“Sha’Carri ran a wind legal 10.77 and some are not impressed ,” Vance Johnson wrote on X. “I think people have forgotten the level of talent Sha’Carri has. Track athlete run a good time and people are like it’s just a 10.7 , now if she run that in China then I will believe .  A wind legal 10.7 is a 10.7 no matter where you run it at….” That is her quickest time in the 100m since June 2024 (10.71). 

Only Adaejah Hodge has run faster in 2026 — the 20-year-old clocked 10.63 in early June, breaking the collegiate record and taking over fifth place on the all-time list for the 100m. It means that in the history of women’s 100m, only four have ever gone faster than Hodge. 

But that collegiate record belonged to Richardson herself — she ran 10.75 at LSU in 2019. After that, the Olympian only broke sub-10.80 once in 2020 (10.79 in July). 2021 was her breakthrough: three sub-10.80 runs, including 10.72 at Miramar and 10.77 at Olympic Trials.

However, her biological mother’s death affected her, and officials suspended Richardson from the 2021 Olympics after a positive test for a banned substance. It meant that 2022 was a rough year, but she powered through. By 2023, she had recovered to break sub-10.80 five times. That included two Diamond League meets, the USA Championships, and the World Athletic Championships.

She won all those meets, including the 2023 World Championships (10.65). Since then, she’s struggled — breaking sub-10.80 just once. In fact, throughout 2025, she only broke sub-11 once, marking a tough season for the American.

Not quite what she expected either, and it’s also why one X user replied to Johnson with, “She hasn’t been very consistent the last year or two. Fas time today, slow time tomorrow. Melissa, S Shelly and Sherica are consistent.” They aren’t wrong, as the evidence does show that while capable, Richardson is far from consistent.

Sha’Carri ran a wind legal 10.77 and some are not impressed . I think people have forgotten the level of talent Sha’Carri has. Track athlete run a good time and people are like it’s just a 10.7 , now if she run that in China then I will believe . A wind legal 10.7…

— Vance Johnson-TexasTrackDad Podcast (@TexasTrackDad) June 21, 2026

Another user wrote, “We know she can run 10.4. Why should we be impressed?” The user is likely referring to Richardson’s 10.57 in 2023, albeit with a +4.1 wind at the Miramar Invitational. That is by far her fastest time and one of only two times in her career that she has broken sub-10.70.

Even then, whether critics believe it or not, Richardson has been talking about a turnaround for months. In fact, before the season began, she boldly predicted that 2026 would be remembered as something ‘legendary’.

Sha’Carri Richardson prophesies ‘legendary’ season

People have not expected much from Richardson’s 2026 season, given how poorly 2025 went. However, so far, the American sprinter has certainly earned her fair share of plaudits. She began the season late after off-field issues, but started strong by winning the Stawell Gift before arriving at the Diamond League.

Things didn’t quite go to plan as Richardson finished fourth in back-to-back DL 200m meets, but has since put that behind her. In fact, since her Xiamen loss, the 26-year-old has won all three of her races, albeit in the 100m. That includes the USATF LA Grand Prix and the Star Athletics Sprint Series, which goes according to the prophecy she set for herself.

“Honestly, for myself, I’m super excited for this season because I have a feeling that it’s going to be something legendary — not legendary just on the track, but legendary as the woman that I’m designed to be,” Richardson said, as per Olympics.com.

“I’m super excited to take on the challenge to do that in front of the world… and stand firm in everything that I know I have been working on.”

Whether that 10.77 is enough to silence the doubters remains to be seen. However, it has already reminded the track world of the level Richardson can reach. And if her recent form is any indication, the season she promised would be “legendary” may finally be taking shape. 

The post Sha’Carri Richardson’s Fastest Run In Two Years Sparks Debate Among Track Fans: “Ran A Wind Legal” appeared first on EssentiallySports.

According to World Athletics rankings, Seville currently holds the number one spot in the men’s 100m list. Behind him at number two is Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi, who ran 9.84 in Lexington at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track Facility in May. At number three is Noah Lyles, who clocked 9.88 in Rome at the Stadio Olimpico on June 4. Close behind sits Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi with 9.89. But what about the rest?

Just below them are all American, Sam Blaskowski (9.89) in Tennessee, Courtney Lindsey (9.89) in Florida, and Max Thomas (9.90) in Gainesville, all posting strong times but still sitting outside the top spots on the list. But what stands out is how Jamaica has moved back into that familiar position at the front of the 100m world list.

