May 7, 2022
Smikle gets World Champs qualifying mark on birthday
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Commonwealth Games silver medallist Traves Smikle, gave himself a big birthday gift after achieving the qualifying mark for the men’s discus throw at Saturday’s second JAAA/SDF Jubilee meet at the National Stadium with a season’s best 66.60m.
Smikle, who turned 30 years old on Saturday, became the first Jamaican to get the 66.00m mark for the mid-July World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, beat his previous season’s best 65.60m.
Chad Wright, the Olympic finalist last year, was second with 58.63m and Calabar High schoolboy Kobe Lawrence third with 53.42m.
Samantha Hall won the women’s discus throw event with 53.85m, beating Shamella Donaldson (46.36m) and Ashanti Wright third with 39.72m.
-Paul A Reid