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• Omanyala aims for fast time in 100m at Racers Grand Prix in Kingston

  Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man, is eager to deliver a fast performance in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, later today. The 28-year-old will face World Champion Noah Lyles, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes in a highly anticipated race expected to be the highlight of the meet.

  At a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on Friday, Omanyala discussed his goals and the significance of competing in Jamaica.

  “Since the start of the season, I haven’t had good weather to run in because I have been running in rain, cold weather, so I’m happy I’m in Jamaica and it’s very hot," Omanyala said. "Looking at my previous runs in hot weather, my best one was in Botswana where I ran 9.78, so I am looking forward to running and I am looking for a very fast time.”

  Omanyala expressed his excitement about finally making it to Jamaica after multiple invitations.

  “I am happy to be in Jamaica. I’ve been invited more than twice, so I’m glad I made it this time because it’s far from home. I am glad at this time it came up at a point where we are having our US tour, so it was close, and I am happy to be here. I’ve been told I have so many fans, so I want to see that on Saturday.”

  

  The Kenyan sprinter also explained why he has set his sights on Usain Bolt’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, set in August 2009 at the Berlin World Championships.

  “When I started running, the African record was far, and nobody thought that it could be broken, but we broke it twice. So, the same thing I say for all records—it is not that it is impossible, so we’ll get there,” said Omanyala, who holds the African record of 9.77 seconds set at the Kip Keino Classic in 2021.

  With favorable weather conditions and a strong field of competitors, Omanyala is poised to make a significant impact at the Racers Grand Prix. Fans are eagerly awaiting his performance, hoping to witness a thrilling race and potentially record-breaking time.

   

   

• With Bolt's times on his mind, Noah Lyles eyes Yohan Blake's 100m stadium record at Racer’s Grand Prix on Saturday

  Triple World Champion Noah Lyles has his sights set on Yohan Blake's stadium record of 9.75 seconds, set in 2012, as he prepares to compete in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday night. Lyles, who wakes up every day with Usain Bolt's world records of 9.58 for the 100m and 19.19 for the 200m on his mind, believes he is getting closer to breaking both records each year.

  Speaking at a Racers Grand Prix press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus on Friday, Lyles shared his thoughts on his progress and ambitions.

  "Every day, it's (Bolt's records) in the back of my mind. Every day I train as if I'm getting closer and closer because every year I get closer and closer," Lyles said. "Especially this year, we've made a lot of headway in our 100m training, and I'm very eager to show everybody how much headway we've made on Saturday because it's been consistent."

  Lyles highlighted the progress he has seen in his training, emphasizing that his improvements are not just occasional but have been consistently evident.

  "You know, it's one thing when you get it once or twice in practice, but we've been seeing it happen week after week, run after run, and I believe that the 150m proved that we've been making progress on both ends, on the 200 side and on the 100 side," he said in reference to the American record to the 14.41 he ran at the Adidas Atlanta City Games a week ago.

  "And, of course, the world record is always going to be in the back of my mind, but Olympic golds are Olympic golds, and nobody can take those away from you."

  While Lyles acknowledges that the 200m world record might be easier to achieve, he remains determined to excel in both events.

  "Definitely the 200m is going to be easier. I have a firm, firm chokehold on the 200m right now, and I'd say I'm kind of just letting everybody play their cards for now," he said. "I'm very excited. Tomorrow is gonna be a magical day."

  When asked about Blake's stadium record, Lyles responded with enthusiasm and determination. "75? Let's go after that!" he exclaimed.

  Lyles' confidence and determination set the stage for an exciting race on Saturday night, as he aims to make history at the National Stadium in Kingston.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Bahamian CARIFTA javelin champions Dior-Rae Scott and Taysha Stubbs commit to University of Nebraska

  Two of the top young Bahamian javelin throw prospects, Dior-Rae Scott and Taysha Stubbs, have committed to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

  Scott and Stubbs, both 16, are two of the premier female javelin throwers in the region and globally as well.

  They both won gold medals at the 51st CARIFTA Games in St. George’s, Grenada, in April this year.

  Scott threw a personal best and new CARIFTA record 52.53m to win gold in the Under-17 section while Stubbs threw 50.94m to win the Under-20 section.

  Those marks are among some of the best in the world for the age-group.

  Scott is tied for fourth on World Athletics’ Top Performance List for under-18 girls in the 500-gram javelin event, and Stubbs is sixth in that same division, but in the 600-gram javelin event.

  They will both look to emulate the success of Nebraska standout Rhema Otabor, a Bahamian NCAA champion in the women’s javelin who will be looking to defend her title as a collegiate senior at this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

  The Nebraska senior is currently the NCAA leader in the event this season with 59.12m done at the Drake Relays on April 24.

  She took silver at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Chile with a personal best 60.54m.