Oblique Seville is the new world leader!

The Jamaican star clocked a blazing 9.82s (+0.6) in Kingston, moving to No. 1 on the 2026 men’s 100m world list and becoming the fastest man in the world this season.

Who do you think will finish the season as the world leader? pic.twitter.com/52X0ko7TH2

— Jumpers World (@jumpers_world) June 22, 2026

The resurgence has not gone unnoticed within Jamaica’s sprint community. Following Jamaica’s breakthrough performances on the global stage, Kishane Thompson summed up the mood by saying, “It shows to me that, ‘hey, Jamaica is a powerhouse.’ We’ve got talent; we’ve got ammunition.” Seville echoed a similar sentiment when discussing the country’s coaching culture, saying, “We are just rewriting history.”

Seville’s rise is part of a much bigger story unfolding in Jamaica. Following Usain Bolt’s retirement, the country endured years without a men’s 100m medal at a major outdoor championship, while American stars such as Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley and Noah Lyles dominated the global scene.

But Jamaica’s leading sprint programs never stopped developing talent. Under legendary coach Glen Mills at Racers Track Club, Seville transformed from an injury-prone prospect into a world champion, while Stephen Francis’ MVP Track Club carefully managed Kishane Thompson’s development into one of the fastest men in history.

The results are now impossible to ignore. Thompson led the world with 9.75 last season, Seville captured the 2025 world title in 9.77, and Jamaica suddenly finds itself back at the center of men’s sprinting.

The shift becomes even clearer when looking at the world leaders of the past decade. American sprinters topped the annual rankings for most of the post-Bolt era, with names such as Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, Fred Kerley and Noah Lyles regularly setting the pace. Since 2024, however, only two Jamaicans have occupied the world-leading spot: Kishane Thompson and now Seville. For a nation that spent years searching for Bolt’s successor, that is a significant statement.

Rankings tell only part of the story, though. Lyles remains the reigning Olympic champion and has repeatedly shown an ability to peak when medals are on the line. Seville may own the world lead, but championship racing has become the measuring stick of their rivalry, setting up another fascinating chapter whenever the two line up together again.

Noah Lyles and Oblique Seville keep trading wins

Noah Lyles and Oblique Seville have clashed on the track numerous times already. Seville was able to beat Lyles by 9.82 seconds, securing the victory at the 2024 Racers Grand Prix in Kingston. It wasn’t the same on the big stage, however. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Noah Lyles delivered under pressure, winning a 100m final in 9.784 seconds, edging Kishane Thompson by just 0.005 seconds. Seville, however, had a tough day in that final and finished 8th in 9.91 seconds.

Following that, Seville had a resurgence in the Diamond League season. He ran 9.86 to take down Lyles in London 2025, and then took the win again with 9.87 in Lausanne 2025, with Lyles in second place.

Their rivalry reached another level at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. After Seville advanced from the opening round in 9.93, Lyles took a verbal jab at his rival, saying, “That man was panicking in the back.” Seville responded on the track. In the final, he stormed to the world title in a personal-best 9.77, leading a Jamaican one-two finish alongside Kishane Thompson (9.82), while Lyles settled for bronze in 9.89.

The Tokyo result was significant beyond the medals. It marked Jamaica’s first men’s 100m world champion since the Bolt era and validated years of rebuilding by the country’s top sprint programs. For Seville, it also erased lingering doubts about whether he could translate raw speed into championship success after injuries and near-misses earlier in his career.

The rivalry remains finely balanced. Lyles owns the Olympic gold medal and has built a reputation for delivering when the stakes are highest. Seville, meanwhile, holds the world title, the world lead, and increasingly the momentum. For now, the rankings belong to Jamaica’s newest sprint king. Whether that translates into long-term supremacy over Lyles is a question that only the next championship final can answer.

The post Jamaican Star Takes World Lead: Where Do Noah Lyles & Other Americans Stand? appeared first on EssentiallySports.

On June 21, Bol claimed her first outdoor 800m win at the FBK Games by running 1:57.41 to take victory on Dutch soil. Interestingly, she controlled the race from the very start and soon moved off the final bend to take the win ahead of Abbey Caldwell (1:58.22 SB) and Clara Liberman (1:58.69 PB).

After the race, she said, “I’m winning here in my own country, and I’m really learning as I go. The great thing about the 800 meters is that I get to enjoy the crowd for an extra minute.” (translated into English using Google Translate). Interestingly, that win also came from lessons she picked up just days before in Ostrava.

