Kishane Thompson and Sherica Jackson both won the 100m on day two. Jamaica Championship Friday (28th) in Kingston.
The first half of the four-day championships lived up to expectations, producing some personal bests and some surprises as athletes aimed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At last year’s Jamaican Championships, Thompson had high hopes after clocking a personal best of 9.91 in the preliminary round. However, it was only a cameo appearance at the championships as she did not qualify for the semi-finals. A year later, the 22-year-old made waves by clocking a personal best of 9.82 in the preliminary round. He then comfortably won his semi-final in 9.84 to set up an exciting final against the favourite Oblique Sevilla who clocked 9.83 in the other semi-final.
But Sevilla was no match for the Stephen Francis-coached Thompson, who outdueled the others at the halfway mark and even had time to slow down to check the clock, which showed a lifetime best and world leader of 9.77 (0.9 m/s).
This result was the fastest in the world since 2022, and moved Thompson into a tie for ninth place on the world list.
Sevilla matched his personal best in second place with a time of 9.82 seconds, while Akeem Blake took third place in 9.92 seconds.
“Health-wise this is the best year I’ve had so far,” said Thompson, who was racing for the first time since placing fourth in the Wanda Diamond League finals in Eugene in September.
“Running three rounds at this championship has given me a better understanding of my body and the sport. It’s not that I lacked confidence, but I know I can run faster and I still have a lot to work on. In my heart, I’m looking forward to great competition among the top sprinters and a great atmosphere.”
The women’s 100m was one of the most anticipated events of the championships, with the form of multiple World Champion and three-time Olympic champion Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was competing for the country’s final time, and World Championship silver medallist Jackson in doubt, but both athletes erased all doubts and stuck to their trademark of performing when it really mattered, making their mark in a historic final.
Jackson had to fight to fend off the challenge of determined training partner Tia Clayton, who performed consistently well throughout the race, setting personal bests in both the heats (11.02) and semi-final (10.86).
Jackson won the final in 10.84 (-0.3 m/s), beating Clayton (10.90) and Fraser-Pryce (10.94).
“My main goal was to finish in the top three,” Jackson said, “I knew I was in good shape because I was training well. People were speculating because they hadn’t seen me at my best, but my coach and I both know when to peak for the championships.”
Fraser-Pryce, who, like Jackson, finished under 11 seconds in every round, expressed gratitude for making her fifth Olympic team. “This year has definitely been one of those slightly tougher seasons with some ups and downs, but I’m still happy to make the national team,” she said. “I’m looking forward to getting back to training and preparing for Paris.”
Elaine Thompson-Heller, who made history as the first athlete in 28 years to win both the 100 and 200 meter Olympic titles and the first woman to defend both sprint titles, was unfortunately forced to withdraw on the eve of the national championships. The five-time Olympic champion suffered a leg injury at the New York Grand Prix on June 9 and was unable to recover in time for the competition.
The men’s 400m was a must-see event following Jamaica’s defeat in the Bahamas, where the country’s 4x400m team missed out on an automatic berth at the Paris Olympics. After another failure to finish among the top 16 teams to qualify, the organizers revised the schedule to include a relay event to give Jamaica one last chance to qualify. This change meant that the men’s 400m semi-finals would take place on the first day of the championships, with the final taking place the following day.
However, world champion Antonio Watson’s Olympic dreams were dashed when he was injured in the 150m, becoming the championship’s other major casualty. DeAndre Watkin rose to the occasion and pulled off a major upset, breaking the 45-second barrier for the first time, finishing in 44.48 seconds to beat defending champion Sean Bailey (44.65) and Jevone Powell (44.79).
Malik James-King produced the race of his life as he became just the third Jamaican to run the 400m Hurdles in under 48 seconds, winning in 47.42 seconds, just 0.08 seconds shy of the national record set by a distant second place finisher, Roshawn Clark (48.04).
“I’m more excited than surprised because I was well prepared and focused,” said James King, who celebrated his 25th birthday. Two-time world U20 champion Jahir Hyde came third in a season’s best 48.35.
On the women’s side, two-time World Championship bronze medallist Rachelle Clayton cemented her position as the country’s top single hurdler with a stunning time of 52.51 seconds, moving her to eighth on the world all-time list and second on Jamaica’s all-time list behind Melanie Walker’s 52.42 seconds. Janieve Russell (53.33 seconds) and Sian Salmon (53.71 seconds) took second and third places respectively.
