Unfortunate Mishap Forces Jamaican Olympian To Back Out From 100M at Velocity Fest 14

The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, welcomed some of the best names in track and field on the 16th of March. Ackeem Blake, Zharnel Hughes, Angelina Ferguson, Shashalee Forbes, and numerous luminaries made the lineup for the awaited one-day event. As the races proceeded to witness a spectacle with personal bests and staunch rivalry expected of the names, one of the lot was obliged to miss out.

The Velocity Fest 16 hosted 12 events for men and 10 for women throughout the evening. As the events unfolded to welcome excitement and anticipation, the women’s 100m start line brought along a stir. Personal record by Tia Clayton and DNF by Shashalee Forbes all arrived in one fierce run.

A bittersweet run of 100m at Velocity Fest 14

The women’s 100m final saw 8 contenders, vying for a gold, having blazed through the day. However, as the gun went off to mark the event, the 2016 Olympian Shashalee Forbes did not take off. The surfaced clip shows the sprinter exiting the track as the rest race ahead. The reasons for the same rely significantly on the confusion often observed at the takeoff and the many cases of false starts it entails.

While the Olympian received a DNF next to her name, courtesy of the mark, 19-year-old Tia Clayton recorded her personal best with 11.12. The budding sprinter had posted her previous best at the very stadium in June last year with 11.23. Today she was followed by Remona Burchell in the second spot with 11.36 while Krystal Tuckerlee Sloley rounded up the top 3 with 11.42. 

While the 100m did not pan out as Shashalee Forbes or the fans would have expected, the year has nonetheless been a good run for the Olympic silver medalist. From personal best to Glasgow, the sprinter has embraced a cherishable path.

Shashalee Forbes tackling championships on the road to Paris

Shashalee Forbes started her Olympic year with a win at Queen’s/Grace Jackson Track Meet at National Stadium. The 27-year-old posted a personal best of 7.03 in 60m in late Jan. The following month, ISTAF Indoor Dusseldorf brought along yet another glory for the Olympian who bested N’Ketia Seedo with 7.11. As numerous podium finishes arrived for Forbes next, including a PB-equaling run, the sprinter had her eyes set on the Glasgow Glory.

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Shashalee Forbes clocked 7.17 seconds on the second day of Glasgow to advance to the semi-finals. However, despite 7.15 in the round that followed, Forbes placed 5th to limit her path. Nonetheless, the Olympian hopes to keep going. For Paris is the ultimate sight.

“Every championship is always on my roadmap; it is another opportunity to be great. And it is also a preparation for Paris. I really hope to get the chance to represent my country in Paris,” Shashalee Forbes expressed, and she continues in hope.

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