Five days ago, she had raced at the Golden Spike in the 800m. There she finished second in 1:57.13, a personal best at the time. It was a faster, more aggressive race, led by Audrey Werro, and it pushed Bol into a different kind of 800m experience, one where she had to react more than control. That is why Hengelo felt different.

Femke Broeders-Bol runs 1:57.41 to win the women's 800m at the FBK Games in front of a home crowd in Hengelo.

She ran 1:57.13 in her season opener 5 days ago in Ostrava. pic.twitter.com/DJTw6uUT1j

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) June 21, 2026

As she explained after the race: “I expected to be in front after 500 metres, which was different than in Ostrava. I have to practise all these types of races. Today I wanted to run a good first 500 metres and then accelerate towards the finish.” She adjusted and pulled her plan together in Hengelo, although she didn’t have the same ‘home roar’ she is accustomed to.

The FBK Games usually draw a full 8,000 crowd, and the games are often sold out. This time, however, more than a thousand tickets went unsold due to the heat. But none of it could distract her.

What’s more, it wouldn’t have felt this hard to win if she hadn’t changed the event she once completely dominated.

Femke Bol leaves her comfort zone for a new challenge

From the start, Femke Bol was in the hunt for a medal in the 400m hurdles. She started her professional career in 2019, where she ran 55.94 seconds for an age group record in Geneva in her 3rd race, qualifying her for the World Championships at 19 years. Thereafter, her career went very quickly. She won the world title in 2023 and in 2025 and ran a world-class 51.54, and broke the European record with 50.95.

In 2025, however, she decided to push for the 800m, not due to a decline in her performance, but because she is seeking a new goal to pursue. She said, “The switch feels really, really nice, really exciting, also really scary. I’m still young. I’m mentally, physically, feeling really fit, and it’s, it’s a really, really big challenge. That’s also why I want to do it while I still feel at my best.”

She also explained how the decision came after reflection post-Olympics: “I also really feel ready for new impulse, new kind of training, new kind of racing… after the Olympics, you start to re-evaluate everything.” But early signs showed why her move to 800m is worth it.

In February 2026, in her first international 800m, she ran 1:59.07 indoors in Metz. There she set a Dutch national record and became the first Dutch woman to break two minutes indoors. And that is where her story now sits. Not in leaving dominance behind, but in choosing discomfort on purpose, just to see how far she can go again, with eyes already drifting toward what could come next, even the 2028 Olympics.

The post Stadiums Empty But Femke Bol Bags Another 800m Win After Leaving Her Dominant Ground appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Instead, the Briton somewhat assuaged fears. The reigning World Indoor 800m champion took to Instagram after her withdrawal to ease tensions amid concerns that had spread across social media.

“Leaving champs healthy!” Hodgkinson wrote on her Instagram story. “Sometimes the hard decision is saying no. Body wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, exciting summer ahead!”

“I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent standing on the start line, so I made the tough decision to step away and not race,” Hodgkinson revealed (via the Independent). “I didn’t want to risk anything this summer.”

This is not surprising. The 24-year-old has made it abundantly clear that her target this summer is Jarmila Kratochvílova’s 1:53.28 800m outdoor world record. After all, Keely Hodgkinson already took the indoor 800m world record earlier this year. The Briton ran a stunning 1:54.87 in February to break Jolanda Ceplak’s record set on the very date Hodgkinson was born.

A month later, the 24-year-old won her maiden world title, claiming her first World Indoor Championship title in Poland. Considering the horrid 2025 season she endured, it marked a complete U-turn. The British athlete tore her hamstring, which forced her to withdraw from the 2025 World Indoors.

Following that, she struggled to perform at her best, only returning in August and winning bronze at the Tokyo World Championships. However, 2026, so far, has been going swimmingly. Since winning her maiden world title in February, Keely Hodgkinson has made it crystal clear that her goal this season is to take Kratochvílova’s record.

After withdrawing from the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships, 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson shared the following update on Instagram:

“Leaving champs healthy!! Sometimes the hard decision is saying no, body wasn’t feeling 100, exciting summer ahead, love x … https://t.co/oIys0pflaJ pic.twitter.com/luWzIhmOfM

— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) June 21, 2026

The 24-year-old has started her outdoor 800m season well, lowering her national record and personal best in the first outdoor 800m race. That was despite a shock loss to Audrey Werro at the Stockholm Diamond League. With her eyes now on the London Diamond League meet in July, her tearful withdrawal from the UK Championships does raise a few questions.

