Jamaica’s Jeffrey Panton led an overseas lock-out of the Sol Rally Barbados podium at the weekend (May 29-31), as the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its premier event with a record-breaking entry. In the Panton Motorsport and Pro Auto Works-supported Ford Focus WRC06, he beat double European Champion Simon Jean-Joseph by just 2.09 seconds, with former winner Paul Bird third, both in Focus WRC08s. After the results were made final yesterday (Monday), Panton and co-driver Mike Fennell Jr received their awards from Gina Cummins, brand, communications & external affairs manager of Sol Caribbean, at a packed Prizegiving at The Boatyard beach bar in the island’s capital, Bridgetown. As well as trophies for first place, victory in WRC-1 and highest-placed overseas 4wd, they each received a Tissot watch from Little Switzerland. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last]Panton, who last won the event in 1998, said: “It was by far the most difficult rally to win that I have ever competed in. The pace was absolutely on the limit from start to end with mere hundredths separating the top three on each stage. To win against such a quality field means a lot; to come out on top by such a […]
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Jaheel Hyde faces acid test in return to Eugene Prior to the start of the 2014 athletics season, the outstanding and gifted athlete Jaheel Hyde posted a picture on Instagram with the words ‘look out, greatness is coming’. His exploits during the 2014 season indicated that greatness was coming. Just over a year later, the world could see yet another chapter unfolding in what many hope will be a great career for this ultra-talented hurdles prodigy. On Saturday afternoon May 30th, Hyde’s credentials as a bona fide contender for a place in Team Jamaica’s contingent to the IAAF World Championships in Beijing takes on a new dimension, as the 18 year old will face the acid test in his fledgling career in the senior ranks. Hyde will return to the scene of his greatest triumph as a junior when he lines up for the 400m hurdles at the Prefontaine Classics in Eugene, Oregon, the 3rd stop in the popular Diamond League Athletics series. The National Junior record holder admitted to being nervous but was psyching himself up for the challenge. The always confident Hyde in an interview with TeamJA.org said ‘It feels good just to know I have been invited […]
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2015 USARL 9s Tournament Semifinals Watch Jamaican Reggae Warriors defeat Australian Echinadas in the 2015 USARL 9s Tournament Semifinals 26-16 Group matches In group play in the eight-team tournament, the Reggae Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Kings 24-0, but lost to the Fight 4-14 and Canadian team Brantford Broncos 4-26. Following group play, the teams were reseeded and then engaged in inter-group play. There, the Warriors advanced eliminating the Broncos and Echidnas en route to the final. “Overall, it was a very good performance by the team,” Monteith said. “We paced ourselves throughout the day because our objective was to make at the least the semi-finals.” Via Jamaica Gleaner. Click to READ MORE [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last]
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One of the world’s most highly decorated female sprinters, Veronica Campbell-Brown, will make her long awaited first appearance in Oslo, when she competes in the Diamond League 100m at this year’s ExxonMobil Bislett Games on 11 June. Veronica Campbell-Brown has a competitive record that is the envy of athletes and track fans alike, with a cabinet full of medals from Olympics and World Championships. Twice Olympic 200m Champion, World Champion at 100m and 200m and twice at 60m (indoors), as well as numerous victories and medals at World Athletic Finals, Continental Cups, etc. Actually Veronica Campbell-Brown is one of the few athletes to claim victories in all IAAF events – World Youth, World Junior and World Championships – at 100M. Two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has been added IAAF Diamond League Golden Gala Pietro Mennea to contest 200M. The Jamaican has competed in the 100m in the Italian capital on several occasions in the past, but this will be the first time she has contested the longer sprint in Rome. Click to READ MORE [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last]
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Elaine Thompson, the rising sprint sensation out of UTech/MVP by way of Manchester High has been added will make her Diamond League debut at Prefontaine Classic May 29-30, 2015 in Eugene, Oregon along with high school hurdles standout Jaheel Hyde. Elaine will contest 100M and Jaheel will contest 400M Hurdles. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last]
