McLeod eyes improvement ahead of Paris
Newly crowned national men’s long jump champion Carey McLeod is setting high expectations for himself at the Olympic Games in Paris next month.
McLeod, the reigning World Indoor bronze medallist, clinched his first national title with a leap of 8.38m on Saturday.
Wayne Pinnock, the event favourite, secured second place with a mark of 8.27m, while Shawn-D Thompson took third with 8.08m. Reflecting on his performance, McLeod expressed confidence heading into the Olympics.
“I am not putting any limit on myself, but just expect something great from me in Paris,” he said. “I feel good, but I know I still have work to do. I’ll go back to the drawing board to fine-tune a few things before the Paris Olympic Games. My initial target was to nail it in one jump, but it took me two more attempts to get it right.”
World Championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts secured her sixth national triple jump title with a leap of 14.50m. Ackelia Smith followed with 14.44m, while Imani Oliver took third with 13.69m. Only Ricketts and Kimberley Williams have met the Olympic qualifying standard and will represent Jamaica in Paris. Williams finished fourth with a mark of 13.67m.
Meanwhile, Danniel Thomas-Dodd delivered a standout performance in the women’s shot put, recording a season’s best of 19.32m to claim her ninth national title. The 31-year-old, who will be attending her third Olympics, dominated the competition ahead of Lloydricia Cameron (17.62m) and Danielle Sloley (15.05m). Thomas-Dodd expressed satisfaction with her performance, saying, “I am excited and happy about this performance. It sets a good precedent for the Olympics, and I am thrilled that everything is coming together at the right time.”
In other track events, Bryan Levell led all qualifiers into the men’s 200m final by winning his semi-final in 20.53s. Defending national champion Andrew Hudson followed closely with 20.59, with Shevioe Reid (20.60), Javari Thomas (20.70), Gary Card (20.72), and Ashanie Smith (20.77) also advancing to the final.
Shericka Jackson, who secured her national 100m title on Friday, continued her strong showing by clocking 22.67 to top all qualifiers in the women’s 200m. Jackson, the second-fastest woman of all time over the distance, cruised through her semi-final. Dejanae Oakley (22.77), Niesha Burgher(22.90), and Jodean Williams (22.86) also qualified for the final.
World Championships finalist Ackera Nugent led the qualifiers in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.42. She will be joined in the final by reigning world champion Danielle Williams (12.57) and Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper (12.71).