Keely Hodgkinson is still slated to race at the Eugene DL on July 4, followed by the London DL two weeks later. Only time will tell whether her “plan A” is still in action, but Hodgkinson is hell-bent on breaking the record in 2026.

Keely Hodgkinson opens up on her world record target

For the last two seasons, injuries have hit Keely Hodgkinson hard. In 2025, the Olympian struggled with hamstring issues after tearing it ahead of the World Indoors. That affected her entire season, with the Brit only returning in mid-August.

2024 saw her struggle with more injuries, but she recovered to win gold in the 800m at the Paris Olympics. However, a year on from her torn hamstring, Hodgkinson is fit, fast, and in fine fettle, having already broken the 800m indoor world record.

“We’ve obviously got a plan A of what we’d like to happen,” Hodgkinson told The Athletic.

“If I come into shape and want to go at it sooner, or it happens to be a bit later in the season, that could just be how it goes. I’m very happy with where I’m at, building on the indoor season. I’ve been healthy for a year now. I’ve not missed a training session.”

It will take an impressive effort. That’s because at the moment, Keely Hodgkinson sits sixth on the charts with a time of 1:54.33. It’s behind Kratochvílova (1:53.28), Nadezhda Olizarenko (1:53.43), Audrey Werro (1:53.98), Pamela Jelimo (1:54.01), and Caster Semenya (1:54.25). 

However, after thriving in the 400m, clocking the fastest split as Team Great Britain won the 4x400m relay at the World Indoors, she’s more than ready for the record.

“I’ve always considered myself a 400/800 type athlete,” Hodgkinson added. “I don’t think I’ve shown all my potential in the 400 and I got a bit of a glimpse of what I could do indoors. I’m still very much learning the event.

“Hopefully bringing down that 400 time, it’s going to make that 800 feel nice. Over the years, people have been like, ‘Keely’s got no speed.’ I’m like: Yes, I do!” 

For now, the most important thing for Hodgkinson is that she walked away from the UK Championships healthy, even if it meant abandoning a race she had intended to use as preparation. With Eugene and London still on the horizon, only time will tell how fit the Olympic champion is.

The post Olympic Champion Who Ran Off Track Crying During UK Championship Gives Health Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The American blitzed the field at the Star Athletics Sprint series, clocking a season best of 9.89 seconds in the 100m. That saw him soar up the world rankings, settling at joint fourth for 2026. Only Oblique Seville (9.82), Kayinsola Ajayi (9.84), and Noah Lyles (9.88) have registered a faster time in the discipline.

The margin was decisive: Pjai Austin (9.99), Brandon Hicklin (10.02), and Brendon Stewart (10.17) trailed by over a tenth. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that it was the 27-year-old’s fourth 100m race of the season.

He opened the season with a 10.02 at the Tom Jones Memorial in mid-April, finishing second to Jordan Anthony’s 9.91. Then, Lindsey returned to the 100m in mid-June at the USATF LA Grand Prix, where he stopped the clock at 9.96 (+2.4). Even then, his time was well behind the winner, Kenneth Bednarek, who posted 9.72.

Even fellow American Christian Coleman (9.84) and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo (9.95) were faster. Not quite the run Lindsey had hoped for himself, and that trend seemed to continue in the heats at the Star Athletics Sprint Series. The Olympic gold medalist wasn’t exactly in peak form as he crossed the line in 10.09 seconds, although he finished in first place in Heat 1.

He finished ahead of Hicklin, Austin, and Stewart, with them once again a good distance behind. Yet things picked up in the finals as Lindsey showed off his quality. The 27-year-old has always had a sub-9.9 under his belt but has often struggled to put it up. In 2025, he broke that barrier just once; in 2024, once; and in 2023, once.

Courtney Lindsey runs 9.89s (1.4) to win the men’s 100m at the Star Athletics Sprint Series!

2. PJ Austin 9.99
3. Brandon Hicklin 10.02pic.twitter.com/ncelRiSplO

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) June 20, 2026

However, when he broke it in 2025, Lindsey clocked a personal best of 9.82 at the USA Championships. Even then, the 27-year-old finished second as Bednarek soared to a 9.79 to win the national title in August. It was the last time Lindsey came close to that mark until now, even failing to break sub-10 at the World Athletics Championships.

