Carifta gold medallist Otto Laing.

As of Thursday, July 20, 2023

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CARIFTA gold medallist Otto Laing offers Bahamas Speed Dynamics coach Daron Lightbourne a token of his gratitude after committing to Howard University.

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#Carifta gold medallist Otto Laing will be headed to Washington DC to commence his studies and collegiate track career at Howard University.

#The hurdler made the announcement at his former primary school Xavier’s yesterday in a room filled with his loved ones, and supporters.

#Laing had a tough decision having to choose between 24 college offers, but ultimately he decided to commit to the HBCU Howard University to embark on his next step in life.

#Laing reflected on what made him choose one of the five largest HBCUs in the nation as his next place of learning and training.

#“I looked at which school would really take care of me, it was really not because of the name or how big the school was but moreso where I felt like I would blossom and excel and [with] Howard, I felt as though the coaches would take care of me seeing that I am from The Bahamas.Being able to go all the way to Washington DC to showcase my talents means the world to me,” Laing said.

#The hurdler faced many trials and tribulations leading up to his joyous moment. One of the biggest supporters in his corner was his mom who passed away at a young age. He also lost a father figure in his life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Following these obstacles, Laing struggled to find his motivation in a sport he once loved and on top of those hurdles he had to deal with nagging hamstring injuries coming into early 2023. However, under the tutelage of Bahamas Speed Dynamics coach Daron Lightbourne Laing was able to discover his passion once again in only 1 year and 4 months.

#Lightbourne said when he encountered Laing he told him to stay at a home for a year which was not a decision that most people agreed with but they both came up with a plan together with the first goal being college and the next to help Laing run faster. Ultimately, the plan worked with the hurdler now being able to pick, choose, and refuse colleges and run sub 14 for a personal best in his quest to the collegiate level.

#“It means the world to me because at the beginning of this season I was dealing with a lot of hamstring injuries and I wasnt sure if I was going to be able to run at CARIFTA and I found myself starting to stress and overthink but I kept myself grounded and my coach kept me grounded…it means the world to me now that I was able to sign now considering that I have been through so much to get here it still feels surreal to me,” he said.

#Laing was unable to emerge victorious at the CARIFTA trials but he surprised everyone with his perseverance by capturing gold in the under 20 110m hurdles at the 50th CARIFTA Games.

#The CARIFTA gold-medallist not only has the support of his guardians, and loved ones but he also has the 100% support of coach Lightbourne.

#“For me I am very elated about it you know we set out a plan and we followed through with the plan you know my job is to mentor them not only with track and field but their personal life as young men,” he said.

#Bahamas Speed Dynamics’coach always stressed the importance of his athletes going to schools where they are more than just a number especially the ones that plan to pursue track professionally. He and Laing are confident in the abilities of Howard’s director of track and field David Oliver.

#“David Oliver is a really great coach expect to look out for me at the regionals and to qualify for the nationals next year I look forward to breaking some collegiate records and look forward to having a great collegiate year,” Laing said.

#Next stop for Laing will be the Puerto Rico for the Pan American Junior Championships set for August 2-7

As of Thursday, July 20, 2023

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#By LEESHAN MORLEY

#Tribune Intern

#MONDAY marked the beginning of the 35th Annual Jeff Rodgers Basketball Camp which is being held at The Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium and the camp will continue until Thursday next week. The camp caters to girls and boys aged 5-18.

#Director Jeff Rodgers was able to stop and reflect on how the camp first started. “I started this camp as a calling from church to give something back to the community.”

#He also went on to say how this camp not only focuses on teaching the children basketball skills, but also good self-character.

#“I use it as an avenue to be able to touch lives, to help young people know more about themselves, work with them to help them to set goals in life and, at the same time, you are teaching them basketball skills but, as you know, there is more to life than just basketball, so the camp is for building character.”

#He further went on to share how the players have improved over the years. He mentioned players such as NBA stars Deandre Ayton and Kai Jones who were a part of the camp in the past. These players were given the opportunity to play basketball in the NBA while others have played on a professional basketball level in foreign countries. Some of those campers have come back to be instructors for the camp. He encourages other young people to join the camp saying “If you find time to come into the camp, the camp is to give you the type of information to help you to know how to defend out there in the world. You don’t have to do the worst things in the world to be seen or be known. You can still do good things and people will still see you and know you.”

