Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association and Jamaica’s sports minister Olivia Grange have hailed Elaine Thompson-Herah on her historic win of the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award on Sunday.
No Jamaican female athlete had ever taken home the prestigious award that began in 2000.
The Jamaican sprint queen won on the back of her historic achievements last summer when she became the first woman in Olympic history to win the 100/200m sprint double at consecutive Olympic Games and added a third gold medal to her trophy case when she ran the second leg of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that won in a national record of 41.02.
She would go on to create even more history when she ran times of 10.54 to become the second-fastest woman of all time while winning the 100m in Eugene, Oregon, and then added times of 10.64 and 10.65 to be the only woman to run faster than 10.7 on four occasions.
Her achievements topped USA’s Allyson Felix (athletics), Australia’s Ashleigh Barty (tennis), Australia’s Emma McKeon (swimming) and USA’s Katie Ledecky and drew praise from the JAAA and the Jamaican government.
"Becoming the second Jamaican and the first female to win the prestigious Laureus Award is a significant achievement for Elaine and by extension Jamaica,” said Gayle.
“This is also a boost for women in track and field and other sports to aim for the highest. We are particularly proud of Elaine for her continuous achievements on and off the track. This definitely sets the tone for a great year for all our athletes.”
Meanwhile, in a missive from the United Kingdom where she will launch the Jamaica 60 programme of activities in the United Kingdom on Monday evening, Minister Grange said Thompson-Herah was most deserving of the honour of “best athlete in the world”.
“This latest success for the fastest woman alive is a tribute to Thompson-Herah’s hard work and sacrifice,” Minister Grange said.
Thompson-Herah is the second Jamaican to win the award. Usain Bolt, won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.
A goal in each half from Maya Raghunandanan helped steer Jamaica to a 7-0 drubbing of Bermuda in their opening match in the CONCACAF U17 Women’s Championships in the Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Raghunandanan opened the scoring in the seventh minute and added a second in the 65th as Jamaica dominated the lop-sided affair to go top of Group F which also comprises Canada and the home team, the Dominican Republic.
Jamaica took 39 shots at goal, 12 on target and should have won by a more handsome margin. Notwithstanding, Avery Johnson added a second in the 11th minute and Tiny Seaton added a third in the 16th as Jamaica threatened to run rampant.
However, through faulty finishing by Jamaica, Bermuda managed to make it to the break without going further behind.
Jamaica added a fourth in the 47th minute courtesy of Tyesha Nelson but Jamaica had to wait a while before Raghunandanan got her second 18 minutes later. Shaneil Buckley added Jamaica’s sixth in the 78th minute.
Natoya Atkinson, who came on as a substitute for Johnson in the 64th completed the rout seven minutes from full time.
The Dominican Republic is set to face Canada later Sunday.
Panama defeated Trinidad and Tobago 5-1 and the United States swamped Grenada 20-0 on Saturday.
Tokyo Olympics triple gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah has won the Laureus Sportswoman Award for 2022. In doing so, she became the first Jamaican female athlete to win the coveted award that began in 2000.
The 29-year-old Thompson-Herah created history in Tokyo last year when she became the first woman in Olympic history to win the 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympic Games. She won the 100m in 10.61, breaking the previous record of 10.62 set by American Florence Griffith Joyner at the Seoul Games in 1988.
She then won the 200m in a lifetime best of 21.53, the second-fastest time in history. She won a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.
However, she was only getting started. Following the Olympics, she ran 10.54, the second-fastest time in history, to win the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon and then ran times of 10.64 and 10.65 to become the only woman in the history of the sport to run the 100m in under 10.70 four times.
“I really don’t think I can really express how it feels to be nominated amongst these wonderful and super talented ladies across their respective disciplines but to think that I could come out as the chosen winner of this prestigious award is just mind-blowing for me,” Thompson-Herah posted on Instagram in reaction to the news beneath a photograph of her holding her award.
“I would like to thank the Laureus Sports Academy for this wonderful recognition. I want to thank all my friends and family who have continuously supported me throughout my journey.”
She also thanked her sponsors Flow Jamaica, NCB Jamaica and Nike as well as her many fans.
“My fans, my fans! I love you guys so much, continue to motivate and pray for me as I set out to continuously rewrite the record books.”