Yet despite being an Olympic gold medalist and one of the few Americans capable of running sub-9.9, Lindsey has often found himself overlooked. It is something he has spoken about before, admitting that it has become a part of his journey.

Courtney Lindsey opens up on being overlooked

The mere presence of other American stars like Noah Lyles, Kenneth Bednarek, and company has often overshadowed Lindsey. His inconsistent performances haven’t helped either, even if the 27-year-old has thrived in the relays.

In fact, Lindsey helped Team USA win gold in the 4x100m men’s relay at the 2025 World Championships and bronze in the men’s mixed at the 2026 World Relays. It shows that the American is a trusted part of the team and system, even if he doesn’t get the plaudits he sometimes deserves.

“It doesn’t bother me any. I’m for sure overlooked,” Lindsey said in 2025 (credit: Yahoo Sports). “There are a lot of other guys who say they’re the star of the sport. My job is to just go out and keep beating them—show that I belong there and can run with the top people they talk about.” 

His 9.89 will not silence every doubter, even if it places him among the fastest men in the world this season. More importantly, after months of inconsistency and nearly a year without breaking 9.9, Lindsey finally has the result to back up his claims. 

The post Courtney Lindsey Edges Closer to World Lead With Impressive 100m Win appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Gary Card competed in the men’s 100m at the Jamaican National Senior Championships inside the National Stadium alongside names like Oblique Seville, Ackeem Blake, and other senior-level sprinters. He ran to finish second in 9.93 seconds, his first time going under the 10-second barrier.

Seville won the race in 9.82 while Blake finished third in 9.94, but Card’s performance carried its own weight. That run pushed him into elite junior territory, placing him as the third-fastest U20 sprinter in history alongside American Christian Miller. Only American Maurice Gleaton’s 9.92 and Tebogo’s 9.91 now sit ahead of him.

Along with this, Card also became the second Jamaican teenager of all time to break the 10-second mark, beating Bouwahjgie Nkrumie’s 2023 U20 record of 9.99. Card could have been under 10 earlier, but injuries hampered him a bit at crucial points.

With his 9.93s National U20 Record, Gary Card is now joint 3rd on the men's U20 100m all-time list! pic.twitter.com/Go11IdLXQe

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) June 20, 2026

In the 100m final at the 2025 ISSA Boys and Girls Championships, he limped but still won gold in 10.28 sec. He didn’t begin the 200m afterward; something was amiss physically. He withdrew from the Jamaica CARIFTA Games team just days later because of an injury.

Now that he is back at MVP Track Club under coach Stephen Francis, he has slowly rebuilt his rhythm. “It’s a long time coming but I don’t rush the process. God will take care of it,” Gary Card said after the race. “It happens when it’s supposed to happen and I’m just happy that tonight was the night.” Now, with the sub-10 barrier finally gone, Card has already set his mind on 2026, with bigger goals ahead.

Gary Card sets sights on the 2026 season

The 19-year-old Jamaican was already running at the CARIFTA Games at the U17 level in Kingston at 15 and won the 100m in 10.81 seconds. An early look at what he was and what he had yet to become: a force to be reckoned with. The promise became a reality by 2024. At the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships, Card grabbed silver in the 200m in 21.23 seconds after a tense finish where the top three were just 0.01 seconds apart.

Later that year, he took another step forward at the Jamaican U20 National Trials in Kingston, winning the 100m in a personal best of 10.07 seconds. That performance moved him to second on Jamaica’s U20 all-time list and secured his place at the World Athletics U20 Championships. On the global stage, he reached the 100m final and finished sixth, before closing his meet with a gold medal in the 4x100m relay.

Now, with a sub-10 breakthrough already behind him, Card is keeping his focus simple heading into 2026. “Just faster times, being healthy. That’s the most important thing in this sport. Healthy and doing the best you can. Just wish me luck and I’m sure I’ll be alright,” he said.

Card is also open about what comes next on the calendar, whether it is the Commonwealth Games in Scotland or the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. “I don’t have a preference. As long as I do the best I can anywhere, it’s really anything for me. I just have to run, to be honest,” he said.

The post 19-Year-Old Jamaican Nears Letsile Tebogo’s Record Just Behind Americans appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The 34-year-old ran her first 100m hurdles race since 2019 and turned in one of her best performances in a long time. The American clocked 12.93 seconds to finish fifth, well off the winner Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.50). Yania Ndjip finished second with 12.85, Gabriele Cunningham finished third with 12.85 in a photo finish with Evonne Britton in fourth with 12.86.

