Jamaica Has Produced Another Bolt Level Talent

54 countries held their Olympic trials this weekend, yet it's the US and Jamaican trials undoubtedly taking centre stage. Notoriously, they're some of the most difficult teams to make, and holy smokes, they ain't f***ing kidding. Earlier this month, Oblique Seville put Jamaican's men sprinting back on the map with a 9.82, taking out Lyles with one of the most diabolical looks in the process. And that time happened to be the first sub 9.85 second time by a Jamaican since the Rio Olympics. But in the background, there were rumours by Stephen Francis, the ex-coach of Asafa Powell, sprinting legend and world record holder prior to Usain Bolt. So as the rumours went, Keshane Thompson, a 9.85 sprint himself, was ahead of Asafa Powell in his world record year. While a scary thought, he hasn't even debuted this season. Holy ----, 9.82 in the heats, closing it down. His form looks like Asafa Powell's reincarnated, but you know how it goes, one time doesn't mean anything. And then he did it again in the semis. And man, let's be real, you know what happened in the finals. 9.77 seconds, world lead, and a time so quick, he's now one of the top 10 fastest men to ever race the 100 metres. We haven't seen Jamaican men run this fast since 2016, and in the case of Thompson, he did it in his season debut. This performance straight up gave me chills. He's smooth, relaxed, consistent across the rounds, while also shutting it down into a 9.77. This is a big hunch on my end, but if I could make a bet, Thompson may just be the next face of the 100 metre, and the next runner to go sub 9.7. Grant Holloway is a monster, he's the second fastest one turn hurdler ever, and since 2019, he has taken every major short hurdle title but one, the 2021 Olympic title. For this season, he's clearly on a mission to not let that happen again. 12.92 in the heats, 12.96 in the semis, and then a finals run so disgustingly quick, only 3 people in history have ever gone faster and he's one of them. 12.86 Sub 13 is a mark of greatness when it comes to the 1 turn hurdles, less than 30 have ever done it, and he just did it 3 times in 2 days. Yet I'm going to be completely honest, I could easily be convinced he still might not win it. He always gets away within the first 60-70 metres, but again, in these finals, the pack gains on him with 30 to go, and they're close. Crittenden and Roberts also going sub 13 to some crazy times. Betting on Holloway is like gambling with 90% odds, it feels like 100% until it's actually your money on the line. Valerie Ullman not only has the name of a superhero, but in the circle, she truly is one. She routinely demolished the US trials by an entire 8 metres, with a 70.73 metre throw, and that's not even counting her prelim throw, which was even further. But again, that's just routine for a domestic competition, it's what she's been doing internationally this season that's made me a true fan. Cuba's Perez shook the world this year with the furthest women's discus throw since 1998, a colossal 73.09 metres, over 3 metres further than anyone else this year. Solid Olympic favourite right? Not even close. Ullman and Perez have matched up 4 times this year since her 73 metre throw, and Ullman has won every single time, as well as racking up an undefeated 8 win streak. It's pretty safe to say now that the wind helped a lot. The women's 100m also saw the rebirth of our Jamaican woman. Jamaican sprint fans have had it rough all season long, with injury scares, late starts, and some hefty weight gain. But these girls, I swear to god, they're just paid actors setting the stage for Paris. Cause come trials, and it's almost like they were teasing us the entire time. Kemba Nelson, Fraser Price, got an excellent start. Sharika Jackson, turns on the afterburners now. Spectacular performance. Jackson's back into her smooth strong running with a 10.84. 19 year old Tia Clayton is finally blooming into the senior ranks with a 10.90. And Shellyann, she's working back into her game at age 37. You'll honestly love to see it. It wouldn't have been the same without the Jamaicans kicking ass at this year's Olympics. Oh and Jackson was also seen fighting for her damn life to take the 200m in a pretty average time of 22.29 seconds. To be fair there was 6 races in about 3 days, but the fact her 100m is back, we shouldn't count her out of the 200 just because of this performance. And over in the US's women's 200, we saw the flaws in our stars, as Sha'Carri Richardson is denied a spot on the team. 21.81 seconds in the final for Gabby, although she did run faster in the semis. Brittany Brown and the NCAA goddess Mackenzie Long managed to hold onto Thomas for their spots as well, while the untouchable Sha'Carri Richardson fades. And these girls were ecstatic. You sometimes forget the immense pressure these girls