Triumph in Tokyo

Jamaica Sports 876 Magazine

JAMAICA SPORTS 876 MAGAZINE

SIXTH EDITION FALL 2025

INTERACTIVE

2025 TRIUMPH IN TOKYO

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

INSIDE OLIVE’S WELCOME 5 THE 6TH EDITION OF THE JAMAICA SPORTS 876 MAGAZINE, TRIUMPH IN TOKYO

ON THE COVER : Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wears her RM 07-04 Automatic Sport by Richard Mille

A JAMAICAN’S GUIDE TO TOKYO

MEDAL PREDICTIONS 2025 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

EVENT SCHEDULE 2025 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

ANOTHER TIME IN TOKYO

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE BUT TWICE THE JOY – THE CLAYTON TWINS

COVER STORY SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRYCE: ONE LAST SHOT AT GLORY

QUIET GIANTS – JAMAICA’S FIELD EVENT STARS

COVER STORY 2022: A SEASON OF PURE FIRE

THE CARIBBEAN CONNECTION

TEAM JAMAICA WOMEN & MEN

3 CROWNS ON THE LINE IN TOKYO

FIFA MEN’S WORLD CUP Canada/Mexico/USA 2026 June 11-July 19, 2026 WORLD ATHLETICS U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS Eugene, Oregon 2026 August 5-9, 2026 WORLD ATHLETICS ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Budapest, Hungary September 11-13, 2026

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TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

WELCOME! OLIVE MCNAUGHTON TO THE 6TH EDITION OF THE JAMAICA SPORTS 876 MAGAZINE, TRIUMPH IN TOKYO

Here we go! New championship, new sports cation, new memories, new magazine … This issue is especially meaningful, because I’ve been privileged to follow the legendary Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce from Osaka, where the young “Pocket Rocket” made her debut, through every Olympic Games and World Championships in between, and now to Tokyo, where the sprint queen closes her World Championships chapter. This edition captures the fire, the triumphs, the stories, and the spirit that make Jamaican athletics truly tallawah . You fans are the heartbeat of this publication, so dive in, relive the magic, and celebrate with us! – Olive McNaughton, Publisher

DAVEON NUGENT TOK

T he

2025 Tokyo World Championships are just

around the corner, and Jamaica’s athletes are gearing up to make their mark on the global stage. With a talented squad of sprinters, jumpers, and throwers, Jamaica is poised to bring home a haul of medals. The men’s 100m event is expected to be a highlight, and my expectation is that Jamaica’s sprinters will dominate the competition and take both the gold and silver medals. Olympic champion Noah Lyles (USA) has had to play second fiddle to the Jamaican 1 2 punch of Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville all season and while Lyles should get on the podium, I don’t see him getting the better of either Jamaican if all goes to plan. In addition to the men’s 100m, the men’s 200 should also see a Jamaican male sprinter walking away with a medal. This is an event where a Jamaican has not won a medal since 2016, when Bolt won gold in Rio.

But with the emergence of Bryan Levell this season, I

believe that is about to change. Since his main rivals will also compete in the 100 meters while Levell watches and waits, I am predicting that his newfound 19.69 speed will take him to a global silver medal for the half lap. The men’s 4x100m relay will also see a rekindling of Jamaica’s once lost speed and with Thompson, Ackeem Blake and Levell all setting 100m PBs this year – plus Seville close to his own – there is no need to doubt the potential foot speed of this squad. The line up is pretty much set in stone, with Ackeem leading off, Oblique in the engine room taking on the backstretch, Bryan running that curve and Kishane bringing it home. I do believe this quartet is good enough for gold but

I will be conservative and predict a close second place for them.

The men’s discus throw is a strong contender for a gold medal, with Ralford Mullings emerging as a genuine top of the podium contender. The former Kingston College man has already twice defeated the world record holder and world leader Mykolas Alekna this season, including at the recent Brussels Diamond League meet where Mullings got the better of a tough field that included the likes of Kristjan Ceh and Matthew Denny. The men’s long jump and 4x400m

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025 Shuffle” is very much on and my expectations are that Tina Clayton will walk away with nothing less than a bronze medal in the 100. KYO A PREVIEW OF THE MATCHUPS, SURE BETS, LONG SHOTS – AND HOW JAMAICA WILL STACK UP AGAINST RIVALS AT THE 2025 TOKYO WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS relay are also expected to produce bronze medals. These, admittedly, are not a sure shot, but looking at what is out there in these events, if the Jamaicans get it right, two medals are there for the taking. The women’s events will also be a key focus for Jamaica’s athletes. The women’s 100 metres has been all about a Melissa Jefferson Wooden vs Julien Alfred clash, but there is a quiet storm brewing that no one is paying attention to – and could very well cause a few surprises. Tina Clayton has been silently doing her work since setting a PB of 10.81 back in June at the national trials. That time moved her up to third spot on the world charts. The “MVP