It marked one of the closest races at the ATX Classic. Even if Samba-Mayela soared away with the victory, the focus wasn’t on her. It was solely on former Olympic gold medalist Brianna Rollins-McNeal. The 34-year-old was running her first race since the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) banned her for five years in 2021.

It meant that the reigning Olympic 100m hurdles champion missed the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. According to the AIU’s official statement at the time, Rollins-McNeal was banned for “tampering within the results management process”. In an interview with the New York Times, the Olympian revealed that she tampered with the dates of her doctor’s visits.

The interview revealed that she had undergone an abortion, and the then 29-year-old was in bed, resting. She was unable to open the door to the anti-doping officers who had come to conduct their tests. 

When asked why she missed the test, Rollins-McNeal requested a doctor’s note. That’s when she realized the doctor had entered the wrong date, and corrected it herself. She did that twice, and investigators for the AIU noticed the change and suspended her.

“I tried to keep the abortion private, but they just kept tugging and tugging at me, wanting more information,” McNeal told the New York Times in 2022. “I couldn’t believe that I was charged with a violation because I had the dates mixed up by just 24 hours. It’s not like the procedure didn’t happen.”

2016 Olympic Champion Brianna Rollins-McNeal competed in her first 100mH race since 2019, returning to competition with a 12.93 run, following the completion of a 5-year ban!

Rollins-McNeal’s most recent sanction ran from August 2020 to August 2025 and was issued for… pic.twitter.com/hflSPf6t2p

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) June 20, 2026

The ban could have been as bad as eight years, especially after the 34-year-old’s previous suspension for whereabouts failures. The 2021 ban on Rollins-McNeal came when she was the fourth fastest woman of all-time in the 100m hurdles with 12.26.

She was one of the favourites to break Kendra Harrison’s record of 12.20 and retain her Olympic gold. Now, Harrison’s time has been shattered by Tobi Amusan (12.12), marking a massive change in the discipline. However, Rollins-McNeal can take comfort in the fact that, despite her age, other athletes have made similar comebacks before. 

Brianna Rollins-McNeal follows familiar comeback route

As Brianna Rollins-McNeal proved, it is possible to return from a long absence and make a comeback. The 34-year-old recently clocked her best time in the 100m hurdles since 2019, two years before she was banned.

Justin Gatlin was one of the first to showcase a comeback like that. Unlike Rollins-McNeal, the Olympian tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for 4 years in 2006.

He used that time to improve and reinvent himself. Then, he made a slow return before flying in 2012, winning his first medal since the ban. The American clocked 6.46 seconds at the World Indoors Championships to take the gold away from Nesta Carter, finishing 0.08 seconds ahead. It marked a remarkable return to the fold from the sprinter, and a few months later, he finished third to win bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, behind only Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.

Sun Yang is another example; authorities banned the Chinese international for 4 years (2020 to 2024) following an anti-doping violation. Much like Gatlin, Yang returned to competition as soon as he was able and won the National Summer Swimming Championships. The then-32-year-old won the 400m freestyle title, albeit well off his personal best. Even then, he saw it as a positive, hoping to do better.

Much like Brianna Rollins-McNeal, Shelby Houlihan recently made her comeback after a four-year ban (2021-2025). Like Yang, she immediately won her first medal. The 1500m American record holder won a silver medal at the 2025 World Indoor Championships, albeit in the 3000m. It marked a remarkable return to competition and will offer Rollins-McNeal something to take inspiration from.

The post Former Olympic Gold Medalist Returns to the Track After Five Year Ban With Stellar Performance appeared first on EssentiallySports.

On June 21 in Birmingham, Clarke-Khan equalled his personal best of 2.27m in the men’s high jump to win the UK title and secure qualification for the European Athletics Championships. He finished ahead of Kimani Jack (2.24m) and Charlie Husbands (2.21m).

After the win, Clarke-Khan reflected on the journey, saying, “Basically, I broke my foot, like, over and over again. Three times, I think it was. And on the third time, they decided to put a screw in it. That was the course from then to now.”

He suffered repeated fifth metatarsal fractures followed by surgery, but still managed to fight his way back.  Much of that was possible after reconnecting with Worcester Athletic Club coach Deirdre Elmhirst, which helped him rebuild step by step.

He continued: “Eight months ago I went back to my old coach; she’s been fantastic. We built slowly, I worked hard and tried to work smart as well. I can’t believe it’s all paid off… I can’t believe I had a screw put in my foot in eight months, and I’m here today.” He also credited the people around him during the difficult periods, especially his partner Molly Caudery, the 2024 and 2026 World Indoor Champion and British record holder with a personal best of 4.92m.

