She might be up for a spot on Jamaica’s Olympics team, but there’s only one position, and she said it’s “not looking hopeful due to some political issues” she didn’t want to get into. Danusia Francis perfect 10 Perfection. Congratulations Danusia Francis! #perfect10 Posted by UCLA Gymnastics on Sunday, March 6, 2016
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16 year old Christopher Taylor of Calabar High School destroys Ramone McKenzie’s CLASS 2 BOYS 200M RECORD with a time of 20.80 (-0.4) in semifinal1!
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Fireworks are expected when the starter’s gun explodes for the much anticipated Class One Boys 100m final on the penultimate evening of the 106th staging of the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships from the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. The thousands that will be in the stadium and those watching at home and in the diaspora as well as those following the #TeamJamaica online coverage expect to see the three big guns of the 2016 schoolboy season bang in contention as the gladiators rush towards the line. Many believe that, with the quality on show and given ideal sprinting conditions, the race will be decided in under 10.20 seconds, some even venturing to posit that Zharnell Hughes’ 2014 ‘Champs’ record (10.12) and the Jamaica National Junior mark held by Yohan Blake (10.11) will be removed from the books. Those expectations might be overly ambitious, but one thing is certain, the blue riband event of sprinting will generate the usual excitement. The main protagonists Nigel Ellis, Raheem Chambers and Jhevaughn Matherson have earned their status as the leading men. Each in his own way will be hunting a chance at personal redemption. Ellis, STETHS’s iron man of sprinting, […]
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Day One of Champs 2016 can be summed up in two words – Christopher Taylor. The 2015 IAAF World Youth Champion did what many expected on the opening day of the 2016 ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships as he scorched the track on his way to decimating Devaughn Baker’s 3 year old Class Two 400m record of 46.64. The exciting Calabar High phenom launched his assault in much the same way he did the Class Three record in 2014 clipping over three tenths of a second off the old mark to etch his name in the history books yet again. With the new mark of 46.33, Taylor now holds the Class Two and Class Three records for the one lap event. He is the first athlete to capitalize on the $25,000.00 scholarship on offer from the sponsors to an individual or a team breaking a record at Champs 106. No one would bet against him lowering that mark in the finals or semi-finals. The real battle seems to be for the other medals. Taylor’s team-mate Brandon Heath looked good in qualifying. Anthony Cox of St. Jago, Romel Plummer of Munro College, Dashinelle Dyer of STETHS […]
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Christopher Taylor breaks Devaughn Baker’s Class 2 400M record during prelims with a time of 46.33. He now holds the Class 3 and Class 2 records. This is the first record of Champs2016 and the first recipient of the $25K scholarship offered by sponsors Grace Kennedy to the individual or team to break a record.
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Team Jamaica takes this opportunity to wish national representative Salcia Slack a speedy recovery following news that the versatile and determined competitor suffered an injury at a meet in the USA yesterday. The 26 year old who represented Jamaica at the IAAF World Championship in Beijing last year and who was just a few days ago named in a 24 member team to take part at the 16th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon suffered the injury at a NCAA Division II meet. Slack who represents New Mexico Highland’s University was competing in the women’s Triple Jump and actually won the title with a best effort of 12.88m which came in the 5th round. That win came at a cost as the much-decorated Division II athlete injured herself and needed immediate medical attention. The incident delayed the start of the final round of jumps by over 20 minutes. Slack was taken via ambulance to a nearby medical facility. Team Jamaica was unable to ascertain the extent of her injuries which has cast doubt over her participation at the World Indoor Championships. Slack is no stranger to serious injuries especially given her participation in the multi […]
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Former world record holder and two time IAAF World Championship Bronze medalist over 100m Asafa Powell and Danielle ‘Ants’ Williams, the 2015 IAAF World Champion over 100m Hurdles headline a strong 24 member Jamaican contingent to the 16th IAAF World Indoor Championships scheduled for Portland, Oregon from March 17 – 20. Powell who will be competing at his second World Indoor Championships, is among 11 men who will be donning the national colours at the biennial event. The 33 year has never won individual Gold at a ‘Global’ championship and will be hoping to convert on this glorious opportunity. The self styled ‘Sub 10 King’ is the 3rd fastest over the distance this year with 6.49 seconds. Other members of the men’s team are Omar McLeod, ranked number two in the world (7.46) and a strong contender for a medal in the 60m hurdles, Odean Skeen, Kevaughn Rattray, Ricardo Chambers, Fitzroy Dunkley, Kemoy Campbell, Nathon Allen, Dane Hyatt, Demar Murray and the much improved GC Foster College quarter-mile Demish Gaye. Williams is joined on the women’s team by the progressive Elaine Thompson, Silver medalist at the Beijing World Championships, Shanieka Thomas who made the […]
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Cemore Donald reigns supreme as the queen of middle distance among her peers and is perhaps second only to STETH’s super 1st year Class One athlete Junelle Bromfield among local schoolgirls. Donald, the defending champion for the Girls Class Three 800m should be racing the clock from a long way out in her quest for back to back titles. The easy striding Edwin Allen High School athlete should erase Natoya Goule’s decade old meet record of 2.09.60. In her last race before ‘Champs’, Donald ran a superb 2.08.85, almost a full second faster than Goule’s mark set in 2006, to easily dismiss the talented Chrissani May, a 2nd year Class Two athlete at the CARIFTA Trials. She later returned to beat a quality field in the 1500M, accounting for the scalp of another top Class Two athlete, Britnie Dixon of Vere Technical High School. Donald has been untouchable all season and looks a safe bet for 18 points in her two main events, the 1500m and the 800m. The Girls 3000m Open could also be hers for the taking if Coach Michael Dyke sees the need. She forms part of a strong Class Three contingent for […]
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Ashley “Felix” Williams has one mission when ‘Champs’ gets underway on March 15 and culminates on March 19 – four Gold Medals. The Holmwood Technical High star with the intense focus is aiming for wins in the 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay. Judging by her performances this season, such a feat would hardly surprise. Her idol is said to be Allyson Felix, the super versatile American who has won multiple gold medals over all four events at the Olympics and World Championships. Some say her running style, grit and determination bears some resemblance to that of the American, hence her taking on the moniker ‘Felix’. Williams is seen as the biggest threat to STETHS star Junelle Bromfield over 400m having run a personal best 52.72 to win the event at Central Champs. Only Bromfield has gone faster among the potential field for the finals and Williams may go into that mouth-watering match-up with the psychological advantage having out-gunned the Commonwealth Youth Champion on anchor in a 4x400m relay several weeks ago. Williams knows that Bromfield will be hard to beat but has the confidence and ability to stop her once again. Shannon Kalawan of Edwin […]
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Devaughn Baker’s Class Two 400m record of 46.64 was granted a stay of execution by Christopher Taylor last year. Taylor had breached the sub 46 barrier twice before ‘Champs’ 2015 and for some it was a foregone conclusion that the record would have been obliterated by the Calabar High School phenom. A rather conservative and some say team-focused approach by the then 15 year saw the record surviving another year on life support. This precocious talent could well take it to another stratosphere by dipping under 45 seconds. So gifted and confident is the 2015 IAAF World Youth Champion, that he could once again attempt to break it in the heats as he did the Class Three record back in 2014. Taylor is undoubtedly one of the star attractions expected to be on display at the world’s premier high school track and field championships. He mined two individual golds last year and anchored his team’s mile relay squad to a super impressive win. The only blot on his copy book was the 4x100m where the Calabar super Class Two team unexpectedly crashed out in the heats. Taylor is expected to romp home in both the 200m […]
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