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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J apan’s bustling capital city is no stranger to hosting major athletics championships. Their first turn, the 1964 Summer Olympics, represented Tokyo’s resurgence from the devastation of World War II as it retook its place as a world capital. Before taking on the global games of 2025, the city would also stage the 1991 World Championships in Athletics and the postponed 2020 Olympic Games in 2021. 1964 SUMMER OLYMPICS Participants in the Summer Games since 1948, Jamaica sent a 21 person squad to Tokyo for competition in four sports, including athletics. These Games would introduce the world to Joe Frazier (USA, gold, heavyweight boxing), “Bullet” Bob Hayes (USA, gold, men’s 100m, 4x100m relay) and the USA’s Wyomia Tyus (USA, gold, women’s 100m) but the island won no medals in 1964, despite its core of world class athletes. Seventeen year old Una Morris was given a good chance to win a medal in the 200m after finishing third in two rounds, but was unlucky to get fourth place in the final by four hundredths of a second (23.5). Young rising Jamaican star Vilma Charlton, the ANOTHER TIME IN JAMAICA’S MIXED HISTORY IN THE JAPANESE CAPITAL MICHAEL A. GRANT

leaders and lead down the stretch. Kerr saw gold slipping away and went determinedly after Snell, but flagged near the line to be outdipped by Kiprugut for bronze, Kenya’s first ever Olympic medal. Later, he joined Laurie Khan and the Spence twins, Mel and Mal, for the 4x400m final, but they too were unlucky in fourth. Tokyo’s biggest disappointment for Jamaican track fans was Dennis Johnson, the “Jamaican Jet”, who had clocked the world record for 100 yards three times (some say four) in 1961. After finishing a tidy second in his heat, he could only manage 5th in quarterfinal 1, won by eventual bronze medal winner, Canada’s Harry Jerome. 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS By now, Jamaicans were getting used to seeing their athletes on the podium at major games. This time, the emerging superpower would claim eighth spot on the medal table. Still running in the age of Carl Lewis, Ray Stewart won the first two rounds of the 100m, then scraped into the final with a 10.03 in the fast semifinal won by the USA’s Leroy Burrell. In the August 25 final, where six of the eight finalists went sub 10 (each one with personal or area

other teen sprinter, was on the 4x100 relay team that got as far as fifth in their semifinal heat. George Kerr arrived in Rome a double bronze Olympic medallist (800m, 4x400m, 1960), but was not ranked in the world top ten. Anxious to prove he still had it, the Jamaican once again faced New Zealand’s Peter Snell, who had won the Rome 800m four years earlier. Kerr was in the thick of things, breaking the Olympic record in his 800m semifinal. In the run for the medals, he led with Kenya’s Wilson Kiprugut for much of the race. Snell, who was boxed out early, broke out to pass the The Jamaican team marches into the Tokyo Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 1964 Olympics.

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

and the American Gwen Torrence ahead of her in the same positions each time. Ottey would later claim some measure of redemption, however, when she ran the anchor on Jamaica’s 4x100m team to win in a national record 41.94 seconds – and nab her first global crown. Fully entrenched in the post Bolt drought, Jamaica’s men competed in their accustomed events in Tokyo but won only two medals – gold and bronze in the 110m hurdles won by Hansle Parchment and Ronald Levy, respectively. 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS Expected to medal in at least the 4x100m relay after none could break into the 100m final, the quartet of Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville were pipped by China into fourth place.

It would be the women who would supply the fireworks, winning every medal in the 100m (1st, double double champion Elaine Thompson Herah in an Olympic record 10.61 seconds; 2nd, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce; 3rd, Shericka Jackson) and returning with Briana Williams, Natasha Morrison and Remona Burchell to take

the 4x100m relay in 41.02 seconds.

Elaine Thompson-Herah became the first woman to win back-to-back sprint doubles at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2021.

Megan Tapper won bronze in the 100m hurdles before the women capped off their dominance with a final bronze medal in the 4x400m relay, campaigning with Jackson, Roneisha McGregor, Janieve Russell, Candice McLeod, Junelle Bromfield and Stacey Ann Williams. Jamaica finished second on the overall placing table with nine medals – four gold, one silver and four bronze.

records), Stewart flew to a new national record (9.96 seconds) behind Lewis’ 9.86 world record – leaving him sixth. Stewart and his 4x100 team were also sixth in their sprint relay final. Winthrop Graham continued his string of titanic duels with Zambia’s Samuel Matete in the intermediate hurdles, pushing the African star to the line and grabbing the silver medal. His second medal would come in the 4x400m relay final, a bronze behind the USA and winners Great Britain (2:57.53 AR). Despite being ranked the world number one in the 100m and 200m, Merlene Ottey was beaten into third in both sprint finals, with Germany’s Katrin Krabbe Merlene Ottey was the world’s dominant sprinter in 1991 when she won her first global medal (4x100m).

August 6, 2021: The quartet of (L-R) Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Briana Williams and Elaine Thompson-Herah celebrate winning the Olympic 4x100m relay title (41.02 seconds) in Tokyo.

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Shelly‐Ann Fraser‐Pryce

COVER

ONE LAST SHOT AT GLORY

K ingston’s National Stadium track had evolved over the years, from the old red surface to blue to the current black/green/gold. The woman waiting in lane 3 had been a star on each version of it, and knew the place as well as anyone else. But June 27 was to be no ordinary night for running a national 100 metre final. Standing there, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce may have contemplated the ending of things, such as her last run in the stadium – maybe the last of her glittering career. None of that mattered now. Only one job remained – just qualify for the World Championships 100 metres team. She had gone through the routine so many times before that even her fans knew her silent mantra: block out the noise, stay focused, leave it to God. ONCE MORE DOWN THE STRIP The track savvy crowd had a hard time staying quiet for the start, but there was a hush as soon as the eight women got settled in their lanes. They shot from the blocks, and anticipation turned into pure pandemonium in the stands. MICHAEL A. GRANT

Fraser-Pryce defends her 100m title in 10.75 seconds at the London Summer Olympics, August 4, 2012. Other medallists were Carmelita Jeter (USA, 2nd right, 10.78) and Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown (3rd right, 10.81)

She slowed down, then turned to walk back up the track. Her fists pumped the air as media and well wishers crowded around her. She had done it, and if the announcer hadn’t said who won,