Only one other Jamaican athlete has ever won the Laureus Sports Award. Usain Bolt won the Sportsman of the Year Award in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.
Formula One driver Max Verstappen won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award after winning his first title albeit under controversial circumstances.
Lamara Distin’s impressive season continued on Saturday when she won the high jump at the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Texas.
Olympic 110m hurdles champion, Hansle Parchment, opened his 2022 season by running 13.20 to win the Men’s 110m hurdles, at Velocity Fest 11, at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Parchment used an excellent start to win ahead of Rasheed Broadbell (13.31) and Michael O’Hara (13.52).
Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper was also in fine form running 12.80 to win the Women’s 100m hurdles ahead of Crystal Morrison (13.02) and Amoi Brown (13.33).
Nine-time World Championship gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also made her 2022 season debut with a second-place finish in the 200m.
Fraser-Pryce had her trademark fast start before jogging the last 50m of the race to finish with a time of 22.79. Bahamian Anthonique Strachan ran a season’s best 22.55 to take the win while Natasha Morrison was third in 23.06.
Remona Burchell ran 11.13 to win the Women’s 100m ahead of Jodean Williams (11.51) and Krystal Sloley (11.74).
The Men’s 100m was won by Ackeem Blake in a new personal best 10.08. 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake was second in a season’s best 10.11 and Kadrian Goldson was third in 10.20.
In the Women’s 400m, Candice McLeod won Section A in 51.20 ahead of Janieve Russell (51.96) and Rhonda Whyte (52.26).
Zandrion Barnes won the Men’s 400m in a personal best 45.69 ahead of Anthony Cox (45.84) and Demish Gaye (46.19).
Antonio Watson ran 20.56 to win the Men’s 200m ahead of Kishane Thompson (20.92) and Riquan Graham (21.25).
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard insists Jamaica international Leon Bailey merited a start against Leicester on Saturday, after a week of solid training.
Bailey’s addition to the starting line-up was a bit of a surprise, given the fact that it was just his second time in a starting line-up in 2022.
Bailey previously played the full 90 minutes against Wolves at the start of the month, but aside from that has been restricted to coming off the bench on six occasions since returning from injury.
"I thought it was a performance in the right direction for Leon. He's trained ever so well in the last week, 10 days. I think he's had a frustrating time. We spoke about that in the week, the likes of Bertrand Traore and Leon Bailey, ball carriers for us, people who can make the difference and help get the team up the pitch, especially when you're away from home against a Brendan Rodgers team,” Gerrard explained, following the match.
"At times, you're going to need people who can get you from one end of the pitch to another. That was the thinking behind his selection but, also, he's arguably been our best trainer and I want to reward people like that. He's doing it on a daily basis and I can't ignore people who are showing me that they deserve game time. So, all in all, I'm happy with his performance,” he added.
Despite missing a golden opportunity to put the team ahead, however, Gerrard is confident the player can contribute meaningfully before the end of the season.
"I thought he should have put us one up early on but, listen, I'll forgive him for that because he's in the right place. I'm sure with more game time, more sharpness and, if more opportunities fall for him again, I'm sure he can help us move forward."
18-year-old Omar Laing a standout player for St Andrew Technical (STATHS) during last season’s Manning Cup was shot and killed in a drive-by incident in West Kingston on Friday.
According to reports, Laing was celebrating his 18th birthday in the vicinity of Charles Street when he was struck by gunfire from a passing vehicle.
Playing as a forward, Laing was the leading scorer for the team in the Manning Cup last season, a member of local Premier League club Cavalier and was also called up to Jamaica’s youth national team.
An unbeaten half century from Jamaica Scorpions opener Leroy Lugg and a hat-trick from Scorpions teammate Nicholson Gordon helped the Surrey Royals secure a nine-wicket win over the Middlesex Titans in the Dream11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday.
After the Royals won the toss and decided to bowl first, they had the Titans in a tough spot on 29-3 off 5.1 overs before all-rounder Jamie Merchant rescued the innings brilliantly with a 15-ball 41 including five fours and three sixes.
He was dismissed in the ninth over to leave the score 84-4 before Nicholson Gordon bagged a hat-trick in the last over with the wickets of Errol Thomas (17), Sherdon Allen (2) and Jamaine Morgan (0).
