Calabar High School athlete shines at Jamaica Invitational
Fans at the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston got a treat last weekend as Calabar High School star, Christopher Taylor, beat American great Lashawn Merritt to win the International Men’s 200-m in a time of 20.49 seconds. Merritt had to settle for second in 20.70.
Despite a small audience at the invitational, those lucky enough to attend experienced history as the 18-year-old, who was running blind from lane seven with no one in lane eight, took the win.
Anaso Jobodwana of South Africa was third in 20.70s.
“It’s a motivation for me going forward seeing that I am just 18. I came up against the big boys and I came out victorious and this just motivates me for the World Juniors,” Taylor was quoted by the Jamaica Gleaner as saying.
Merritt, who has a personal best of 19.74s, interrupted Taylor’s interview to congratulate the young Jamaican prodigy.
“He is a great competitor. I have seen him run some 400s and I knew he was ready to come run in front of his home crowd and I congratulate him,” Merritt told the paper.
Elaine Thompson For Prefontaine Classic
Fresh off defeating a field of largely local athletes at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston last weekend, 2016 Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson, will take on a world-class field of sprinters in the 100-m this weekend at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.
Thompson will have to face the likes of 100-m World Champion, Torie Bowie; two-time World Champion Dafne Schippers, and World Indoor 60-m champion Murielle Ahoure from the Ivory Coast.
The stacked field also includes Marie Josee Ta Lou, who defeated the Jamaican in the Diamond League season-opener in Doha to win in 10.85s to Thompson’s 10.93. Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, who was second in Doha in 10.90, is also in the line-up as is Great Britain’s Dina-Asher Smith and the USA’s Javainne Oliver.
Bolt goes for bolts in Jamaica
Olympic great, Usain Bolt, brought out a statue of himself – made mostly of real bolts as he celebrated the third Tracks & Records eatery in Jamaica recently.
The Montego Bay eatery’s opening on the Hip Strip, included the grand unveiling of the famous “Bolt of Bolts” statue, created by German musician Vita Diedel Kloever.
The grand opening welcomed Christopher Issa and the Crissa Entertainment Group to the Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records family as the newest franchisee.
Bolt has got 15 more Tracks & Records to open across the U.K.
Now Netball Jamaica uncertain about Henry’s return
Netball Jamaica is set to hold a second meeting with disgruntled coach Sasher-Gaye Henry next week, in hopes she will return to the post she quit recently.
At the first meeting last week, Netball Jamaica said it held productive discussions with Henry and had decided not to accept her resignation.
But in a subsequent statement – her second since abruptly resigning two weeks ago – Henry stressed nothing had changed, though initial discussions with Netball Jamaica had been “cordial and constructive.”
The local governing body spokesman, Wayne Lewis, said there was common belief Henry would return.
Henry, along with fellow coach Marvette Anderson, guided Sunshine Girls to bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia last month.
Without warning, however, the former national player resigned her post a month later, citing “personal needs of my family” and her “increasing concerns about continuing professional weaknesses in the administration of the sport.”
Lewis said Henry remained a vital part of the national setup, especially since there was a great relationship with the players