Shelly Ann’s start is legendary, a crouched blur that makes her appear even tinier than her actual five feet of power. But she wasn’t out front as usual. The Clayton twins seemed to break and straighten up first; Shericka Jackson was soon with them at the midpoint, building a head of steam. Just when it seemed that the form book would be proven right (with Shelly Ann in fourth) Tia Clayton pulled up injured. With only two runners ahead of her now, Shelly Ann lunged for the line and heard the grandstand roar. For her.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in early action at National Trials 2025

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(10.81). “I tried not to be too emotional and focus on the race,” she said at trackside afterwards. “I’m giving myself an opportunity to go to Tokyo and make a great run.” Shelly Ann knows something about great runs. Though she was unsure and inconsistent as a junior, once she settled down as a senior athlete, she hardly ever disappointed during the many years she has worn the national colours. NO DARLING AT THE START OF HER CAREER The Waterhouse native wasn’t a complete unknown before she won the world’s hearts at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After winning the Class One 100 metres in her final year at Champs, she did show some star flashes at the 2007 Penn Relays as a UTech student and during a few outings on the European circuit. She was, however, hardly anyone’s favourite in 2008 when she took on one of the hottest fields in any national final, a race that included Kerron Stewart, 2006 number one Sherone Simpson and “VCB” (Veronica Campbell Brown), who was already a two time Olympic champion and the world’s best up to late June of that year. When the dust settled, Shelly Ann had finished in between Stewart and Simpson for second; Campbell Brown – who had clocked 10.88, was fourth – and off the 100

At “A Night of Excellence”, the June event hosted by her longtime sponsors, Nike, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce officially announced that the 2025 national trials would be her last race in Jamaica. At left is Mrs. Olive McNaughton, publisher of Jamaica Sports Magazine , who attended the invitation-only event marking the partnership and close relationship between the two women.

onlookers may not have realized that she’d only finished third. For the moment, anyway, the place was all hers, and she kept moving and waving, coming to a complete stop only to accept the embrace of her fellow sprint legend, Usain Bolt. Tina Clayton, the youngster who was a whole career younger than Shelly Ann and who had just won the national title, went off undelayed to check on her injured sister. Tia, already a two time world junior sprint champion, now faced the prospect of missing Tokyo entirely.

The faithful breathed a sigh of relief, no longer worried about how Fraser Pryce could stop the twins or world silver medallist Shericka Jackson from achieving individual spots on the team. Some knew better: “Shelly Ann has never not made a team since 2008,” analyst Bruce James had said in his pre race remarks. Retirement would have to wait. Fraser Pryce clocked 10.91 seconds, third behind Shericka Jackson (10.88) and brand new national champion Tina Clayton

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metre squad. It seems strange and distant now, but there were calls in media and track circles demanding that the unheralded Shelly Ann should be replaced by Campbell Brown, the early favourite to win gold in Beijing. The rest is a story of scintillating performances over the short sprints spanning twenty years, earning Shelly Ann the names “Pocket Rocket” and “Mommy Rocket” from admirers. Fueled more by coach Stephen Francis’ confidence than her own, she lit up the Bird’s Nest Stadium in the 100 final, tearing out of her blocks as if she was in danger. She led the whole way, taking the gold medal in 10.78 seconds and ending the year as world number one in Track & Field News . She won the world championship in Daegu the following year,

then retained the Olympic title in 2012. She would reel off four more 100 meter titles at the World Championships, winning in 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022. Over the same period, Shelly Ann would also nab four Diamond League titles in the 100 and one in the 200 metres. WINNING, WINNING, WINNING Over two amazing decades of competition, Fraser Pryce has won 13 global gold medals and 11 others and is well on her way to making the 100 metre trip under 11 seconds 90 times. Only two women, the USA legend Florence Griffith Joyner (10.49) and Jamaica’s double double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson Herah (10.54) have ever recorded faster times. And just when many expected her world beating powers to tail off, her best year of speed came

August 2, 2024: Fraser-Pryce clocks 10.92 seconds, qualifying for the Paris Olympics 100m semi-final. She would take no further part in the Games.

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late, during the 2022 series when all her race results were clocked between 10.60 and 10.70 seconds, three of them inside a week. The achievement is likely the absolute best season of sprinting ever achieved by a female athlete. WINDING DOWN – OR NOT JUST YET? Early in 2023, she was unable to again begin her season in Nairobi, but she was philosophical in her determination: “I still feel hungry; I’m still working. It’s amazing … For me, it’s getting up every morning and still feeling like there’s something I’m chasing – that it’s right there. I’m almost touching it and just need a little more push.” She had even announced a retirement once before, saying at 37 that she would call it quits after the 2024 Paris Olympics, and citing her need to spend more time with her husband and son. But the wording of the statement gave her room to only retire from the Olympics and examine the fire in her belly the following year. Then, a smart 10.94 at the Stadium in her 2025 season opener had the clear suggestion that all bets were off. Finally, with national trials again looming, she made it official and final. “It will be my final time gracing the National Stadium,” she said at a private Nike event in New Kingston on June 23, really meaning it this time. Over her career, she has become the very picture of belief and positivity, inspiring youngsters and supporting their dreams through her Pocket Rocket Foundation, “a nonprofit organization dedicated to fueling the futures of student athletes and their community members so they can soar to new heights”. There is every reason to believe it will continue its mission under her leadership. Shelly wore the national colours in Tokyo decades before, and is aware of the irony in which this great sports city serves as the bookends of the greatest women’s sprinting’s career. “Tokyo was where I started with my first senior championship,” she recalled perceptively.