Opener Wayne Davis earlier contributed 18 for the Titans.
Gordon finished with 3-21 off his two overs while off-spinner Peat Salmon contributed 2-5 from his two.
The Royals then cruised to their target, getting to 98-1 off 8.3 overs despite a short rain delay during the fourth over of their reply.
Lugg combined with West Indies batsman Nkrumah Bonner to form a match-winning second wicket partnership of 96 after fellow opener Romaine Morris was dismissed in the first over for a duck by former West Indies pacer Krishmar Santokie.
Lugg finished 50 not out off just 24 balls including four fours and three sixes, his second half-century of the tournament, while Bonner ended up 46 not out off 25 balls including two fours and four sixes.
Cornwall Warriors captain Michael Frew produced an excellent spell of bowling to lead his team to victory over the Middlesex United Stars in the Dream11 Jamaica T10 tournament at Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday.
Asking the Stars to bat first after winning the toss, the Warriors had early success after removing West Indies opener John Campbell for 14.
Sashane Anderson (22) and Suwayne Wilson (12) were the only other Stars batsmen to reach double figures as Frew, a member of the West Indies U-19 World Cup winning squad in 2016, ripped through the batting line-up to finish with figures of 4-16 from his two overs.
In the end, the Stars were restricted to a modest 81-7 off their 10 overs.
The Warriors made light work of the chase, reaching 83-3 off 8.4 overs to get their second win of the competition.
They got home thanks to some indiscipline from the Stars bowlers and solid showings from Ockeeno Farqharson (21), Jevoy Spence (15) and Andre McCarthy (13 not out).
West Indies U-19 representative Andel Gordon took 2-11 off his two overs.
Dior-Rae Scott celebrated the Bahamas’ second javelin record at the 49th Carifta Games at the National Stadium in Kingston on Monday.
Scott threw a new Carifta record 44.57m to win the U-17 Girls javelin ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Kenika Cassar (42.86m) and Suerena Alexander of Grenada (42.57m).
Her countryman Keyshawn Strachan threw a new record of 79.89m to win gold in the U-20 Boys section on Saturday.
Interestingly, Scott's throw broke the record of current West Indies women cricketer Deandra Dottin who threw 42.90 in 2007 while representing Barbados.
Jamaica’s Serena Cole, a member of the world record breaking U-20 Girls 4x100m quartet from Sunday, jumped out to 5.89m to win the U-20 long jump ahead of French Guiana’s Kayssia Hudson who jumped 5.77m for second while Cole’s Jamaica teammate Kay-Lagay Clarke recorded 5.64m for third.
Jamaica’s Annishka McDonald (1.75m) and Malaika Cunningham (1.70m) won gold and silver in the U-20 Girls high jump ahead of Grenada’s Ahsharean Enoe (1.65m).
It was a record-breaking evening session on day two of the 49th Carifta Games at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday as Jamaica’s U-20 Girls 4x100m team of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Brianna Lyston and Tia Clayton sped to a new world junior record 42.58 to win gold ahead of Barbados (45.36) and Trinidad and Tobago (46.12).
Jamaica’s U-20 Boys team comprising Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, Bryan Levell, Deandre Daley and Sandrey Davison were also impressive with a Carifta record 39.15 to win gold ahead of the Bahamas (40.41) and the Cayman Islands (40.72).
Camoy Binger, Bryana Davison, Shemonique Hazle and Theianna-Lee Terrelonge combined to win Jamaica’s third sprint relay gold of the evening in the U-17 Girls section in 45.38 ahead of the Bahamas (47.13) and Trinidad & Tobago (48.19).
The hosts completed a clean sweep of the sprint relays as Jadan Campbell, Gary Card, Rickoy Hunter and Shaquane Gordon combined to dominate the Boys U-17 section in 41.74 ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (42.77) and the Cayman Islands (43.40).
Moving into the 400m hurdles, Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands won gold in the U-17 Girls section in 58.61 ahead of the Jamaican pair Jody-Ann Daley (1:02.22) and Deandra Harris (1:02.26).
Jamaica secured gold and silver in the U-20 Girls section through Sahfia Hinds (58.96) and Shackelia Green (59.77). Trinidad & Tobago’s Natasha Fox was third in 1:02.35.
