Track Ledger

06 May 2021

A strange twist of fate for Shaunae Miller-Uibo

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By Henley Taylor

There is a strange twist of fate to Shaunae Miller-Uibo's surprising decision to contest only the 200m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Miller-Uibo is the 400m champion who will not be defending her title at the upcoming Tokyo Games. But why would the 400m defending champion not seek to defend the title she won five years ago at the 2016 Olympics? This would be the first time that a defending Champion has chosen not to defend her title. Miller-Uibo has the opportunity to defend her 400m title like Marie Jose Perec of France, who won the title at the 1992 Barcelona Games and successfully defended it at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Why is she hellbent on squandering this glorious opportunity to become only the second woman in history to achieve this feat? Miller-Uibo Versatility The 1.85m Bahamian athlete has personal bests of 48.37 seconds over the 400m and 21.74 seconds over the 200m. Based on times, there is no doubt that Miller-Uibo is an e....

06 May 2021

Sha'Carri Richardson and the women's 100m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

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By Henley Taylor

With the arrival of new sprint sensation Sha'Carri Richardson, the women's 100m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics has gotten a much-needed shot in the arm to excite the talent pool. The young and talented American first registered on the radar in 2019, running a blinding 10.75 seconds over the short sprint. However, at the US trials, she did not progress beyond the preliminary round, and so did not represent the US at the 2019 World Championship in Doha, Qatar. Two years later, in 2021, Sha'Carri Richardson resurfaced to record an even more impressive 10.72 seconds over the 100m, a personal best for her and a world leading time. This magnificent run places Richardson just below Elaine Thompson-Herah's and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's times of 10.70. In effect, Sha'Carri Richardson's time of 10.72 seconds makes her the fifth fastest woman in history over the 100m. Questions The big questions to be answered are these:

04 May 2021

Looking ahead to the ISSA Boy's and Girl's Championship

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By Henley Taylor

As a consequent of the global COVID-19 pandemic, track and field competition was suspended or curtailed at all levels, with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being the major casualty since the advent of the pandemic. However, after much agitation by ISSA and major track and field stakeholders in Jamaica, the track and field season was tentatively restarted with several high school track meets and JAAA qualifying meets. Some of the high school track meets included the Excelsior Track Meet, the JC Track meet, the Calabar Track Meet, and the St. Elizabeth High Track Meet. Nevertheless, even with these track meets and the promise and heightened expectations they generated, the annual staple of the track season, The Gibson-McCook Relays, was forced to cancel, as there were no provisions made by the Government of Jamaica to accommodate the safe staging of the relays. Indeed, this was considered a major blow to the track and field season, given the fact that the shutdown had become pro....

07 February 2021

JAAA Executives Remain Optimistic in the Face of Major Challenges

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By Henley Taylor

JAAA Executives Remain Optimistic in the Face of Major Challenges Dr. Warren Blake, President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), stepped down in late 2020 paving the way for a new executive board to move national athletics forward. Nominations and elections for a new executive board took place in December 2020. Consequently, the new year ushered in an invigorated JAAA leadership team. Members Former General Secretary, Garth Gayle, now heads the Association. Gayle won a landslide victory over Donald Quarrie, former Olympian and former Vice President of the JAAA. The new executive board is completed by, Ian Forbes (First Vice President), Lincoln Eatmon (Second Vice President), Michael Frater (Third Vice President), Vilma Charltan (Fourth Vice President), Ludlow Watt (Treasurer), Marie Tavares (Honorary Secretary) and B....

01 February 2021

Crouser, Bromell and Holloway shines at ATL #1 meet in Arkansas

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By O'Neil A Reid

The newly minted American Track League (ATL) held its first meet on January 24, 2021 at the Randal Tyson Indoor Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The ATL’s opening meet lived up to expectations with impressive performances by several American athletes including Ryan Courser (28 years), Trayvon Bromell (25 years) and Grant Holloway (23 years). Ryan Crouser, a University of Texas graduate and the 2016 Olympic Shot-Put Champion, set an indoor world record with a throw of 22.82m (74’ 10.5”). Crouser’s mark of 22.82m beat the old record of 22.66m set on January 20, 1989 by fellow American Randy Barnes. Crouser entered this season with a personal best indoor throw of 22.60m. The ever-improving Crouser has shown steady progress over his career moving from 21.14m in 2014 to a world record of 22.82m in 2021. Incidentally, Courser has a personal best outdoor throw of 22.91m, which may now be in stri....