Tokyo is where she’ll end it. Just as she became the darling of sprinting as the giddy kid wearing flowers in her hair and braces in her smile, she will close her career with the bearing of a stateswoman who has transcended her sport. History beckons, Shelly Ann. Prepare well. Whatever happens, congratulations – and three million thanks.

SAFP MEDAL CHART 2002-2025

Summer Olympic Games

EVENT 100M

YEAR 2008 2012 2016 2020 2012 2012 2016 2020

MEDAL GOLD GOLD BRONZE

SILVER SILVER SILVER SILVER GOLD

200M 4X100 RELAY

World Athletics Championships

EVENT 100M

YEAR 2009 2013 2015 2019 2022 2023 2013 2009 2013 2015 2019 2007 2011 2022 2023

MEDAL GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD BRONZE

200M 4X100 RELAY

GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD SILVER SILVER SILVER SILVER

Diamond League Trophies

100M 200M

2012, 2013, 2015, 2022

2013

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Shelly‐Ann Fraser‐Pryce

COVER

2022 – A SEASON OF

in the Diamond League, where she finished on top. Shelly Ann had not won the diamond in seven years, and it could have signaled the kind of fall off seen at the end of careers – except for the fact that she dropped her personal best to 10.60 in Lausanne, Switzerland just months before in the summer of 2021. The 2022 season began strongly for Thompson Herah, despite the strong statement of intent made by Shelly Ann in Nairobi, Kenya with a smooth 10.67. But she soon missed several 100 metre matchups, with little word in the public space as to why. THINGS GET REALLY FAST Then, things changed. Fraser Pryce returned to the circuit at the Paris Diamond League in June, where she pounded out an identical 10.67 in a world leading meeting record. The victory at the Stade Charlety also served as a warning shot to the world, as she would reel off an astonishing series of runs between June and September to fully establish her legend. A WORLD CHAMPION AT 35 Arriving in Eugene for the 18th World Athletics Championship in July, the “Mommy Rocket”, as she was now being called, would cruise through the rounds of the

100 along with Thompson Herah and Jackson. Running from lane 7 with her teammates in 4 and 5, Shelly Ann separated from the pack early, with her black/green/ gold coiffure flowing behind her, the two other Jamaicans in second and third. Fraser Pryce hit the line in a world leading championship record; for a third time, she clocked 10.67. Without letting up on her rivals, Shelly Ann returned to the Diamond League in August, laying down an even faster 10.66 to destroy the Silesia meeting record. In mid August, she upped the ante in Monaco with a blistering 10.62 meet record to book her ticket in the Diamond League Final. A week later, amid rumors of a world record attempt, she pulled out of the Lausanne meet with an injury and suggested that her season might be over. But she recovered enough to race in Brussels (2nd in 10.74) and then win the Diamond League Final in Zurich by recording a meet record 10.65 seconds, yet another meeting record and her seventh overseas victory below 10.70. At season’s end, she delighted fans by suggesting that a world record would be possible in 2023.

N ot many female sprinters reach the heights, slide down during pregnancy and then climb all the way to the top again. Almost none are able to clock their fastest career times at thirty five, especially not after winning multiple gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships. This strange career in reverse has been accomplished by one athlete: Jamaica’s Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce. By the time the 2022 season began, Elaine Thompson Herah was firmly ensconced as the world’s fastest woman over the 100 meters as well as the metric furlong. She had won her second sprint double at the 2021 Olympics and picked up where she left off To cap off her fastest-ever year, Fraser-Pryce won her fifth 100m world championship in Oregon (10.67s).

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Jamaica continued its dominance of female sprinting with an amazing 1-2-3 finish in the 100m at the Oregon World Athletics Championships in 2022. From left to right: Elaine Thompson-Herah (bronze), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (gold) and Shericka Jackson (silver). The trio would team up with Kemba Nelson to take silver in the 4x100m final.

head and torso. Whereas before, she could be caught in the last 20 30 metres of a race, as the USA’s Carmelita Jeter did to her in the World final in 2011, she was now heading off late challenges, decelerating more slowly and finishing strongest. Yes, the kid from 2008 had been fast, but the 2022 vintage of Shelly Ann was now even faster, steadier and very hard to beat. If all those Olympic medals, world championships and Diamond crowns had placed her in the conversation about the greatest female sprinter ever, then her near mythic 2022 season removed all doubt. All hail the queen.

HOW DID SHE DO IT? They say that female athletes are often stronger and faster following childbirth, but the saying is only anecdotal, not final scientific proof. Women have indeed done it, but the list of these super women is short: Evelyn Ashford, for example, went back to the track and regained her top world ranking; Allyson Felix returned to set a personal best in the 400 metres. It’s more likely that Shelly Ann’s 2020 coaching change and new training regimen were the main determinants of her new found fire after her son was born. Nike’s new “superspikes”, with their carbon fiber plate and special midsole construction didn’t hurt, either. Suddenly, everyone seemed faster. Regardless, though her rocket start and explosive cycle speed remained intact in 2022, it was also her systematized running mechanics and improved final phase that was cutting as much as 1/10 of a second off her times. She added more endurance training – leading her to erase her long standing 200m best of 22.09 with a crisp 21.79 – and more relaxed form, maintaining top speed with a steadier