“Since last year’s World Championships, I’ve decided to race more aggressively and put what I’ve learned to good use,” said Rachelle Clayton, “I have two more races to prepare, including the London Diamond League.”
Noel Francis of World Athletics
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in Canadian Exams In Montreal, Olympic 200m champion and 100m bronze medalist Andre de Grasse won a closely fought sprint event in 10.20 (-0.3 m/s), beating fellow heats Eliezer Ajibi (10.23) and Aaron Brown (10.25), who also ran 10.10 in the heats.
The women’s title was won by national record holder Audrey Leduc in 11.20 seconds (0.1 m/s) after clocking 11.09 seconds in the heats.
Alisha Newman won the pole vault clearing 4.75m before attempting to improve her national record with 4.85m, while world indoor champion Sarah Mitten won the shot put with 19.62m.
World champion Marco Arop recorded a fast time in the 800m heats, clocking 1 minute 43.53 seconds.
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Ingebrigtsen wins domestic double in 1500m and 5000m
Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigsen completed a national 1500m and 5000m double on his home track in Sandnes. Norwegian Championship He won the 5000m on Friday (28th) and the 5000m on Saturday (29th).
In the 1500 meters, he ran a time of 3:34.03 in cool, windy conditions, and the next day he set a championship record of 13:14.36 in the 5000 meters, putting him in the top five under 13:25. World bronze medalist Narve Gilje-Noldus was a close second in 13:14.99.
Henriette Jäger also set championship records, winning the 400m in 51.69 seconds and then the 200m in 22.86 seconds (1.6 m/s) to claim two national titles. Decathlete Sander Scoheim won the long jump with a jump of 7.94 m.
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Five-time world champion Pavel Faydek won the hammer throw, beating Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki. Polish Championship At the men’s sprint championships in Bydgoszcz on Friday (28th), he broke the 80-meter mark for the first time this season, scoring 80.02 meters, compared to Nowicki’s 75.89 meters.
Natalia Kaczmarek, who broke the Polish record of 48.98 at the European Championships, defended her national 400m title in 50.77. Jakub Szymanski equalled the national record by winning the 110m hurdles in 13.25 (1.1m/s), while Pia Skrzyszowska won the 100m hurdles in 12.67 (0.5m/s).
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in Swiss Championship At Winterthur, 2022 world indoor 60m champion Mujinga Kambundji won the 100m on Friday (28th) in 11.01 seconds (0.2m/s), beating Salome Kora by 0.14 seconds. Geraldine Frey was third in 11.21 seconds.
The long jump final was won by world indoor heptathlon champion Simon Ehammer (8.03m) and national record holder Annick Kalin (6.82m), while Angelica Moser won the pole vault clearing 4.65m.
Four runners in the women’s 800 meters on Saturday finished under the Olympic qualifying standard, led by Rachel Perrow, who finished with a personal best of 1:58.60, followed by world U-20 silver medalist Audrey Wero (1:58.67), Valentina Rosamira (1:58.69) and Laure Hoffman (1:59.26).
Currin followed up his long jump victory on Friday with a win in the 100-meter hurdles on Saturday, setting a new personal best of 12.97. Meanwhile, Kambundji won his second consecutive sprint victory in 22.42 to claim his eighth national title in the event. William Reis posted similar times in the boys’ events, winning the 100 and 200 meters in times of 10.26 and 20.27, respectively. Jason Joseph won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.26, while Ehammer won in 13.38.
Lionel Spitz won the men’s 400 metres in 45.01 seconds, just 0.02 seconds off the Swiss record.
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Owen Unser became the first German sprinter to run 100 metres in under 10 seconds, clocking 9.99 (0.5 m/s). German Championship Saturday (29th) in Braunschweig.
Ansah beat the national record set by Julian Reus eight years ago by 0.02 seconds and also qualified for the Paris Olympics. Joshua Hartman came second after Ansah with a personal best of 10.06 seconds.
Gina Luckenkemper won the women’s title in 11.04 seconds, beating Alexandra Burghardt in 11.26.
Julian Weber, who finished fourth at the Olympic and World Championships, won his fourth consecutive national javelin title with a throw of 86.63 metres, beating 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohrer’s 76.84 metres to repeat as champion.
Christine Pudenz threw 65.93 metres to win her sixth consecutive national discus title.
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