The hosts once again swept the top two places in the Boys U-17 section thanks to Princewell Martin (53.00) and Jordan Mowatt (54.40) while Jermahd Huggins of St. Kitts & Nevis took third in 55.57.
Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke won gold in the U-20 Boys section in 50.68 ahead of Shamiar Bain of the Bahamas (52.83) and Craig Prendergast of Antigua & Barbuda (55.08).
Moving into the field, Jamaica’s Chavez Penn cleared 2.05m to win the U-17 Boys high jump ahead of Andrew Stone of the Cayman Islands (2.00m) and Jamaica’s Aaron McKenzie (1.95m).
Penn was also victorious in the triple jump with 14.63m to win ahead of teammate Euan Young (14.41m) and Jonathan Rogers of the Bahamas (13.99m).
The British Virgin Islands’ emerging star and 100m champion Adaejah Hodge continued her stellar showing at the Games so far with gold in the U-17 Girls long jump with a distance of 6.20m ahead of Jamaica’s Shemonique Hazle (5.85m) and Rohanna Sudlow (5.65m).
Jamaica secured gold in the Boys U-20 long jump through the supremely talented Jaydon Hibbert on day two of the 49th Carifta Games at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
The Class I gold medallist in both the long and triple jump at last week’s ISSA Boys and Girls Championships jumped out to 7.62m to win gold ahead of St. Vincent’s Uroy Ryan (7.52m) and Barbados’ Aren Spencer (7.48m).
Hibbert will be looking for a second gold medal in the triple jump on Monday, an event in which he is currently the world U-20 leader with a massive 16.66m done to win gold at Champs.
Guyana’s Anisha Gibbons won gold in the U-20 Girls javelin with 42.54m ahead of the Barbadian pair of Vivica Addison (41.92) and Vanessa Greaves (41.17).
Dominica took gold in the U-20 Girls shot put through Treneese Eloui Hamilton’s 14.58m effort. Jamaica’s Brittania Johnson threw 14.19m for her second silver medal of these games while Suriname’s Alicia Grootfaam threw 12.97m for bronze.
In the 800m semis, Guyana’s 1500m champion from Saturday Attoya Harvey was the fastest qualifier to the U-17 Girls final in 2:15.76 ahead of Jamaica’s Andrene Peart (2:15.79) and her Guyanese teammate Narissa McPherson (2:19.89).
Bermuda’s Nirobi Smith Mills was the fastest qualifier to the Boys U-20 final with 1:55.11 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Nathan Cumberbatch (1:55.75) and Jamaica’s 1500m silver medallist Adrian Nethersole (1:55.89). 1500m Gold medallist J’Voughnn Blake also advanced to the final comfortably in 1:58.31.
The 800m finals are scheduled for Monday. Both the Girls U-20 and Boys U-17 800m will be straight finals.
Formula Woman Driver, Sara Misir, is slated to compete at Radical Invasion 2022 on Easter Monday as local Motor sporting action returns to Dover Raceway in St. Ann.
Dubbed ‘Radical Invasion,’ the meet is slated to get underway at 9 am and will feature some 80 racers competing throughout the day across their various classes.
Misir will participate in the Modified Production 3 category.
“We haven’t had local racing at Dover in over two years, so I’m just looking forward to the great atmosphere and seeing local fans again. I’ve missed the racing community, the vendors and just the overall vibe of being at Dover. I look forward to setting a new personal best on the track and having a great race day,” she said.
Misir, who now races with the Formula Women’s team in the GT Cup Championships in the UK, recently emerged as one of four drivers to compete in the series after recording the second-fastest time from a pool of over 75 drivers.
The RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation Awards recently recognized Misir as a 2021 motorsports athlete of the year.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in Jamaica on Friday, April 15, reaching the 51st destination out of the 72 Commonwealth nations and territories it will be visiting.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates, connects and excites communities from across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games.
Birmingham 2022 is staging the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay – an epic journey across the Commonwealth, with The Queen’s Baton visiting all 72 nations and territories, reaching Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas.
Arriving from Caymans Islands, the Baton has officially touched down at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.
The Queen’s Baton, which carries a message from Her Majesty the Queen, arrived in Jamaica as part of its journey to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in England from July 28 until 8 August 2022.
It will be in Jamaica for three days and during it’s time here, it will be carried by baton bearers, including current and legacy athletes, and will visit landmarks such as the Usain Bolt Track, Emancipation Park and the Donald Quarrie High School.