SAFP PERFORMANCES – 2022

DATE 08 SEP 2022 02 SEP 2022 10 AUG 2022 08 AUG 2022 06 AUG 2022 17 JULY 2022 23 JUN 2022 18 JUN 2022 07 MAY 2022

PLACE SWITZERLAND

EVENT 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres 100 Metres

WIND READING -0.8 +0.6 +0.4 +1.3

TIME 10.65 10.74 10.62 10.67 10.66 10.67 10.70 10.67 10.67

BELGIUM MONACO HUNGARY POLAND USA JAMAICA FRANCE KENYA

+0.5 +0.8 +1.1 +0.5 -0.4

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3 Crowns on the Line in Tokyo B udapest provided Jamaica with a strange, yet glorious World Championships in Athletics. American hurdler Grant Holloway went sub 13 to turn the tables on 2020 Olympic champion Hansle Parchment. Wayne Pinnock and defending champion Tajay Gayle could not peg back the heroics of long jump legend Miltiadis Tentoglou (Greece), who nipped Pinnock by two centimeters, leaving Jamaica in the sand, holding all the places from second to fourth. Jamaican women won bronze in the 400m hurdles through Rushell Clayton, then wrapped up the championships with silvers in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay. Medals would come from unexpected quarters, too, giving fans much to celebrate. But the three Budapest crowns may be hard to keep. WILL ANTONIO WATSON BE READY? With less than a month to go to his title defence, his 44.89 seconds at the Brussels Diamond League was the best showing of 2025 for the former world junior champion and surprise world 2023 400m champion (44.13 seconds). Injuries and a shortage of races will make it difficult for Antonio to top the podium again in Tokyo, but he is a fighter of the first order. After returning from an injury layoff that began with a hamstring injury at the 2024 national championships,

Watson declared himself fully healed in February after managing only a 45.64 best during on and off niggles last season. “I feel like it made me a stronger person,” the Petersfield High alum told TVJ Sports, “because of the confidence I had last year, I’ve doubled down and feel more confident than any time before. I’m fully fit and ready to go … I’m ready to conquer.” Despite his optimism, Watson pulled out of the Racers Grand Prix. Then came the National Trials in June, where he started out with a cautious 46.22 seconds heat, then pulled up in his semifinal and walked off halfway. With the resurgence of 43 second man Rusheen McDonald, who won the national title, plus Delano Kennedy and Racers teammate Jevaughn Powell, Watson – if he can regain full fitness – will have great company in the one lapper and a strong trio to join him for the 4x400m relay. Without question, his is the most unsteady of the three crowns. Danielle Williams celebrates after stunning the field to win her second world 100m hurdles title (12.43 SB) in Budapest, a full 8 years after her first in Beijing in 2015.

Jamaica’s Antonio Watson (l) goes by favourite, Britain’s Hudson-Smith and some of history’s greatest quartermilers fighting down the stretch during the World 400m final.

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DANIELLE WILLIAMS HAS A PLAN Somehow, after winning three World championship medals in the 100m hurdles – including two gold – Danielle “Ants” Williams is one of the greatest high hurdlers who gets talked about the least. Her fastest outing this season was 12.31 seconds in Poland in mid August, Danielle has been polishing her speed over the flat distance, looking crisp in an 11.54 second dash at Kingston Slam and an 11.44 during the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track event on June 1, where she remarked, “I’ve made some technical adjustments this season, trying to get those to be automatic … I’m pleased with how the season has started.” With the Americans Masai Russell, Tia Jones and Grace Stark at the top of World Athletics’ rankings in the event, Williams will have familiar hurdles to clear, including Jamaican teammates Ackera Nugent, the Diamond winner, and a resurgent Megan Tapper, who has lowered her best times. But Danielle is used to not being the event favourite. If her win at Xiamen in April (12.53) is anything to go by – when she won without leading over any of the ten hurdles and only getting the better of Stark with a late rush – then she may have to play dark horse again. “Everyone is running so fast,” she admitted. I’ve tweaked the start and tweaked the finish. We’re just trying to make it automatic in these races now.” Rivals should be careful.

SHERICKA JACKSON IS HAPPY AGAIN

As the fastest living woman over 200m, Shericka Jackson returns to Tokyo, this time seeking a triple crown of three consecutive wins in her pet event. The other two gold medals weren’t exactly easy to come by, but the one she’s seeking inside the Kokuritsu Kyōgijō may be toughest yet. Her injury in Europe last year made her a bit tentative over 200 meters this season, and even though she ran a 10.88 100m to finish second at trials, the MVP megastar has her fans concerned about how she will match up against Olympic silver medallist Julien Alfred (St.Lucia), the same athlete who beat her in that ill fated duel down the stretch last year in Hungary. National champion Ashanti Moore’s 22.31 in Hungary this August places the powerful Jamaican in the mix with yet another time below the world qualifying standard. If she gets any faster, the former Hydel High standout could be a legitimate threat for a medal as well. Apparently, there has been a major recalibration underway in both Shericka’s start and turnover. After picking up a second place finish at the Xiamen Diamond League, she premiered her newfound mechanics in the 100 metres at Rabat on May 25, showing how much faster she can get out of the blocks and how hard she’s now hitting the track surface during acceleration. A 36.13 second run brought her home just behind Alfred over 300m at this year’s Miramar

Classic, and it is left to be seen how Jackson will cope with the side by side pressure from the St. Catherine High alumna if they they meet in Tokyo. The best bookings for the podium in the run up to Tokyo include Alfred as well as the USA’s Brittany Brown and Gabby Thomas. None of them, however, should scoff due to Jackson’s relative inactivity so far this year over the half lap. “This year was a bit challenging …” she reported as she spoke with Anthonique Strachan on YouTube’s “Inside Lane”. “It’s just for me to regroup myself and I’m back. I’m happy and back mentally; I’m okay and that’s good.” Shericka Jackson has run the 200m sparingly so far in 2025, but will go to Tokyo with a fighting chance to win.

