Rajindra Campbell broke the Jamaican men’s shot put record on Thursday when he threw 22.44m to win the event on the first day of the 76th Boris Hanžeković Memorial — a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet — at Sports Park Mladost, in Zagreb, Croatia.

The 30-year-old Campbell improved on his previous best of 22.34m from the Xiamen Diamond League meet just over a month ago.

It was the second time Campbell was breaking the national record at that meet and the fourth time since July 2023.

He said he was pushed to his best when he was overtaken mid competition by Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who was second.

“This is my best series ever…I was happy to chase after Fabbri threw 22 metres. This competition is the best, it removed the limitation out of my mind and I just kept throwing, and then the national record came,” he said. “I already threw a national record here in 2023. One of the best things about Zagreb is when we are throwing, it’s just us, all the attention and energy is here. So this is the best place to showcase your talent and your work.”

The Olympic Games bronze medallist also addressed his attempt — along with three other high-profile Jamaican field event athletes — to switch national allegiance to Turkiye.

He said he is seeking the financial security enjoyed by other elite athletes around the globe so he can focus on boosting his capabilities.

“I made some switches to my career,” he said. “I wanted to be in the same position as the Americans, where they [have] funding and support. Since my mindset is a lot better and I was actually able to get much stronger without thinking about what I would do if something goes wrong. Now I am in a better place mentally and technically, [I] am stronger and more disciplined.”

Campbell said he is to compete next at the Eugene Diamond League. He added that he has a lot of work to do as he chases the world record 23.56m set by American Ryan Crouser in May 2023.

Campbell led from the start on Thursday, but was bumped from top spot by Fabbri in the third round. However, Campbell rallied in the fifth round with his best-ever mark in the competition.

Fabbri threw 22.21m, while New Zealand’s Tom Walsh was third with 21.42m.

On day two, Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games double sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and Brianna Lyston are to go head-to-head in the women’s 100m.

Thompson-Herah, who competed in only the semi-final of the women’s 100m at last weekend’s Jamaica athletics championships at the National Stadium, is to face-off against Lyston, the former World Under-20 200m champion.

Thompson-Herah ran 11.18 seconds to win her heat in Jamaica last weekend, while Lyston competed twice in Europe last week. Lyston won the 100m in 10.99 at a meet in the Netherlands on Sunday.

Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand, Ewa Swoboda of Poland, and Thelma Davies of Liberia are expected to add depth to the event.

Newly minted national champions Stacey Ann Williams, in the women’s 400m, and Tajay Gayle, in the men’s long jump, as well as top 400m hurdles runner Rushell Clayton are also down to compete in Zagreb.

Williams, who won her first Jamaican title last weekend, is to compete against Yemi Mary John of Great Britain, Egyptian national record holder Bassant Hemida, and Martina Weil of Peru.

Gayle is to take on a men’s long jump field that includes Gerson Balde of Portugal, Jarrion Lawson of the United States, Eusebio Caceres of Spain, and Luca Boskovic of Serbia.

Clayton, who missed the national championships, is slated to go up against Slovakia’s world leader Emma Zapletalova, the winner of all four Diamond League races this season. Shamier Little of the United States and Fatoumata Binta Diallo of Portugal are also down to contest the event.