Former world record holder Asafa Powell, who last night won yet another 100m National Senior title came out in support of 2011 IAAF World Champion who finished 6th in his semi-final and failed to make the final. “It’s very sad what happened with Yohan (Blake). He just needs to take his time to get back to his best. Next year is a big year so he just needs to focus on that”, Powell said in his post race interview. The 32 year old Powell, who is unbeaten in 2015, also responded to suggestions from reporters that the Jamaicans were some way off the blistering pace being set by the Americans led by Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay. “We still have it. We have been on top of the world for a number of years now and we are still going to continue that trend”, said Powell after a slight chuckle. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last] The affable Jamaican speedster out of Charlemont High School indicated that he offered congratulations to Ashmeade and Bailey-Cole after both broke the 10 second barrier on the way to season best times. The two time World Championship Bronze Medalist is confident he will be a factor in […]
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Asafa Powell first won the National Senior Title over 100m in 2003. Many have written him off even at the national level, calling time on his career, even suggesting that he gives his legions of adoring female fans more to appreciate by taking up a career as a model.Twelve years, a few world records, two world championship bronze medals, a high profile relationship with a beauty queen and many injuries later and the Sub 10 King continues to show that he is far from being a spent force. The 32 year old former MVP stable star and red hot favourite delivered as many expected with a clinical display to win yet another National Senior 100m title on Friday night in front of a decent crowd at the National Stadium. Powell, who is unbeaten over the distance in 2015 had by his standards a modest start before turning on the afterburners close home to separate himself from a quality field to win in 9.84. This equaled the time he ran at the Jamaica International Invitational IAAF World Challenge Meet in May. The confident Powell has significantly improved the last quarter of his races since leaving the MVP Track Club but […]
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The 2014 Diamond League 400m hurdles race series winner Kaliese Spencer has a wild card to the Beijing World Championships which means Jamaica will be sending four representatives to the track and field showpiece in August. Spencer will be in action at the 2015 JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field Championships (“Trials”) and will be tough to beat in pursuit of yet another National Senior title and a 4th consecutive trip to the IAAF World Championships. The MVP starlet is by far the fastest Jamaican this year with a season best 54.15 which ranks her 3rd in the world. The main hopefuls for the other spots in the final are 2012 World Junior Champion and 2014 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist Janieve Russell, Ristanana Tracey, Nikita Tracey, Danielle Dowie, Shevon Stoddart, 2007 World Championship finalist Nickesha Wilson, Rhonda Whyte, Samantha Elliott and 2015 Penn Relays Collegiate Champion Rushell Clayton. Janieve Russell is the only other Jamaican to go sub 56 so far this year and her season best 54.83 puts her in prime position to grab one of the three remaining tickets to Russell. The UTech athlete’s next best time of 55.29 done at the Jamaica International Invitational IAAF World […]
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Sub 10 King and former world record holder Asafa Powell put on a dominant display in the quarterfinals of the 100m on Day 1 o the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field Championships at the National Stadium. Race favourite Powell clocked an easy looking 9.98 (0.2 m/s). Yohan Blake was sluggish at the start but found a bit extra late in the event to pip the quick-stating Kemarley Brown of UTech for second with both athletes returning a time of 10.24. The 2013 IAAF World Championship 100m Bronze medalist Nesta Carter won the 2nd quarterfinal in 10.12 over Sheldon Mitchell of Swept Track Club 10.13 and UTech’s Tyquendo Tracey who ran a personal best 10.14. Kemar Bailey-Cole of Racers Track Club won his quarterfinals in a season best 10.05 to edge UTech’s Andrew Fisher (10.05) and AKAN Track Club’s Jason Livermore (10.06). Nickel Ashmeade was quick out of the blocks in the 4th quarterfinal and cruised in for a very comfortable win over two time World Junior Champion Dexter Lee and Racers Track Club’s Jevaughn Minzie who both recorded season best times of 10.18. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last] The 1st semi-final will see Powell, Blake, Fisher, Brown, Carter, Livermore, Michael […]
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The women’s 100m Hurdles may lack the ‘star’ power of the marquee events at the 2015 JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Track and Field Championship but it could provide an interesting finish and some of the best story lines of ‘Trials’. The leading lights are the Williams sisters Danielle and Shermaine, Monique Morgan, Kimberly Laing, Megan Simmons and Indira Spence. The likes of Daeshon Gordon and Samantha Elliott will be looking to put some pressure on the main protagonists, but it was the appearance of the name Melaine Walker on the Entries List early in the week that got tongues wagging. So frenzied was the reaction that mainstream and social media reports incorrectly had her down to compete in both the 100m and 100m hurdles. The much anticipated return of the former Olympic and IAAF World Champion over the 400m hurdles has been the subject of much chatter among track and field fans. Many still question her decision to abandon the 400m hurdles in favour of the sprint hurdles, a change that led to a less than amicable split with long-time coach Stephen ‘Franno’ Francis and ultimately what amounted to a self imposed exile from the national scene. Some are of the […]