02 November 2020

Brazier, Lyles, Warholm among 10 Nominated for Male AOY

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By Press Release

This week marks the opening of the voting process for the 2020 World Athletes of the Year ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2020 to be held virtually on Saturday 5 December. World Athletics is pleased to confirm a list of 10 nominees for Male World Athlete of the Year who were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.

13 January 2020

Texas State Hall of Famer Inez Turner Excels at Fayetteville State

College

By O'Neil A. Reid

Inez Turner, the head Track and Field coach at Fayetteville State University, has lots of trophies and awards in her office. Two Thousand and Nineteen was a spectacular year for the former Vere Technical High School (Jamaica) track star. During 2019, Inez was inducted into the Texas State University Hall of Fame; she had her 5th induction on the Penn Relays Wall of Fame and won her 12th CIAA Coach of the Year title. Coach Turner, who hails from Trelawny, Jamaica, is no stranger to track and field. She has competed and represented her island nation at all levels of competition from the regional CARIFTA Games to the Olympics. Inez won gold in the 800m at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada and has the distinction of becoming the first Caribbean woman to go sub-2 minutes in the 800m, when she ran 1:59.49 in 1995. She was also a 2-time NCAA champion at Texas State University. After spending several years at Winston-....

09 January 2020

Briana Williams to open season in the 60m at Clemson

Olympics

By O'Neil A. Reid

Teen sprint sensation Briana Williams is set to make 2020 season debut at the Clemson Orange and Purple Elite Meet, this Saturday January 11, 2020. Williams is set to compete in the 60m. Based on recent Facebook postings and media reports Williams is enthused about her pre-season training. Williams’s coach Ato Boldon is also impress with her progression and expectation are high for the 2020 season. Williams is set to improve on her personal best 7.28 seconds in the 60m. Since 2020 is an Olympic year, with the goal of making the Jamaican to the Tokyo Olympics, the Williams team is gearing up for a long season. After the Clemson meet, Briana is schedule to compete at the Queen’s School / Grace Jackson Invitational, Kingston Jamaica on January 25, 2020. Briana will then compete at the NYRR Millrose Games on February 8, 2020. She is schedule to compete in the 60m in her first three meets of the season. January....

30 December 2019

Grant Holloway wins the 2019 Bowerman Award

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By O'Neil A Reid

Florida’s Grant Holloway was announced as the 2019 Bowerman winner at a gala held at the Grande Lakes Resort, in Orlando, Florida. The Bowerman award is present to the most outstanding collegiate track and field athlete and is equivalent to the Heisman trophy that is award to the top college football player. The 21-year-old Holloway, a junior at the University of Florida has a superb season, winning the NCAA outdoor title in the 110m hurdles in a collegiate record time of 12.98 seconds. Holloway started his 2019 campaign by running a blistering 7.35 seconds to capture the NCAA Indoor 60m hurdles title. His winning time of 7.35 seconds was a national record. Versatility Holloway’s versatility was on full display during the season as he completed in the 100m, 200m and the long jump. In additional to his individual exploits, Holloway also performed relay duties in both the 4x100m and 4x400m for the Gators. At the 2019 NCAA Ou....

23 September 2019

Barbados named 4-member Team to the 2019 IAAF World Championship

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By O'Neil A Reid

Athletics Barbados will send a 4-member Team to the 2019 IAAF World Championship in Doha, Qatar schedule from September 27 to October 6. The team of Mario Burke, Shane Braithwaite, Sada Williams and Tia-Adana Belle will represent island of less than 300,000 people. Despite the small contingent, the team consists of athletes who have competed at the highest level. Super Mario Burke is a senior at the University of Houston and is a fixture at the NCAA sprint finals for the past few years. Mario finished in 6th place in the 100m in a time of 10.06 seconds behind champion Divine Oduduru (9.86 seconds) at the 2019 NCAA Championship. Super Mario is a member of the sub-10 seconds club having posted a personal best 9.98 (+1.3mps) in the 100m in Austin, Texas in early June 2019. Mario does have the pedigree to make it to the 100m final in Doha. Super Mario has a lifetime best of 20.08 seconds in the 200m and is set to give a good account of himself in Doha. ....