Written By: Hubert Lawrence
Since there were three major World Championships on the calendar, the Jamaican sports fan had plenty to watch and to worry about. On centre field was the World Athletics Championships, the first for many aficionados without the retired Usain Bolt. On paper the prospects were brighter for the Sunshine Girlz as they approached the Netball World Cup. To sweeten the pot, the Reggae Girls had made history simply by qualifying for the Women’s World Cup.
Doha Delite
The results were mixed. Led by Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, the track and field contingent allayed fears that the post-Bolt era would be gloomy. Fraser Pryce crowned a strong season with a zooming win in the 100 metres. The ‘Mummy Rocket’ blazed to an unprecedented fourth world title in the 100, with the fastest time of the year, 10.71 seconds on the third day of the September 27 – October 6 event. It was as signal that the 32 year-old sprint queen was every bit as good as before the best of her son Zyon. While that was no surprise, 23 year old Tajay Gayle winning the gold medal in the long jump was a shocker. Gayle dropped a bomb early in the final with a personal best leap of 8.46 metres and then finished the job with a wondrous jump of 8.69 metres in the fourth round.
Doha, host city of the meet, saw a fine team effort by Jamaica in the field events, with discus thrower Fedrick Dacres, shot putter Danniel Thomas-Dodd and triple jump Shanieka Ricketts all collecting silver medals. Significantly, Dacres and Thomas-Dodd had earned Jamaica’s first ever medals in their respective events.
Bolt’s absence was felt in the men’s sprints but overall the team won 12 medals. Fraser Pryce came back to pace Jamaica to gold in the women’s 4×100.
The busiest Jamaican in Doha was Shericka Jackson who was third in the women’s 400 before anchoring both the victorious 4×100 team and the women’s 4×400 metres quartet. She actually got the baton in second place in the longer race but tiredness got the better of her and she relinquished the silver to Poland. Jamaica’s other relay medals came in the newly introduced mixed 4×400 metres and the men’s 4×400.
Danielle Williams and 400 Rushell Clayton completed the medal haul with bronze in the 100 metre hurdles and the 400 metre hurdles respectively.
Netball Disappointment
The fine track and field results made up for a disappointing Netball World Cup campaign in Liverpool by the Sunshine Girls. Jamaica fell from its customary place in the top four to fifth, which contrasted to its runner-up spot in the 2018 Fast Five World tournament and a bronze medal finish in the Commonwealth Games.
Ironically, the world rankings had placed Jamaica at number two just before competition began. Experts suggested that match strategy was faulty and held back a team with the world’s best attacker Jhaniele Fowler Reid and highly regarded defender Shamera Sterling. In the end, Jamaica bested Malawi 68 -50 for fifth.
Girlz in Paris
There were no such high expectations for the Girlz as they made their way to Paris for the football World Cup. Though they lost to Brazil 0-3 and 0-5 to the Italians, the Jamaicans played hard and managed a consolation goal in a 1-4 loss against the Aussies.
Premiere League Football
Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City delighted its growing Jamaican fan base by outlasting Liverpool in an exciting defense of its 2018 title. The race went down to the final match day of the season with City. Liverpool downed Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 but the champion team came back from a goal down to demolish Brighton Hove Albion 4-1. With strikers like the Argentine Sergio Aguero and Gabriel de Jesus, midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne and Jamaican born attack specialist Raheem Sterling, Manchester City poured in 169 goals and won by just one point, 98 to 97.
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Written By: Hubert Lawrence
Since there were three major World Championships on the calendar, the Jamaican sports fan had plenty to watch and to worry about. On centre field was the World Athletics Championships, the first for many aficionados without the retired Usain Bolt. On paper the prospects were brighter for the Sunshine Girlz as they approached the Netball World Cup. To sweeten the pot, the Reggae Girls had made history simply by qualifying for the Women’s World Cup.
Doha Delite
The results were mixed. Led by Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, the track and field contingent allayed fears that the post-Bolt era would be gloomy. Fraser Pryce crowned a strong season with a zooming win in the 100 metres. The ‘Mummy Rocket’ blazed to an unprecedented fourth world title in the 100, with the fastest time of the year, 10.71 seconds on the third day of the September 27 – October 6 event. It was as signal that the 32 year-old sprint queen was every bit as good as before the best of her son Zyon. While that was no surprise, 23 year old Tajay Gayle winning the gold medal in the long jump was a shocker. Gayle dropped a bomb early in the final with a personal best leap of 8.46 metres and then finished the job with a wondrous jump of 8.69 metres in the fourth round.
Doha, host city of the meet, saw a fine team effort by Jamaica in the field events, with discus thrower Fedrick Dacres, shot putter Danniel Thomas-Dodd and triple jump Shanieka Ricketts all collecting silver medals. Significantly, Dacres and Thomas-Dodd had earned Jamaica’s first ever medals in their respective events.
Bolt’s absence was felt in the men’s sprints but overall the team won 12 medals. Fraser Pryce came back to pace Jamaica to gold in the women’s 4×100.
The busiest Jamaican in Doha was Shericka Jackson who was third in the women’s 400 before anchoring both the victorious 4×100 team and the women’s 4×400 metres quartet. She actually got the baton in second place in the longer race but tiredness got the better of her and she relinquished the silver to Poland. Jamaica’s other relay medals came in the newly introduced mixed 4×400 metres and the men’s 4×400.
Danielle Williams and 400 Rushell Clayton completed the medal haul with bronze in the 100 metre hurdles and the 400 metre hurdles respectively.
Netball Disappointment
The fine track and field results made up for a disappointing Netball World Cup campaign in Liverpool by the Sunshine Girls. Jamaica fell from its customary place in the top four to fifth, which contrasted to its runner-up spot in the 2018 Fast Five World tournament and a bronze medal finish in the Commonwealth Games.
Ironically, the world rankings had placed Jamaica at number two just before competition began. Experts suggested that match strategy was faulty and held back a team with the world’s best attacker Jhaniele Fowler Reid and highly regarded defender Shamera Sterling. In the end, Jamaica bested Malawi 68 -50 for fifth.
Girlz in Paris
There were no such high expectations for the Girlz as they made their way to Paris for the football World Cup. Though they lost to Brazil 0-3 and 0-5 to the Italians, the Jamaicans played hard and managed a consolation goal in a 1-4 loss against the Aussies.
Premiere League Football
Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City delighted its growing Jamaican fan base by outlasting Liverpool in an exciting defense of its 2018 title. The race went down to the final match day of the season with City. Liverpool downed Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 but the champion team came back from a goal down to demolish Brighton Hove Albion 4-1. With strikers like the Argentine Sergio Aguero and Gabriel de Jesus, midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne and Jamaican born attack specialist Raheem Sterling, Manchester City poured in 169 goals and won by just one point, 98 to 97.
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