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Tokyo at night with Mt. Fuji in the background TOKYO A Jamaican’s Guide to MICHAEL A. GRANT

Completed in 2019, Japan’s new National Stadium was completed in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

NATIONAL STADIUM Properly called Kokuritsu Kyōgijō , this main venue for the twentieth World Athletics Championships features modern facilities and a capacity of around 68,000 spectators. To reduce its environmental impact, the stadium’s structure uses local Japanese wood as modular construction elements. The stadium benefits from special ventilation, transparent solar panels and rainwater collected in underground cisterns for irrigation. The breathtaking venue stands on the grounds of the original National Stadium, used for the 1958 Asian Games and the 1964 Olympics (the first ever in Asia!). That old, legendary stadium was Fun ! Fact

Team Jamaica achieved a very significant nine medals: 4 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze. HIGH-TECH TRANSPORTATION Tokyo’s public transportation system is one of the best in the world – clean, fast, and incredibly punctual. You can walk to Japan National Stadium in a minute from Kokuritsu Kyogijo Station on the Toei Oedo Subway line or in five minutes from Sendagaya Station on the Chuo Sobu line. • JR East Lines: Includes the famous Yamanote Line, a loop connecting major neighborhoods. • Tokyo Metro & Toei Subway covers most of central Tokyo. • Trains are color coded and numbered, making navigation simple even without Japanese.

Kokuritsu-kyogijo train Station is five minutes’ walk from the stadium

torn down in 2015, making way for the new building designed to embody strength, simplicity, and grace – and now, the new building continues that legacy, with a fresh twist unveiled at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics Games, where

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

Fun ! Fact

The Bullet Train is so precise, It’s measured

country where it is professionally practised. More than just a sport, it is regarded as a modern Japanese martial art, what locals think of as gendai budō , with a story of rituals (such as Shinto purification of salt) hundreds of years old. SHIBUYA CROSSING, THE WORLD’S BUSIEST PEDESTRIAN INTERSECTION Established in 1973, this not to miss spot has been featured in numerous movies and music videos. Its traffic signals stop all traffic in front of Shibuya Station

Sensi-Ji Temple

in seconds! Japan’s famous trains can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h (199 mph) and are known for being punctual to the second. The average delay is less than a minute per year – that’s world class efficiency! They’re not just fast – they’re smooth, silent, and incredibly safe, with zero passenger fatalities. CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS & KEY LANDMARKS

TOKYO TOWER Also known as Japan Radio Tower, its design is inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. An icon of the Tokyo skyline, the structure allows panoramic views of Tokyo from its two observation decks. The structure, which was finished in 1958, stands at 1,092 feet, the tallest tower in Japan until 2012. Underneath the landmark stands FootTown, a four story structure housing shops, restaurants and museums. FOOD & LOCAL COLOUR SUMO WRESTLING Try to catch a sumo contest or visit a training camp for an authentic cultural experience. Originating in Japan, sumo is the national sport in the only

Shibuya Crossing

The Nozomi bullet train is Japan’s fastest, reaching speeds of 199 mph

(Hachikō exit) to allow even diagonal crossing. Known for the hectic scramble that lets foot traffic cross in many directions, the spot is a highlight of central Tokyo and a popular meeting place. At its peak, an estimated half‐million pairs of feet dash across every day. TRADITIONAL TEA CEREMONY If you’re a tea drinker and your hotel doesn’t feature a traditional Japanese tea ceremony or chadō , you can find one in a local tea house such as Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden where expert practitioners use the traditional powdered green matcha or other types of tea, matched with Japanese pastry sweets. Open year round, the garden signifies the country’s reverence for

SENSO-JI TEMPLE is Tokyo’s oldest, located in Asakusa. This ancient Buddhist landmark is known for its temple complex including a bustling shopping street, the iconic main hall, a five story pagoda and large gates including Kaminarimon Gate. With over 30 million visitors a year, it is the world’s most widely visited religious site. MEIJI SHRINE is a peaceful Shinto sanctuary found in Shibaya and dedicated to the deified spirits of Japanese Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The site is surrounded by a wooded area that makes it a peaceful refuge from the city centre.

Sumo contest

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some special views of Tokyo and sometimes, gourmet food treats as well. JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY A visit to teamLab’s digital art galleries is a must see in Tokyo, with large scale immersive art spaces and 2 gardens created by their art collective. Japan is one of the world’s most technologically sophisticated countries. From high speed trains and talking robots to smart cities, Japan leads the way in innovation and futuristic living. You can even find robots that cook, clean, and serve sushi; they might greet or serve you in the country that has the most robots per worker!

JAPANESE FOOD MARKETS Visit Tokyo’s lively markets for an authentic bite and a tasty cultural experience! The Toyosu Market (replacing old Tsukiji) is famous for its tuna auctions and fresh seafood. Ameya‐Yokocho (Ueno) is great for street food like yakitori, takoyaki, and mochi . It’s bustling, colorful, and full of energy – perfect for photos and snacks. SAKE TOUR Traditional Japanese rice wine is made by fermenting polished rice. As the national beverage, sake is often served warm from tiny bottles in a small cups called sakazuki . There are guided tours of many sake breweries ( sakagura ) available, such as at the Ishikawa Brewery in Tokyo, where you can observe the brewmaster, or toji , expertly convert rice, water, yeast and koji (a mold used to induce fermentation) into the Japanese beverage staple. SUMIDA RIVER BOAT CRUISES Tokyo is a major port city, and so cruising along the Sumida River is a great way to travel between Asakusa and the Tokyo Bay Area if you need a break from the trains. Travel on a distinctive looking suijo vessel to connect with many piers such as Hinode, Hama Rikyu, Nihonbashi, Odaiba and Toyosu with Asakusa – close to Shinjuku, where the National Stadium is located. These water buses offer