#Mylez Moss, a 13-year-old camper, shared his experience about the camp. He has been attending the camp for the past six years. For him, the camp has helped him to enhance his basketball skills and become a complete basketball player. Not only has he learnt to perfect his basketball skills but to become a better person, learn self-discipline, and to be a good person to everyone around him.

#Tory Johnson, a female camper, was also able to describe her time in the camp. With this being her first year being a part of the camp, she has been having an enjoyable experience thus far and has learnt a lot. She also feels that the camp can help her to become a better person and help improve her basketball skills.

As of Thursday, July 20, 2023

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ADAM MUSGROVE

#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER leaving the national track and field championships as a double champion, Adam Musgrove will now take his athletic and academic capabilities to Howard University.

#At a collegiate signing for fellow teammate Otto Laing, who will also attend the historically black university in Washington DC, coach Daron Lightbourne revealed Musgrove will be apart of the Bison Nation.

#Musgrove has been poised and committed to his journey throughout his final track season as a junior breaking personal goals and savouring the moment along the way..

#The CARIFTA bronze medallist is confident in his decision to enrol at the HBCU and reflected on why he chose the institution.

#“I had genuine interest in the school and after discussing it with my family and coach Lightbourne, it felt as if they saw me as Adam and not just another athlete, also considering it is an HBCU with a decent academic ranking, I do feel as if I would be able to get faster in an academically sound environment with people that look like myself,” Musgrove said.

#The double 100 and 200 metre junior champion has his sights set on obtaining a law degree and potentially a master of business administration (MBA) in his bright and near future.

#He said that outside of the academics, he wants to be able to run as fast as he possibly can and although he cannot predict what his ceiling or limit is, he does believe that he can do anything possible with God leading him.

#Musgrove is taking it one academic and athletic milestone at a time but will definitely try to work towards becoming a pro as he transitions to the collegiate level of the sport.

#Lightbourne, head coach of Bahamas Speed Dynamics, had nothing but high praises for the steadily improving sprinter.

#He said that he expects both Musgrove and Laing to do well at Howard University, especially in helping each other, due to the dynamic they have built personally along their journey at Bahamas Speed Dynamics.

#Despite moving onto the next level into the hands of David Oliver, who is the director of track and field at the home of the Bison, Musgrove said that he is extremely excited and feels that he has a lot of room for improvement and is looking forward to the coaches at Howard tapping into that.

#“At the college level I want to become a national champion. I also want to challenge the Bahamian senior records in the sprints and I want to be an inspiration to anyone struggling in track, to show that just because you are struggling now does not mean that you always will,” he said.

#Currently, the junior wants to end this season with a bang at the Pan American Junior Championships next month in Puerto Rico.

#Also, the North American, Central American, and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships that take place this weekend in Costa Rica.

#The meets will be the last for Musgrove as he transitions from the junior to senior level.

As of Thursday, July 20, 2023

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#By TENAJH SWEETING

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

#THE Capital Football Label (CFL) Summer Soccer Championships are back at the Roscow A L Davies soccer field every Sunday until August 20.

#The soccer competition got underway on July 16 and will continue until a club is crowned as champions to receive a cash prize of $3,500.

#Eight teams with a total of 176 players combined are expected to battle it out on the RALD field each Sunday in hopes of being victorious this summer.

#Kensly Joseph, president of the CFL, talked about his expectations of the teams competing at this year’s summer tournament.

#“I am expecting the competition to be stiff to be very honest because anybody can win and it is anybody’s trophy at this point,” Joseph said.

#The teams are separated into two pools with the players aged 16 and up. Pool A includes the Happiness Football Club (FC), Superstars FC, Original FC, and Skilsaw FC. Pool B fields Kickers FC, University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes, Seventeen FC, and Flamingo FC.

#Seventeen FC and Flamingo FC will battle in a rematch at 7pm this Sunday after none of the teams were able to hoist the championship trophy last year due to controversy regarding the remaiing teams and the referees. Ultimately, the cash prize was split between the two teams to quash the matter.

