Oblique Seville tops men’s qualifying while three Jamaican women advance to Saturday’s showdown.
Jamaica’s track and field programme is well positioned at the inaugural Ultimate Championships in Budapest, with medal hopes riding on performances in the men’s and women’s 100-metre finals scheduled for Saturday. According to the Jamaica Observer, the Caribbean nation has secured multiple spots across both events.
World Champion Oblique Seville demonstrated his credentials by topping the men’s qualifying round with a commanding 9.90-second performance, despite an initially sluggish start. His winning time placed him ahead of Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.95 seconds) and the United States’ Christian Coleman (9.96 seconds), with South Africa’s Gift Leotlela securing the final qualifying berth at 10.03 seconds. Jamaican sprinter Ackeem Blake finished eighth in the alternate semi-final with a time of 10.21 seconds.
The women’s qualifying rounds saw three Jamaicans advance to the final. Diamond League champion Tina Clayton qualified with a time of 10.98 seconds, finishing third in her semi-final behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred (10.73 seconds) and fellow Jamaican Jonielle Smith (10.94 seconds). Lavanya Williams also made the cut, posting 11.02 seconds in the opening semi-final. The qualifying rounds featured strong performances from American sprinters Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha’Carrie Richardson, who clocked 10.73 and 10.75 seconds respectively.
The Ultimate Championships represent a new addition to the international athletics calendar, held at the National Athletics Center in Budapest, Hungary. The event brings together elite sprinters and distance runners for competition across multiple disciplines.
Jamaica remains a powerhouse in global sprinting, and strong showings at major international championships like the Ultimate Championships reinforce the island’s status as a track and field destination. Success in Budapest adds to Jamaica’s competitive profile heading into future Olympic and World Championship cycles.
Written & Edited by Orlyn Edwards. Published by Caribbean Air Force Media.
Category: News · Island routing: Jamaica