“I’ve broken my foot over and over again…I can’t believe I’ve done this after having a screw in my foot!”

An emotional Joel Clarke-Khan reacts to his incredible 2.27m winning high jump clearance – his biggest in three years

That mark was also exactly what he needed to… pic.twitter.com/Z1ThM7H5AG

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 20, 2026

Clarke-Khan said: “She’s a great support, but the fact that she was competing at the highest level while I was so close to it kept me involved. It kept my fire burning through those difficult periods.” He added: “And for her to have success, at least one of us was having success, and it just kept me going. Massive thanks to her and my coach.”

Even with the setbacks, his form has been building again. Earlier this year, the 26-year-old cleared 2.19m to win the men’s high jump at the Indoor Championships in Birmingham, edging past Regan Corrin on countback. Now, his focus turns to the Commonwealth Games this summer, where he will aim to carry this momentum onto a bigger stage. But his talent has been visible right from the start, even in his early years on the national and international circuit.

The road from Worcester to the World stage

Clarke-Khan’s career started in Worcestershire at Worcester Athletics Club, where he made his debut in the high jump. He won the English Schools Championships runner-up trophy as a junior in 2017 in Birmingham with 2.15m, behind Tom Gale. Later that year, he had his first international competition at the European U20 Championships in Grosseto.

He swiftly climbed the ranks, taking his first British honours at 2.18m in 2020. Success extended to the national level in 2022 (2.21m) and major events like the Commonwealth Games and European and World Championships.

By 2023, he had bounced back to the top of Britain’s rankings with his third national title. And soon after, he had a foot fracture. He was still getting his form in 2024 with a 2.21m clearance in Oxford, but 2025 was a year of rebuilding as he looked to get his flow back. Then in 2026, it all came back; he cleared 2.27 m. It was an overwhelming moment: “I couldn’t quite believe it, to be honest, and I think that’s where the explosion of emotions came… I’ve worked really, really hard over the last few years.”

He added, “These little moments are the ones you work for your whole career. I’ve kind of been living off that moment in London Diamond League in 2023, that’s been keeping my fire burning for a long time now during the injuries, and it’s been burning pretty thin. So it’s nice to have something to reignite that fire.” That result now shifts attention to what he can build next on the international stage.

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On June 20, Richardson lined up at the Star Athletics Sprint Series in Florida at Horizon High School in Winter Garden and won the women’s 100m in 10.77 seconds with a +0.3 m/s wind. That performance puts her among the fastest women in the world this season, just behind Georgia’s Adaejah Hodge, who ran a world lead and NCAA record of 10.63 (+1.9 m/s) in Eugene. But what stands out is how much she has improved in a short time.

It was only her second 100m race of the 2026 season. Earlier, she opened the year at the USATF LA Grand Prix at the USC Allyson Felix at Loker Track Stadium in Los Angeles, where she ran 10.99 to win. The jump from 10.99 to 10.77 shows she is getting sharper with each race. Interestingly, the 10.77 is also her fastest time since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials final, where she clocked 10.71.

Her personal best is still 10.65, set at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she won gold. But there is one more reason why it stands out.

10.77 (0.3 m/s wind)NO. 2 IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR

Sha'Carri Richardson drops a season's best at the Star Athletics Sprint Series in Florida.

That's her fastest time since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials final.

Finishes ahead of Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who claimed second… pic.twitter.com/BgjAVO0iJk

— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) June 20, 2026

The picture was different in 2025. Her season best that year was 10.94 in the World Championships final. Before that, she ran 11.47 (-0.9) at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, finishing fourth, and 11.07 (+1.3) at the USA Championships in Eugene, where she placed second. It was a season where she could not stay close to her top level consistently.

Interestingly, at the Star Athletics Sprint Series, Shaunae Miller-Uibo finished second in 11.05, while Melissa Jefferson-Mouzon took third in 11.14. Now in 2026, this 10.77 is a step in the right direction, which shows she is starting to find her rhythm again and slowly moving closer to her best form. However, her end goal is not just the 2026 season, but something greater.

Sha’Carri Richardson is looking beyond 2026

Sha’Carri Richardson has already shown momentum in her 2026 campaign at various levels. At the Stawell Gift in Australia, she won the historic 120m handicap race from scratch, becoming only the third woman in history to do so. She finished with a winning time of around 13.15 seconds.

