ta Lou-Smith, who was fastest in the heats with her 10.87, 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith and World Indoor Championships 60m silver medallist Ewa Swoboda. Zaynab Dosso, Rani Rosius, Melissa Jeffferson, Mujinga Kambundji and Boglarka Takacs complete the field in that semifinal.

Jamaica’s Tia Clayton and Trinidad & Tobago’s Leah Bertrand will contest the third semifinal. That field is completed by Daryll Neita, Audrey Leduc, TeeTee Terry, Karolina Manasova, Zoe Hobbs, Gina Lueckenkemper and Delphine Nkansa.

The top two from each semifinal will advance to the final along with the next two fastest times.

The semifinals are set to start at 12:50pm Jamaica Time (1:50pm EST) with the final scheduled for 2:20pm (3:20pm EST).

As the highly anticipated men’s 100m showdown at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approaches, Stephen Francis, coach of Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson, remains unfazed by the prospect of Noah Lyles's mind games. Thompson, who boasts the fastest time in the world this year at 9.77 seconds set at the national championships in June, is seen as a formidable contender for the Olympic title.

 The blue-riband sprint promises to be an electrifying event, with Jamaicans aiming to reclaim the Olympic title last held by Usain Bolt, who won his third consecutive 100m gold at the 2016 Rio Games. Italy’s Marcel Jacobs claimed the title at Tokyo 2020, but American Noah Lyles, the 2023 World Champion, is determined to become the first American since Justin Gatlin in 2004 to win the Olympic 100m title.

 Lyles, who ran a lifetime best of 9.81 seconds at the London Diamond League meet, exudes confidence heading into Paris. “I beat everyone that I touch. I don’t see why the Jamaicans are any different. This is what I pray for, this is what I live for and I back myself up, don’t I?” Lyles stated.

 However, Francis believes that Lyles’s psychological tactics will have little impact on Thompson. “I don't think Noah Lyles can play mind games this time," Francis remarked in response to a question from Sportsmax’s Donald Oliver. “I think you will find he plays mind games with those he is faster than. I don't think he will have the opportunity this time around, but we will see if his mind games work on people who have demonstrated they are a lot faster than he is.”

 Lyles faces a formidable challenge from the Jamaican duo of Thompson and Oblique Seville. With Thompson’s blistering 9.77 and Seville’s own impressive performances, the stage is set for a thrilling contest.

Citing recent injury concerns and a strategic focus on the 200m, two-time World Athletics 200m champion Shericka Jackson has withdrawn from the 100m event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Jackson, who has been chasing the 36-year-old world record in the 200m, emphasized the need to protect her body and concentrate on excelling in one event as the Games approach.

"It's a combination of things," Jackson explained at a media event on Wednesday at Puma House. "I got hurt in Hungary and it's a good decision to run one event. I think this is just to protect my body. For the last three years, I've been competing in both events, and I think this decision is a combination of both, just focusing on one event and what happened in Hungary."

Jackson's pursuit of the world record saw her come agonizingly close at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023, where she clocked 21.41 seconds, breaking her own championship record of 21.45 seconds set in Oregon the previous year. Her 21.41 is the second-fastest time ever run by a woman over 200m.

Despite her impressive form, Jackson has decided to focus solely on the 200m at Paris 2024. "That decision was based on coach and I," she told Olympics.com at a press meet-up on Tuesday in Paris. "It's a combination of a lot of stuff. And I made that decision not to contest the 100m and focus only on the 200, and I think we're pretty happy with that. I just [want] to compete at my best, as everybody is here to win.”

Jackson is also uncertain about her participation in the 4x100m relay, an event in which she helped Jamaica secure an Olympic title at Tokyo 2020. "The focus is on the individual event first and then we speak about the relay after," she stated.

In her last race on July 9 at the Gyulai István Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Jackson pulled up on the home stretch of the 200m. Despite this setback, she assured fans that she is in good shape to challenge for her first individual Olympic title. "Honestly, I was only supposed to compete in that event, and as coach stated, we only run a few races in Europe, and I think that was the only race all of us were supposed to run… I'm in pretty good shape," said the five-time Olympic medallist.