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Triple World Record Holder Usain Bolt makes his much anticipated European seasonal debut in familiar territory at a meet he has dominated each time he graced the track. The Jamaican speedster has been the subject of much speculation especially with the exploits of Justin Gatlin, the man seen by many as his only serious threat to another IAAF World Championships sprint double and as such the Golden Spike World Challenge Meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic has garnered even more attention. The newly refurbished Mestsky Stadium is expected to be filled to its 15,000 capacity as fans in Ostrava welcome the sprint icon who will be gunning for another win in his 7th appearance. Bolt has never lost an event at the meet and holds the meet records for the 200m (19.83) and the seldom raced 300m (30.97). The multiple Olympic and World Championship Gold medalist was in his usual confident and accommodating mood at a press conference on Sunday where he indicated that he was in very good shape and on course for a successful defense of the titles he won at the 2013 IAAF World Championship. He was also at his typically ‘diplomatic’ best in responding to the following […]
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Asafa K. Powell aka The Sub 10 King currently one of the 5 fastest men in the world. Asafa held the 100 metres world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. He brought new life to sprinting in Jamaica & is the reason it became known as the home of the fastest man on earth. He also led the movement of world class athletes living and training in Jamaica vs leaving to train/run abroad. Asafa has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition; with his personal best of 9.72 s. As of May 2015, he has broken the ten-second barrier legally more times than anyone else in the world – 88 times in total. Asafa is set to run tomorrow at Noon (JA time) in The Ostrave Golden Spike in Czech Republic where he still holds the meet record of 9.83 which he set on May 27, 2010. He continues to train between Jamaica and Austin, Texas under the watchful eye of his brother & now coach @bess_powell Asafa opened the 2015 track season at The JII in Jamaica on May 9, 2015 with the fastest time in the world of 9.84 […]
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The affable and determined Simoya Campbell turned in a very good performance to finish 3rd in the 800m in a personal best 2.01.59 after coming into the final 150m a step or two behind the leaders before fading somewhat. The race was won in a world leading 1.59.35 by Rose Mary Almanza of Cuba ahead of compatriot and World Junior Silver medalist Sahily Diago (1.59.91 SB). Simoya Campbell was expected to give the fans at the Jamaica International Invitational something to cheer about. Fate intervened however and the former Spalding High School standout who is now in her 2nd year at the University of Technology (UTech) crashed to the ground after clipping heels with one of the athletes in the 800m event. It was not the first time that the 2015 INTERCOL triple Gold medalist was experiencing such disappointment and like she has always done, Campbell shed the tears and picked herself up, ready to fight another day. That day came on Saturday May 23 at the Ponce Grand Prix Meeting in Puerto Rico. [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last] Campbell who was a member of Jamaica’s fledgling 4x800m team to the 2nd IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas is chasing the […]
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Elaine Thompson delivered yet another brilliant performance at the National Stadium yesterday sending out a strong warning to rivals ahead of the National Senior Championships in just over a month. The rising sprint sensation out of UTech/MVP by way of Manchester High was again in awesome form as she spread-eagled the field to win the 200m in a personal best 22.37 (0.4 m/s) at the 2nd JAAAs All Comers Meet. Thompson who will turn 23 in late June had a previous best of 23.09 which she ran at a development meet in mid March. The 2015 INTERCOL champion who shares the world lead over 100m (10.92) with American Jenna Prandini is now the joint fastest Jamaican over the 200m, equaling the 22.37 set by 2013 IAAF World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in her 3rd place effort at the Jamaica International Invitational World Challenge Meet in Kingston on May 9. Her time ranks her joint 5th with Fraser-Pryce in the world this year behind Allyson Felix (21.98), Shauna Miller (22.14) and the pair of Torie Bowie and Muriel Ahoure (22.29). Shericka Jackson, also of UTech was 2nd to Thompson in her heat and 2nd overall with a time of 23.03. Natasha […]
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Veronica Campbell-Brown believes she will run faster than ever after enduring an ordeal she trusts no other athlete will have to suffer. The triple Olympic champion turned 33 last week but said her “best days are still ahead” now she has recovered from the traumatic episode which saw her pilloried as a drugs cheat before she was cleared of a potentially career-ending doping offense. “It was very unfair and I hope no athlete will ever go through what I went through,” Campbell-Brown reflected in an interview with Reuters after starting her 2015 campaign in impressive form in China. “It’s tough, especially when you know you’re innocent and your name has been dragged through the mud and people who had no clue were speaking evil stuff. “But people go to jail for crimes they didn’t commit. It’s part of life and I take my inspiration from those who have suffered at the hands of wickedness.” [column2] [/column2][column2_last] [/column2_last] Campbell-Brown received a two-year ban after testing positive for a banned diuretic in 2013 and says she went through an emotionally and financially crippling experience as she fought to clear her name. She even took and passed a lie detector test while her […]
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