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One of the marquee showdowns of the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field Championships (“Trials”) will be the 110m Hurdles. The top contenders are National Record Holder and 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Hansle Parchment, defending National Senior Champion and 2014 Commonwealth Gold Medalist Andrew Riley and last but my no means least, the red hot former National Junior Record Holder and 2015 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion Omar McLeod. Parchment is the fastest of the fancied trio and was the number one rated sprint hurdler in the world in 2014 with his national record run of 12.95 in July the fastest time recorded for the year. Parchment looked set to dominate before various injuries curtailed his season and he has looked far from sharp in 2015 suffering several defeats. The tall and powerfully built former Kingston College/Morant Bay High star registered his season best time of 13.40 (-0.6 m/s) in Des Moines in April when finishing 5th in a very strong field. Parchment who celebrated his 25th birthday on June 17 is a proven commodity but has been sparingly raced this season and may be feeling the ill effects of the injuries of the last two years. He is […]
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Top athletes are confirmed to compete at this week’s Supreme Ventures sponsored Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Senior Championships at the National Stadium. The event, which serves as a qualifier for a number of senior international meets, such as the IAAF World Championships in Beijing this August, gets under way on Thursday with big names such as Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Kaliese Spencer and Novlene Williams-Mills, who all have automatic entries to the World Championships as defending champions in their events or Diamond Race winners from last year, listed to compete. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last] CLICK TO DOWNLOAD Veronica Campbell-Brown, who won the sprint double in last year’s Diamond Race, is also entered to compete in both events with Fraser-Pryce, who won both sprints at the last World Championships in Moscow in 2013 trumping her wild card. Click to read more at Jamaica Gleaner
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This is the official trailer for documentary “Alia: Darling of the Pool.” This documentary highlights breaststroke world champion Alia Atkinson’s sojourn from her childhood through to when she achieved the world record in Doha and the subsequent accolades. Talented Jamaican producer Donald Oliver partnered with iKon Media crew in producing another masterpiece which was selected for the 2015 Jamaica Film Festival. This documentary will PREMIERE on July 9, 2015 at Triple Century 8:30PM. Enjoy. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last]
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Day two brought more of the same with low spectator turnout, small fields and gaps in the organization of the meet. There were however some noteworthy performances as Team Jamaica’s Youth and Junior athletes battled for spots and qualifying marks to don the national colours at the World Youth Championships (WYC) and Pan Am Junior Championships in July and August. Tissana Hickling of St. Jago High School shed tears of joy after achieving the 6.00m qualifying standard for the WYC. Hickling twice achieved the 6.00m but her efforts were thwarted by a strong following wind on both occasions. She had jumps of 6.23m (4.3 m/s) and 6.00m (2.2 m/s) before the wind subsided long enough for her to jump 6.14m (0.2 m/s) to secure her spot on the team to the Cali 2015 WYC. Paketo Dudley of Jamaica College also secured his spot on the Jamaican team after achieving the qualifying standard on his way to winning the Boy’s U18 Long Jump title with a best effort of 7.44m. Kevin Nedrick of Petersfield secured his 3rd U18 title when he won the U18 Boys Shot Put with a best mark of 18.32 to beat Kyle Mitchell of Wolmer’s Boys’ School […]
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There were few highlights on Day One of the Jamaica National Junior Track and Field Trials at the National Stadium with several of the country’s leading age group athletes missing in action. There was little for the scatter of spectators to cheer for with predominantly small fields and a handful of noteworthy performances. On a day when world youth leader over 100m Candace Hill of the USA clocked a mind boggling world youth best 10.98 (2.0 m/s) to send out a strong warning to rivals ahead of the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships, one of Jamaica’s best prospects over the distance, Kimone Shaw did what she had to do, brushing aside rivals to win the U18 Girls 100m in 11.81. Vanesha Pusey of Green Island (11.97) pipped the highly thought of Shellece Clarke (11.99) for second. Clarke of Edwin Allen High is the only Jamaican ranked in the 2015 top 10 coming in at number 7. The U18 Boys 100m was won by pre-race favourite Xavier Angus of Calabar High in 10.79. Andre Morrison of St. Jago High (10.88) and Ashanie Smith of St. Catherine High (10.95) rounded out the top 3. There is no Jamaican ranked among the top […]
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