In 2022, Jamaica had five medal winners at the Eugene 22 World Athletics Championships, and if you include the greater relay teams, the total count reached 10.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led another remarkable sweep, which included Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herrah. She achieved a championship record of 10.67 in the women’s 100m final. Meanwhile, Jackson claimed her first individual title in the 200m with a time of 21.45, defeating Fraser Pryce and setting a national record in the process.
When is the Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships?
This season, the hopes and health of the two-time reigning 100m world champion, Fraser Pryce, are central to the Jamaica’s aspirations at the Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships. The Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships will be held in Hungary from August 19-27. She aims to secure her record sixth title in the event. Despite contending with injuries during the initial part of the year, Fraser Pryce managed to achieve a time of 10.82s, positioning her as the fourth-fastest woman globally this season.
Jackson, having achieved a world-leading time of 10.65 in the 100m and the second-best time of 21.71 in the 200m, aims to genuinely contend for the double victory. She also has her sights set on turning her 200m national record from 2022 into a world record in 2023. Thompson Herrah, Jamaica’s fastest woman with a time of 10.54s, secured third place in the Eugene 100m with a time of 10.81. Although she did not qualify individually for the championships, she is set to participate in the 4x100m relay pool.
Assuming smooth handoffs, the team should easily redeem their previous loss and restore Jamaica’s glory this season. Jamaica secured the runner-up position in three of the relay finals.
In the women’s 4x100m relay, the favored Jamaican squad was surprisingly defeated by the USA in the final. The team was comprised of the open 100m podium finishers and Kemba Nelson, the athletes who propelled Jamaica to the final.
How to watch Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships Live Stream; Live Results, Schedule
Jamaica’s Women’s 4x400m relay was led by Eugene finalists Candice McLeod and Stephanie-Ann McPherson.
This year is expected to bring about a more competitive rivalry with the USA, which is missing its star Sydney McLaughlin Levrone. McLeod is returning alongside her 2022 relay teammates, Janieve Russell and Cherokee Young, and the team is bolstered by new additions Ronda Whyte and Shian Salmon.
The men’s 4x400m relay team, which also secured second place with a time of 2:58.58, is aiming for improvement. Despite the absence of Christopher Taylor, Jamaica’s sole finalist in the men’s 400m last year, the country has seen a resurgence in sub-45-second sprinting, thanks to athletes like Sean Bailey (44.43), Antonio Watson (44.54), and Zandrion Barnes (44.91). Ironically, Rusheen McDonald (44.03), a leader in this resurgence, didn’t qualify for the World Championships in the open 400m after withdrawing from the semifinals of the national trials. He achieved the aforementioned time at a later July meet, establishing himself as the national record holder and the third-fastest Jamaican under 44 seconds globally this season.
In the Women’s 100m hurdles, national record holder Brittany Anderson achieved an all-conditions record of 12.23 during her silver medal performance, trailing Tobi Amusun in windy conditions.
Despite Anderson’s absence due to injury this season, Ackera Nugent, Danielle Williams, and Meagan Tapper are more than capable of stepping in and challenging Amusun, Camacho Quinn, Nia Ali, and Kendra Harrison. Williams also reached the windy final last season, finishing sixth in 12.44. Tapper, an Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo, and Williams, who secured a bronze in 2019, are strong contenders.
Although the men’s 110m hurdles lacked medalists due in part to the disqualification of Olympic champion Hansel Parchment, Parchment’s teammate Rasheed Broadbell secured the fastest time in the world this season with 12.94. This achievement puts him ahead of reigning world champion Grant Holloway (12.98) and other compatriots like Cordell Tinch (12.96) and Daniel Roberts (13.01). Parchment is ranked 9th with a year-best time of 13.12, while Orlando Bennett holds the 12th position with 13.19.
Despite not participating in the 2022 World Championships, Jayden Hibbert’s remarkable performances this season have earned him recognition. His 17.87 World Junior Record places him fifth this season among senior athletes.
In the Long Jump, Wayne Pinnock aims to surpass his ninth-place finish in Eugene. This season, his jump of 8.37m ranks him fifth in the world. Tajay Gayle, the Jamaican record holder and champion from Doha, holds the ninth position this season with a jump of 8.27. Carey McLeod is tied for 11th place with his best jump of 8.26m.
Natoya Goule-Toppin is consistently a contender in the Women’s 800m. She secured fifth place in Eugene with a time of 1:57.90. This season, she holds the fourth-fastest time of 1:57.61.
In the men’s 100m, Oblique Seville narrowly missed a podium finish last year. Despite his reputation for performing in significant moments, he was defeated at the Jamaican trials by Rohan Watson, who secured third place with a time of 9.91, compared to Seville’s 10.00 and Ackeem Blake’s 10.01 for fourth. Ryiem Ford came in second with a time of 9.96. Blake, also a returnee from the Eugene team, holds the highest ranking among Jamaican athletes this year with a personal best time of 9.89 achieved in May. Due to his fourth-place finish, he will serve as an alternate.