Japanese tea ceremony

peace and nature – a retreat from the hubbub of the city. SUSHI-MAKING CLASSES

Visitors making sushi

Mount Fuji

Have a couple hours to spare? Learn about the story of sushi, its ingredients and methods, then make your own. You’ll use authentic tableware and the freshest ingredients, borrowing from the practices of sushi chef training schools. A typical class will show you sushi making techniques from grating real wasabi, cutting fish, and creating a variety of sushi from nigiri (hand pressed), maki (rolled) and gunkan (battleship). There are classes in Asakusa close to the train station. Not sushi or ramen, but Japanese curry is the national dish, widely eaten at home, school, and restaurants. Sushi is the most iconic Japanese food, and sushi in Japan is a true art form! At its core, sushi is vinegared rice paired with other ingredients, usually seafood, vegetables or eggs. Fun ! Fact

Shinjuku Garden, Shibuya, Tokyo

MOUNT FUJI is Japan’s tallest peak, is really three separate volcanoes stacked on top of each other. It’s not just a giant mountain, it’s a geological masterpiece known for its almost perfectly symmetrical cone. No wonder it’s crowned as a World Cultural Heritage Site! Fun ! Fact

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

The women’s 200m will also be of great interest to Jamaican sprint fans as our Shericka Jackson, “PREVIEW” CONT’D FROM PAGE 7

while not at her very best following a serious injury, is still my favorite for silver in what should be one of the races of the meet. With Tia Clayton now named a part of the 4x100 team and with Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Shericka and Tina in that quartet, I see this relay team finishing no lower than second. The women’s 100m hurdles are expected to be highly competitive, with as many as ten athletes in with a chance of winning. Here, I will play it safe and predict a bronze medal for Jamaica – but who knows? The Jamaican ladies may decide to have a “cleaning day”, because it’s that close.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Stacy-Ann Williams (in yellow singlet) will hope for a leading run in the 4x400m relay final on September 21.

The women’s triple jump will also be a very competitive event with Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts going up against three very well rounded Cubans who have been clogging up the top of recent results and will try Ralford Mullings’ breakout as a pro came this year with a mighty 72.01m hurl. Instead of him going after them, the likes of Alekna and Ceh may be chasing him.

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Tokyo National Stadium

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N owadays, it’s quite rare to find identical twins both performing at an international level in the same track and field events. Born five minutes apart on 17 August 2004 in deep rural Grange Hill, Westmoreland, the Clayton twins, Tina and Tia, have embarked on a fast, potentially remarkable journey in athletics. Since their talent was discovered, the super fast twins have featured prominently for their elementary and secondary school teams, and by extension, Jamaica. Before their meteoric rise with some noticeable high school performances, especially in the U15 age group, an important observer witnessed the sisters competing before their tenth birthday and decided to play a key role in nurturing their talent. “I saw them competing at the JTA/Sagicor National Primary Schools Athletics Championships in the under nine category,” said Michael Dyke, coach of eight time Jamaican high school champions Edwin Allen High. “From there, I spoke to their mother about joining my programme at Edwin Allen when the time is right.” A few years later, the twins made the 90 mile trek from Westmoreland to Frankfield, Clarendon to begin their tutelage under Coach Dyke. On 26 February 2019, Tia made international headlines after blazing to a 100m world U15 best 11.37 seconds (+1.7 m/s) at the Digicel Central Athletics Championships.

Jamaica’s Tia Clayton (3rd right) prepares for 4x100 relay action at the Paris Olympics. On the mend since an injury at nationals, her August 16 PB (10.82) could help her get to Tokyo if she wins the 2025 Diamond League. DOUBLE THE

The record lasted just over a month, however, as Tina, the firstborn, ran a sizzling 11.27 seconds (+1.4 m/s/) on 29 March 2019 to defeat Tia in their highly anticipated first encounter at the annual ISSA/ GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships, popularly called “Champs”. “It was a special moment for me and my most memorable win to date,” said Tina, who had stepped down in distance to run the shorter sprint. Contrary to popular belief in Jamaica, the fiercely competitive twins relish their sibling rivalry because it brings out the best in both of them. TROUBLE BUT TWICE THE JOY •• THE CLAYTON TWINS DOUBLE NOEL FRANCIS TIA TINA

But the inevitable result of either one losing makes matters doubly tricky. “I am not going to allow her to beat me and she feels the same way,” says Tia. “I like competing against her,” Tina says. “To know that my twin sister is in the race and we finish 1 2 is always a great feeling.” Oftentimes, it is difficult to distinguish between the twins with the naked eye unless they are competing in a 4x100m relay where Tina does duties on the back straight, with Tia typically on the anchor leg. Tina, who started out as a 200m specialist, leads their 100m head to head clashes 17 8. While Tina shows no preference for either the 100m or 200m, Tia identifies the 100m dash as her specialty. Both, however, are now focused on the 100m. There was a moment of despair for the twins when they met for the first time at “Champs”. They had been aiming for a 1 2 finish, but Tia was disqualified for a false start. Despite the disappointment, Tina regained her composure and produced a scorching run to win in a season’s best of 11.38 seconds ( 2.1 m/s).

Continued on page 26

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

“PREVIEW” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

to sweep the event. It will be a huge ask for her, but I think the experienced Ricketts will break the trio and walk away with a silver for her efforts. The 4x400m team of Nickisha Pryce, Dejanea Oakley, Stacy Ann Williams and Leah Anderson should be good enough to secure a bronze medal for Jamaica on the final day of the World Championships.