#With the tourney taking place following the conclusion of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA) soccer season, Joseph said the purpose of the event is to give returning college players the opportunity to stay active. “The purpose is to take the competition and culture of soccer when the major league has stopped during the summertime to have a tournament for college kids that come in town and want to remain active it is also a family friendly event for parents and children,”he said.

#The CFL has continued to make improvements since documenting their start at the DW Davis field in 2015. Despite not having a women’s division this year the organization plans to rectify that for next year’s summer tournament by including the women soccer players.

#Next up on the CFL summer soccer tourney schedule will be the Skilsaw FC versus Superstars FC in Pool A at 3pm. Additionally, the Kickers FC and UB Mingoes will face off in the Pool B at 5pm.

#Persons are encouraged to support and come out every Sunday leading up to the championships.

#“It is not only a soccer tournament it is a soccer cultural festival there are drinks, DJs, and entertainers in this family friendly enivironment,” Joseph added.

#Tickets are priced at $5 for adults and $3 for children under the age of 12.

 Home|Sports|The Bahamas 12U split two gamesSports

Team blanks the Cayman Islands but loses to Cuba

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 21, 2023 50 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The Bahamas’ 12-and-under (12U) team at the Babe Ruth Caribbean Baseball Championship and Invitational split its games on the first day of competition at the Baillou Hills Softball Complex on Thursday.

They got a convincing 27-0 shutout victory over the Cayman Islands in the first game of the tournament and then lost their second game of the day, 6-5, against Cuba. The team is currently in second place in Pool A with a 1-1 win/loss record, sitting behind Cuba who is at 2-0.

Manager for the Bahamian side Stephen Burrows said that his team had a slow start against Cuba.

“Sometimes guys get game jitters. By the time we were able to snap out of it and string runs together, it was a bit late. We made a lot of errors in the third inning and that caused them to score several runs. We started to tighten up on our 

defense and were able to get them out more but we came up short,” Burrows said.

Heading into top of the sixth and final inning, Cuba had a 6-3 lead and came out of the dugout hoping to put the game away. The Bahamas came out with a purpose in that inning as Ajai Knowles opened with a double and Malique Israel walked. A double steal put runners on second and third.

After The Bahamas’ first out, Kylan Taylor stepped up and hit a fly ball that dropped right in front of the right fielder’s gloves. That single brought home Knowles and Israel. That cut into Cuba’s lead as the score was 6-5 in favor of the Cuban side.

Taylor stole second and third and was the tying run. However, with two out, Elon Bullard struck out swinging, ending the game, 6-5, in Cuba’s favor.

Burrows appreciated the resilience from the team.

The Bahamas led early on, going up 3-1 by the third inning. Cuba scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning to change the flow of the game in their favor. Knowles and Ralph Burrows led the way for The Bahamas in the batter’s box. Burrows went 2-for-2 and scored two runs while Knowles went 2-for-4, scored two runs and had a run batted in (RBI).

In the game against Cayman, Burrows drove in five runs and he and Knowles had three hits each. The Bahamas finished with 13 total hits in that game and had 23 stolen bases.

The Bahamas poured in 19 runs in the first inning. They then came back in the second inning and scored eight more runs. The game ended in the bottom of the third inning via the mercy rule.

The Bahamas will play the Netherlands Antilles today at 11 a.m. and then end pool play at 3 p.m. against Jamaica. Burrows said that they need to tighten up on defense and ensure they get runners around the bases on offense.

 Home|Sports|‘Peace on Da Streets’ to start on MondaySports

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 21, 2023 54 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

One of the most popular local summer basketball classics, the “Peace on Da Streets” tournament, will get underway on Monday, July 24, and it is promised to be a competitive one. It will be held at the Hope Center on Bahamas Games Blvd., and the championship and fun night will move to the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.

Carlos Reid, the organizer for the classic, held a press conference yesterday to launch the event. Some of the event sponsors were present.

The classic will have five divisions consisting of eight teams per division competing for the various championships. It will wrap up on Sunday, June 30 with Family Fun Night that features a three-point contest, a slam dunk contest, the pastors versus politicians game, and the inaugural women’s clergy and politicians’ free-throw competition.