Jackson's primary target remains the 200m title rather than the world record of 21.34 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988. "Given how I have been progressing this season, I don't think the world record is on my mind right now," she said.

 Four-time Olympic 100m medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is embracing the experience as she prepares for what will be her last Olympic Games, though not necessarily her final season in track and field. Speaking to Jamaican media in Paris on Monday, Fraser-Pryce expressed her enthusiasm to compete, despite the significant challenges posed by injuries that have limited her to just four races this season. Her latest setback forced her to withdraw from her last race prior to arriving in Paris.

 The 37-year-old sprint legend has a storied Olympic career, having won gold in the 100m in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. She captured bronze while battling a toe injury in Rio 2016 and secured silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games, making her the only woman to medal in the 100m at four consecutive Olympics. Fraser-Pryce will aim to extend her record with a fifth 100m medal when competition begins on August 2.

"It's the final Olympic Games; let me repeat that," Fraser-Pryce said hinting that Paris will not be her final season in the sport. "I think this time around I have been having a good experience with the Olympic spirit, just meeting people. Yesterday I went to a rugby match (to watch her new friend and massive fan Michaela Blyde of New Zealand play), the first time going to a rugby match. Considering that my competition is this week, that would probably be the last competition I go to before I get to compete but it has been a good experience."

Fraser-Pryce, who finished third at the Jamaican national championships in late June, shared her positive outlook on her Olympic preparations.

"So far it has been good. Again, always excited to step on the track. That's where you kind of unleash everything that you have been experiencing, how training has been going, how you really want to represent not just yourself but your country and I think ultimately for me being here at the fifth Olympic Games is such a blessing. When I look back, like five, it's crazy to even think about and the fact that it has been five straight Olympic Games, it's even more crazy but it's just the blessings, about how God has been good to me and how He has kept me so I'm really looking forward to the experience, stepping on the track and always, once I get on the line I'm giving 100 per cent at all times and that's what I'm looking forward to."

Acknowledging the competitiveness of the field, Fraser-Pryce emphasized the importance of focus and determination.

"The field is always tough. It's the Olympic Games, it's every four years so whenever anybody lines up I think it's really about doing their best because for some people this is one shot because the Olympics is every four years so for me I am always of the expectation that it is going to be competitive no matter where I am at; whether it's an Olympic Games, a World Championships or a track meet, it's going to be competitive so you have to have that in your head space, get on the line and make sure you're focused on yourself and get the job done."

Trinidadian four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon has named Jamaican sprinting sensation Kishane Thompson as his favourite to take 100m gold at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Thompson, 23, is currently the world leader in the event after running a personal best 9.77 to win the 100m title at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston in June.

The MVP Track Club-trained sprinter also produced times of 9.82 and 9.84 in the heats and semi-finals, respectively, at those national championships and, most recently, ran 9.91 shutting down to win at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary on July 9.

“Thompson is the favourite,” Boldon said in an interview with LetsRundotcom on YouTube on Friday.

“I know Noah (Lyles) is the World champion. I think Noah made it a little bit more interesting by running that 9.81 into a headwind which kind of almost converts to a 9.77 but there’s no way you can look at the way in which Thompson ran that 9.77 and just go ‘Oh Noah will beat him.’ Noah has his hands full with that guy,” Boldon said.

Blazing speed acknowledged, one thing that Thompson lacks that his other competitors don’t is experience competing at the highest level of the sport with this being his first time representing Jamaica at any level.

If there is anything to prevent Thompson from delivering on the form that he’s shown so far this season, Boldon believes that would be this lack of experience on a stage like the Olympic Games compared to his peers.

“There are things which I see people completely ignoring. Kishane Thompson has not been under the microscope of Olympic favourite. Rounds are a great equalizer. Noah has the medals that he does because of how well he runs rounds. Is Noah suddenly a lock for the silver? No but he does have his hands full,” he said.

“There are others who are going to be in the 100m that are used to the pressure and pressure is a big thing. If he’s able to pull this off, you write books about stuff like that,” he added.

 Thompson's quest for Olympic glory will begin in the heats of the men's 100m beginning on Saturday' August 3.