She was also part of the United States women’s 4x100m relay team that ran a world-leading 41.70 in Gainesville, Florida, alongside Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Anavia Battle, and Kayla White. Now attention turns back to the track season ahead. She is scheduled to run at the Prefontaine Classic on July 4 in the 100m, where she will face Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. After that, she is expected to compete at the USATF Championships from July 23 to 26 at Icahn Stadium in New York City.

But beyond the season, her focus is clearly pointing further ahead. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is already in her sights. As she put it, “Every race, every practice, it’s still in the back of our minds. That’s what we’re truly preparing for.” She added, “So every single time I get on the track, I’m thinking about LA.” For now, the results point to a season building in the right direction rather than a finished story.

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The Eugene sweep is the capstone of a journey that got underway only two years ago. Before May 2024, neither twin had qualified for the 6A State Championships in an individual sprint. Mariah had run 24.26 in the 200m, Mia 11.65 in the 100m. Then they signed with coach Danny McCray at APXP Performance in Katy, Houston, and it was a different story.  

McCray had been tipped off by their jumps coach, Marlin Hargrove, who had spent over a year telling him these two needed his attention. “I knew after watching them the first week they were there. I told their parents what they would end up being and they didn’t believe me at first,” McCray said.

That first summer with APXP, Mariah improved sharply to 11.53 in the 100m and 23.82 in the 200m, winning her first national title at the USATF Junior Olympics. Mia was injured and hasn’t been able to train properly until the fall, but the base that McCray established with both of them, technical, dietary, and psychological, has been the backbone of all that has come after. 

The Maxwell twins sweep again at the US U20 Championships!!

Mia Maxwell again led a 1-2 finish with her sister Mariah in the women’s 200m at the US U20 Championships, taking the title in 22.49s.

Mariah was 2nd in 22.86s.

They went 1-2 in the 100m as well, in the same order!… pic.twitter.com/536RK6fZYr

— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) June 20, 2026

“Without Coach McCray, I don’t think we would know pretty much anything technical with the sport. Before we met him, we were just out there running,” Mia said.

The first big headline was on March 1, at the USATF Indoor Championships in New York. The twins finished second and third in the women’s 60m behind professional Jacious Sears, with Mia tying the high school record at 7.13 and Mariah one hundredth of a second back at 7.14. 

“It was definitely kind of unreal. I didn’t really get a chance to process it until the meet was over,” Mariah said. For Mia, the reality landed on the plane home. “I was like, ‘Wow, I really just did that.’ And it was really cool, and I think it made the moment even better sharing it with Mariah.” 

The Nike Indoor Nationals in March 2026 saw another 1-2 result, this time in the 200m. Mariah took the win in 22.84, and Mia finished second in 23.04. The USATF U20 sweep in Eugene is the next step in a string of results that have been accumulating for more than a year now. Same pattern, different magnitude depending on the stage. 

Mia enters the championships as a four-time high school national champion, the US high school indoor record holder in the 60m, and the fifth-fastest in American high school history over 100m with a personal best of 11.04. Mariah’s 200m personal best of 22.44, run earlier in 2026, places her fifth on the all-time US list in the event. Both sisters are Nike Elite Programme athletes and members of the National Honor Society. McCray, who has watched them make the one-hour-forty-minute drive each way from Humble to Katy for training countless times, does not mince his words about what they represent. “They’re the most disciplined athletes I’ve ever known,” he said. 

Their long-term target for 2026 is the World Athletics U20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene in August, the same venue where they just completed their national sweep.

A journey that rarely happened

The Maxwell twins did not grow up as sprint prodigies. They tried volleyball first but failed to make the tryouts. They then dabbled in basketball for a while before coaches saw how fast they were on the basketball court and directed them toward track. “We started winning, and it kind of just took off from there,” Mariah said.

It was Hargrove, their first jumps coach, who identified something deeper. “He immediately knew that we had something special. He was the first coach that was like, ‘These twins definitely have something in them. They just need help getting it out,” Mia said.  

The decision to stop competing for Atascocita in their senior year to focus fully on their individual development was not easy, but it has been vindicated comprehensively. 

“In the sport, you have to be a little selfish at times. You have to think about yourself and your future down the road,” Mia said. 

The next step in development is the World U20 Championships in August. McCray, for his part, has one more detail worth noting about the family: their ten-year-old sister Madison, he says, might be even better. 

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