PUNDIT TOTAL MEDALS 13 9 MEDAL PREDICTION CHALLENGE – 2025 DAVEON N OLIVE M GOLD RELAY MEDALS 0 1 SILVER RELAY MEDALS 2 1 BRONZE RELAY MEDALS 2 1 RELAYS TOTAL 4 3

YOU

THE FINAL CALL Overall, that gives Jamaica 13 medals – 2 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze medals with the men having a slightly better output than the women. Jamaicans have been doing well on the circuit and if that continues, they will secure a bag a medals but as in the past, team management and cohesiveness will be a huge factor in the outcome. Diamond Trophy winner Ackera Nugent (left) may have to fight for a podium spot with indoor hurdles champ and world record holder Devynne Charlton (Bahamas).

Nearly untouchable in 2025, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (SB 10.65, left) and Julien Alfred (SB 10.75) present the greatest threats to Jamaica’s ambitions in the 100m.

2025 TRIUMPH IN TOKYO

two. “Fraser Pryce has set a trend that we can follow; she always teaches us that winning at all cost is not the way; you have to lose and get back on your feet and redeem yourself.” The twin’s interests outside of athletics go no further than watching movies and playing mobile games. They credit their successes so far to the mentorship received from their supportive mother, a sprinting prodigy in her youth, as well as coach Dyke. Tina is a two time World U20 champion, winning in Nairobi and then defending her crown in Cali, Colombia. The Clayton twins joined the MVP Track Club after foregoing their final high school year. The move is paying off, as Tia was a finalist at the Paris Olympics.

Tina Clayton (#345) wins the 2024 national 100m title from Shericka Jackson (#348) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in a personal-best 10.81 seconds. At 2nd right, her twin sister Tia pulls up with an injury near the finish line. She has since been added to the team as part of the sprint relay pool after returning to competition.

“I was very disappointed at the start,” said Tina. “I was expecting to finish second behind my sister as that’s her favourite event. When she got disqualified, I knew I had to do it for her.”

Both have great admiration for multiple world and two time Olympic champion Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, who they see as a role model. “She’s a lady that inspires a lot of young athletes,” said Tina, the more vocal of the

TRIUMPH IN TOKYO 2025

THANK YOU HUBERT LAWRENCE (1960-2024)

The women’s 200m will also be of great interest to Jamaican sprint fans as Shericka Jackson, while not at her very best following a serious injury, is still my favorite for silver in what should be one of the races of the meet. With Tia Clayton expected to be named a part of the 4x100 team and with Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Shericka and Tina on that team, I see this relay team finishing no lower than second. A humble, generous and polished professional for more than thirty years, Hubert Lawrence gave voice to the culture through Jamaica’s most memorable sporting moments. Summer Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships. Lawrence co wrote three key J amaica lost its most prominent athletics analyst/broadcaster in February 2024 after a short illness. events such as Grace/ISSA Boys & Girls Athletic Championships,

histories of Jamaican athletics and was an important contributor to Jamaica Sports Magazine since 2016. His passing will be felt by sports fans in the diaspora for many years to come.

The women’s 100m hurdles are expected to be highly competitive, with as many as ten athletes in with a chance of winning. Here, I will play it safe and predict a bronze medal for Jamaica – but who knows? The Jamaican ladies may decide to have a “cleaning day”, because it’s that close. The women’s triple jump will also be a very competitive event with Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts going up against three very well rounded Cubans who have been clogging up the top of recent results and His work provided insight and historical context for telecasts of

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SHELLY-ANN THOMPSON Quiet Giants The Rise and Resilience of Jamaica’s World-Class Field Event Stars

2007 Osaka: Maurice Smith’s versatility earns silver in the decathlon, showcasing Jamaica’s multi event potential. 2015 Beijing: O’Dayne Richards launches the shot 21.69 metres, a national record and Jamaica’s first global medal in the event, a bronze medal. 2019 Doha: In a landmark World Championships, Tajay Gayle stuns the world with an 8.69m leap, landing him a world lead, national record, and Jamaica’s first ever global long jump title. 2019 Doha: Fedrick Dacres claims silver in the men’s discus, another Jamaican first. 2019 Doha: Danniel Thomas Dodd earns a silver medal in the women’s shot put. 2019 Doha: Shanieka Ricketts takes silver in the triple jump.

F or decades, Jamaica’s heroics and lightning fast legends. But away from the straightaways and curves, another story has been unfolding. It’s a tale of sand pits, high bars, heavy implements, and measured precision. Jamaica’s field event athletes have carved out a history that, while quieter than the sprint headlines, is still incredibly compelling. In the build up to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo so far, the conversation has turned to the warriors of the field. That’s because several Jamaican born athletes have switched allegiance to other nations, but many fans feel that those who remain steadfast reputation in athletics has been defined by blistering sprint finishes, major relay under the black, green, and gold deserve more than faint praise. They deserve celebration. FROM GOTHENBURG TO GLOBAL GOLD: JAMAICA’S FIELD EVENT MILESTONES Jamaica’s journey in the field events at the World Championships is marked by moments of brilliance and historic firsts: 1995 Gothenburg: James Beckford soars into history with a silver in the men’s long jump. It’s Jamaica’s first ever major field medal. 2003 Paris: Beckford strikes silver again, proving his world class consistency.

2005 Helsinki: Trecia Kaye Smith claims gold in the triple jump, the first ever by a Jamaican in a global field event. A successful 2-way horizontal jumper, James Beckford won silver in every global championships for Jamaica, missing gold in the long jump by 4cm in Paris 2003.

After barely missing an Olympic medal in Athens the year before, the imposing Trecia-Kaye Smith won the world championship in the triple jump at Helsinki 2005 and later two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

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