“Our organization is committed to our vision of bringing peace on the streets,” said Reid. “We are therefore committed to providing positive alternatives and solutions to help our young people discover their individual identities and turn from lives of crime and violence.”

The title sponsor is the Brice-Newball Foundation. Their representative, Nadia Butterfield, said that now is the time when the country needs peace on the streets, in the communities and in the country at large.

“The Brice-Newball Foundation is proud to be a part of the sponsorship and proud to support this event on this 27th edition,” said Butterfield. “It is our prayer that as you bring hope to the hopeless and peace back to the streets of The Bahamas, that you know that the Brice-Newball Foundation is in full support.”

There will be a 13-and-under, 16-and-under, 19-and-under, church, and an open division. Reid expects to see some strong competition in these divisions.

“This is the premier basketball tournament,” said Reid. “People have gotten scholarships by just playing in this tournament and players have played professionally who played in this tournament. We are expecting no less. This is why we have increased our prize money because these players have real needs. We expect an awesome show.”

He added that they may extend the number of teams, if need be.

Domino’s representative Naomi Grant said they are privileged to be a part of the event.

“We always look to partner with organizations such as this, which is able to impact the youth,” said Grant. “We definitely want to encourage them to be making wise decisions. Taking them from off the streets and into a positive atmosphere is definitely something that we love to support.”

The “new kid on the block”, IHOP (International House of Pancakes) Bahamas, was represented by Dicrius Ramsey. He said they are looking forward to the event and will continue to support it for years to come.

“The brand is really all about family and we understand that our young people play a pivotal and a vital role in the structure of that family,” said Ramsey. “If they do not have positive things to do and an environment for them to grow and to develop, then we know that 

becomes a strain and a burden on the family. In essence, it becomes a strain on our society, and so to sponsor and to partner with Reid, was a no-brainer for us.”

Representative at National Fencing, Dechan Hall, said they are happy to be a part of the initiative.

“We believe in the healthy development of the youth in this country, so when Reid reached out to us, we felt that we should contribute to such a successful family-oriented event,” said Hall. “There is no better way to do it than through sports because sports brings everybody together as a family and it brings everybody together as one.”

Reid said they are looking to include other sports as a part of the festivities in the near future.

At last year’s basketball classic, there was a total of 42 teams participating in five divisions.

 Home|Sports|US Embassy continues to ‘bridge the gap’ through sportsSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailJuly 21, 2023 34 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

The United States (US) Embassy Nassau has partnered with the Nassau Rowing Club (NRC) to host Arshay Cooper’s visit to The Bahamas, July 18-22, to share how rowing can empower youth.

Cooper’s visit is part of the US Embassy’s overall aim to “bridge the gap” through sports in The Bahamas. Sports provide an opportunity to bridge both the gender and education gaps seen among young people, especially young girls, who are often underrepresented in sports. Rowing provides an outstanding opportunity for young Bahamian girls to partake in sport and to access higher education in the US.

Cooper is an American rower, bestselling author, and protagonist of the film “A Most Beautiful Thing”. He will be interacting with various youth groups to share his story, discuss US scholarship opportunities, and promote the sport of rowing.

“Rowing was a life-changing experience for Arshay Cooper. It could present the same opportunity for many Bahamian youth as well,” said US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Usha Pitts. 

“Rowing can open a path to university scholarships in the United States, similar to what exists for track and field, basketball, and many other sports.”

The US Embassy Nassau’s partner, the NRC, aims to also change young Bahamians’ lives through sports and education.

“Our goal is to increase access to and awareness of the sport of rowing among young Bahamians from under-resourced backgrounds and communities,” said NRC Founder and President Kyle Chea, who believes Bahamian rowers can add valuable diversity to US university programs while providing Bahamians access to higher education.

“Rowing ranks as having one of the lowest athlete-to-scholarship ratios. One core mission of the Nassau Rowing Club is to build a source of promising young rowers of color – particularly underprivileged and at-risk girls – for NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I and II rowing teams, while funding their education through sport, and changing their lives,” said Chea.

The US Embassy Nassau is also partnering with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture and the Lyford Cay Foundation to provide a special screening of the film “A Most Beautiful Thing” and workshops for over 300 youth. These events will provide the public an opportunity to witness firsthand the positive impacts of rowing.