"Jamaica welcomes the Queen's Baton which symbolizes the spirit of goodwill and brotherhood among Commonwealth nations and as we look towards Birmingham our people will embrace the rich experience of being a part of the Queen's Baton Relay," said the President of the Jamaica Olympic Association Christopher Samuda.
The Queen’s Baton will be carried by various sporting federations such as Track and Field, Cycling, Para-taekwondo and the legend Mr Donald Quarrie, CD, who is a Jamaican former track and field athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s.
Below is the schedule for the Queen's Baton:
The Queen’s Baton Relay activities in Jamaica include:
● Baton Receival Ceremony at the Norman Manley International Airport on Friday,
April 15, 2022 @ 7:00P.M.
● Baton Presentation Ceremony at the UWI Regional Headquarters on Saturday,
April 16, 2022 @ 8:30 am
● A mock relay at the Usain Bolt Track on Saturday, April 16, 2022, 10:30 am
● University of Technology to mark the partnership between the UTECH and the
The University of Birmingham on Saturday, April 17, 2022, @ 12:00 p.m.
● The Emancipation Park on Saturday, April 16, 2022 @ 1:00 p.m.
● Netball House Ceremony on Saturday, April 16, 2022, @ 2:00 p.m.
● Spanish Town Cathedral Church Service on Sunday, April 17, 2022, @ 8:30 a.m.
● Donald Quarrie High School on Sunday, April 17, 2022, @ 11:00 am.
● Ceremony with the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard in Port Royal on Sunday,
April 17, 2022 @ 12:30 p.m.
Since its inaugural appearance at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s
Baton Relay has been a tradition for the Commonwealth Games.
The Relay started at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when Her Majesty The Queen
placed her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time
Paralympic gold medallist and Team England athlete Kadeena Cox, who had the honour of
being the first of thousands of Baton bearers to carry the Baton through the Commonwealth.
The 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay is an epic journey covering the entirety of the
Commonwealth as it will travel to all 72 nations and territories, covering a distance of 140,000
kilometres. For 269 days, the Baton will travel to Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean
and the Americas, before it embarks on the final stretch of its journey across England for 25
days.
The Queen’s Baton Relay will complete its journey at the Opening Ceremony of the
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on 28 July 2022. This is a traditional and
fundamental part of the Games and the Opening Ceremony, as the final Baton bearer will
pass the Baton back to The Queen. The Queen’s message to the Commonwealth will then be
removed from the Baton and read aloud, marking the official start of the Birmingham 2022
Commonwealth Games.
Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) is preparing to welcome Jamaican athletes to the Penn Relays Carnival for 2022 as the easing of COVID-19 restrictions takes effect across the USA and the Caribbean. The 125th staging of the Penn Relays will take place at Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania, April 28-30, 2022 after a two-year break because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
TJB was well into planning mode in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic halted most sporting activities worldwide, the Penn Relays is no exception. However, now that the Relays are set to resume, TJB’s Irwine Clare, Sr could not be more delighted.
“We know that our athletes have trained hard to showcase their prowess on the international stage and must be thrilled to be back on this revered stage for track and field, not only for bragging rights but most importantly to secure scholarships to colleges and universities overseas,” he said.
“We know many of them would have been disappointed over the two-year absence, even while scaled-down versions were held.”
Clare noted, however, that many student-athletes were still able to take advantage of scholarship opportunities during the hiatus as their body of work would have allowed colleges to make those decisions.
At the Penn Relays, most schools make use of the coordinated services and hugely discounted accommodation rates negotiated by TJB at the ‘team hotel’. The organization also helps with ground transportation, including daily shuttles to the stadium as well as physiotherapy services offered by a team led by Dr Thien Dang-Tan.
As is customary, with weeks to go, TJB has been busy planning a number of fundraising activities including a luncheon to be held Sunday, April 24, from 12 noon to 5 p.m., at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY.
Noted Olympian and educator Vilma B. Charlton, OD, will be honoured with the Pioneer in Athletics & Exemplary Leader in Sport Award. Other honorees include Stephen Drummond, Esq.; Dawn Warren, Esq., David Warren, Esq., and JoAnne Squillace, Esq.
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