are under, because yeah they run fast early in the season, but they know if they mess up this one race, it's game over. And somehow in a week where we got a 9.77 second 100m, Noah Lyle still steals the show, in the men's sprints that is. We sometimes forget this man is a 200 guy, so when his 100 is this sweet, you know something special is coming in the two. But hold on, Kenny is a 200 guy as well. Coming off the turn, Beneric is making moves, but we know how Lyle's closes come trials time. 19.53 seconds, taking down the 28 year old trials record by Michael Johnson, while also extending his win streak to 25 in a row. Yet somehow he still only barely eked out this win over Kung Fu Kenny who went 19.59 seconds, followed by Arion burrito gate knighting, and Christian Coleman is executed from behind for the second time this champs. With times like these, this event is already sold. Only 4 guys have ever gone faster than this, in this generation of sprinters, and that's 3 of them right there. All that's left is to see what form Tobogo is in. And while the days prior were crazy, the back end of this trials went ******* berserk. First, men's 400m hurdles. Rye Benjamin is the cream of the crop this year, belting this field by over a second to a clear world leading time of 46.46 seconds. 0.2 faster than the other two best in history have run this season. But while his male compatriots can't best him, Sidney McLaughlin sure can. Win by a second? That's light work. How about run a second faster than anyone else in the history of the event? 50.65 seconds, a literal 2 second victory over the rest of the field. And yeah ok, it's not actually a second, but she is 0.8 of a second faster than anyone else ever. And if that stat wasn't impressive enough, she ran the Olympic qualifying standard for the 400 flat while going over hurdles. That's nauseating. Bowl is done. Sidney McLaughlin is a bit like Duplantis, the world record is just your current personal best, and no one should expect it to last very long. The women's 100 hurdles is quite honestly the toughest event in all of track right now. Every finalist had the Olympic qualifying standard. 6 of them having gone sub at 12.5 this season, 2 of them with Olympic medals and world championship medals. And at the 7th hurdle, there was zero separation until there was. It would end up being a shakeout by the less experienced. Messiah Russell taking a clear win in 12.25 seconds, a huge world leading mark by a tenth of a second and making her now the 4th fastest in this event's history. That's just what it takes to win the US trials it seems. And Alaysha Johnson and NCAA's champion Grace Stark taking those next spots. I'm not sure anyone could have expected any outcome from this race. We're in a spot where there are 10 women, maybe even more, who could threaten this event's world record. What other event can you compare that to right now? And distance didn't disappoint either. Bryce Hopple just asserted himself as a genuine medal threat at this year's Olympics in the 800, breaking the median record with a 1 minute 42.77 time. But that's a medal threat on paper. We know how Team USA is with the 800. While the women's 1500, taken up by Nikki Hiltz with the Nick Simmons kick from behind strategy and Ali St-Pierre yoinking her 2nd Team USA spot, saw an astounding 8 women go sub 4 minutes. But what does that really mean? It means the women's 1500m depth in the US is equivalent to of Ethiopia and deeper than Kenya. Except the US gals did it in one race. Now to the wacky world of overseas trials. First, Sacha Zoya hits the emote key at the start of his race in the French 110 hurdle finals, putting himself in a beyond sticky situation where he goes from last to second to secure his Olympic spot. Barely. In the UK, Josh Kerr runs the 800 for a bit of fun, just to get absolutely destroyed trying to pass on the inside. Inga Britsen would be laughing right now. And while Kerr is flailing, a 17 year old Phoebe Gill outkicks Jemariki for a spot on Team UK in Paris. 1 minute 58.66 seconds, and not even her fastest time this year. She's an athlete I should have covered more, but I really can't because we keep getting top 5 performances of all time out of the bloody US. Speaking of young talents though, two teenagers take the sprint titles, Jin Zhan He taking the men's 100m in 10.06 seconds, he's 17, and on the women's, 15 year old Yuji Chen in 11.29 seconds. Generational talent out of China, or just Asian sprinters peaking early again, you never really know. Man, the track events really popped off this weekend, and the field events were able to keep it a bit more low key, since world records aren't required to make it onto Team USA. So sorry if I missed some good field stuff, but in exchange, here's probably one of the best hurdle races you'll ever see in your life. Subscribe, and see you next time.