 The US Embassy Nassau and NRC invite students between the ages of 13-18 to attend rowing workshops on Friday, July 21, at the American Corner located at the Harry C. Moore Library at University of The Bahamas . 

The workshop can accommodate 30 students per session. 

Sessions will run from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Interested persons are asked to please register at the website https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1L-7-MjzOxXMgMqcpB6cFfQRgYYdpTk4Qf4vuq__5AUY/edit?invite=CMnartEM&ts=64b5622ce.

 Home|Sports|Laing chooses Howard UniversitySports

Bahamian hurdler has lofty goals for his freshman season

Simba FrenchSend an emailJuly 20, 2023 130 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian hurdler Otto Laing had narrowed his tertiary education spots to five schools, and in the end, the 18-year-old chose the Howard University Bison. He made his decision at his old primary school – Xavier’s Lower School yesterday.

Flocked by his father, coaches, family and friends, Laing tried on all five school hats, juggled them, and then he and his current coach, Daron Lightbourne, unzipped their jackets to reveal their Bison’s jersey.

“It boiled down to which school would take care of me rather than choose one because of the name,” Laing said. “I wanted to be where I was going to blossom and excel. I know Howard coaches are going to take care of me. Me being all the way from The Bahamas and going to D.C. to showcase my talents is a dream to me.”

The other four schools that were finalists were Louisiana State University (LSU), the University of South Carolina, Liberty University and the University of Kentucky. He said he knew it was a risk taking the year off from school, but it worked out in the end.

“It took a lot out of me because I was sitting down and thinking if I should take the year off and would I be able to have the opportunity. It all came down to me trusting God and talking to God. My coach and I decided that I would take the year off. Everything went according to plan,” Laing said.

Laing joins the Bison which already has five Bahamian swimmers in the aquatics program. Also, there is a familiar face who will be joining Laing with the Bison track and field team as Adam Musgrove is committed as well.

“Both of them are going to Howard and they have a personal relationship with me and that was how they got to where they needed to get. Once a coach gives you that personal relationship and makes you feel welcomed, it helps. The coaches at Howard did that and we were set to go with that,” Lightbourne said.

Laing, who has been with Bahamas Speed Dynamics Club for a year, had an up and down season as he dealt with a hamstring injury earlier in the season before being able to run a lifetime’s best of 13.49 seconds in the 110 meters (m) hurdles later in the season. His personal best came at the 50th CARIFTA Games where he bagged the silver medal for himself and the country.

At Howard, the 2022 St. Augustine’s College (SAC) graduate will be under the watchful eyes of Olympian and former world champion in the 110m hurdles David Oliver. Laing has lofty goals for his freshman season and he feels healthy and ready.

“Expect me to be at regionals. I look forward to breaking some collegiate, facility and school records and I am just looking forward to having a great collegiate year,” he said.

Lightbourne feels that this is the best environment for Laing as it is a smaller school and he trusts Oliver to take Laing and Musgrove to the next level.

The Bison had five athletes compete at regionals this past season but they were unable to qualify for nationals.

Laing thanked everyone who assisted in making yesterday a reality.

 Home|Sports|Jones, Liberty fall to the Dallas WingsSports

Sheldon LongleySend an emailJuly 20, 2023 36 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

Bahamian women’s professional basketball player Jonquel “JJ” Jones and the New York Liberty were back in action following the all-star break in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and it seems like they have to brush off some cobwebs, as they fell to the Dallas Wings, 98-88, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday.

It was the Liberty’s third home loss of the season and fifth in total. They now have a 14-5 win/loss record, four games behind the league-leading defending champions, Las Vegas Aces (19-2).

As for Jones, she finished with 11 points and nine rebounds in 29:13 on the floor. The Bahamian post player shot 5-for-8 from the field and hit her only shot from three-point range.

In her first season with the Liberty, Jones is averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, down from her numbers in six years with the Connecticut Sun – 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She is shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and continues to be a force defensively, but saw her playing time drop this year, and as a result, so did her production, thereby missing the league’s all-star game for the first time since 2018.

After taking a 51-49 lead at the half, the Liberty fell apart in the third quarter against the Wings on Wednesday and couldn’t recover. They shot just 30 percent from the field in that third quarter, knocking down six of 20 shots, compared to 57.1 percent for the Wings (12-for-21). The Wings went on an 18-2 scoring run midway through the third and never looked back. They led by as much as 13 points in the third and went on to lead 78-67 at the end of three.

The Wings scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to take their biggest lead of the game, 16 points, at 83-67. The Liberty got no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Arike Ogunbowale scored 25 points and the Wings tied the WNBA record for fewest turnovers in a game with two to pull off the matinee affair in Brooklyn. They matched the Washington Mystics’ league record for fewest turnovers that was set in 2020.

Teaira McCowan added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Wings.

Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 22 for the Liberty, including going 5-for-11 from three-point range. Prior to the loss, the Liberty had won four in a row and eight of their last nine.

The Liberty lead the Eastern Conference Standings and are second in the league behind the Aces. The Wings have now won four straight games – the second longest win streak in the league. They are second in the west and fifth overall with a 12-9 record.

 Trailing 60-59 nearly four minutes into the third quarter, Dallas took over. The Wings scored the next 12 points, including two three-pointers by Ogunbowale, to get their first double-digit lead of the game.

New York won the first meeting between the two in Dallas, 102-93, but now the Wings have tied the season series at a game apiece.

Jones and the Liberty return to action on Friday, taking on the Mystics on the road at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. That game will get underway at 7 p.m.

Steven Gardiner competes yesterday in the final of the men’s 400 metres race of the Track and Field Hungarian Grand Prix in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. (Tamas Vasvari/MTI via AP)

As of Wednesday, July 19, 2023

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Steven Gardiner produced the world’s fastest time and lowered his meet record in the process to win the men’s 400 metres at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

#As one of three Bahamians competing in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, the 27-year-old Gardiner clocked 43.74 seconds, surpassing his meet record of 44.30 that he established in 2015.

#On returning home over the weekend of July 5-7 for the Bahamas National Championships title at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, Gardiner delighted the fans with his victory in 44.64.

#Prior to competing in Szekesfehervar on Monday at a press conference, Gardiner said he felt like his “old self” after making his return this year from an injury.

#“I think that is my old self again out there and I’m happy,” said Gardiner after the race yesterday as he now prepares for his return to Hungary in August for the World Championships in Budapest.

#“It gives me more confidence to know that I can do anything, it’s possible. I went out there and I did what I had to do and I surprised myself today.”

#After winning the world title in 2019 in a lifetime and Bahamian national record of 43.48, Gardiner went on to take the Olympic Games title in 2020, but he didn’t defend his World title in 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, because of an injury.

#Trailing Gardiner was Rusheen McDonald in second in 44.03 with his second-fastest ever time behind his Jamaican national record. American Vernon Norwood was third in 44.63. Although she didn’t compete, Shaunae Miller-Uibo still holds the women’s 400m record of 49.53 that she posted in 2018. Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic Games and World champion, is making her comeback after having born her son, Maicel Uibo Jr, on April 20th.

#Meanwhile, sprinter Anthonique Strachan placed third in the women’s 200m in 22.45. Jamaican Shericka Jakcson took the tape in 22.02 and Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland was third in 22.45.

#Strachan, 29, is coming into her own after producing her personal best of 10.98 in the 100m last year and 22.15 this year as she also gears up for the World’s in Budapest where she’s aiming to compete in the sprint double.

#And LaQuan Nairn, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, was seventh in men’s long jump with 25-feet, 4 3/4-inches or 7.74 metres on his sixth and final attempt.

#Nairn, who will turn 27 on July 31, had previous rounds of 24-7 (7.49m), 24-7 1/4 (7.50m), 24-6 1/2 (7.48m), scratch and 25-1 3/4 (7.66).

#With a lifetime best stretched to 26-11 3/4 (8.22m), Nairn is aiming for another appearance at the World’s after he made his debut at the global stage last year in Eugene.

#Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece won with 27-2 1/2 (8.29m) on his sixth attempt as well. Jamaican Tajey Gayle was second with 27-0 1/2 (8.24m) on his fourth and American Jarrion Lawson was third with 26-1 3/4 (7.97m).