MIRAMAR, Florida — Some of the top speed and power athletes in the U.S. and Caribbean took advantage of friendly winds and warm Florida sunshine Saturday at the Ansin Sports Complex to set world bests and world-leading marks at the Miramar Invitational, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet and the second stop on the 2026 USATF Tour.
Blasting off the curve to establish a solid lead, Olympic and World Championships 100 silver medalist Kishane Thompson of Jamaica set a world best in the men's 150 with a 14.92, but he needed every bit of that to hold off Tapiwa Makarawu of Zimbabwe, who was closing very quickly and crossed the line in 14.96. Both men eclipsed the world best of 14.97 run by Britain's Linford Christie in 1994. Jamaicans swept the women's 150 with Tia Clayton winning in 16.87 ahead of Briana Williams, who was second in 16.92.
Following the fast early pace of meet record holder and training partner Shafiqua Maloney of St. Vincent in the women's 600, Paris Peoples caught the 2024 Olympic 800 fourth place finisher in the final 10 meters to win in 1:23.45 and become the third fastest American ever. Peoples, who earned gold on Team USATF's 4x400 at the recent World Indoor Championships, took .35 off Maloney's meet record that was set in 2024 and moved to No. 12 on the all-time world performer list. Maloney also bettered her previous record with a 1:23.51.
A rocket start in the men's 100 by Ackeem Blake of Jamaica put him in a lead he wouldn't relinquish, winning in a wind-aided 9.84 (+2.2). In his wake, Texas high schooler Tate Taylor, who is the co-holder of the national prep record, nabbed second in 9.95, with Jamaica's Rohan Watson also going sub-10 in 9.99 for third. Ronnie Baker, fastest in the heats at 10.03, was fourth in 10.00. Taylor's time was the seventh fastest ever by a high schooler in any conditions.
Defending meet champion Jamal Britt exploded from the blocks and ran a very clean race in the men's 110 hurdles to win in a world-leading 13.07, breaking the meet record and equaling his lifetime best. Britt, who was the bronze medalist in the 60H at the USATF Indoor Championships, won by .22 over Eric Edwards, with Louis Rollins completing a U.S. sweep in third at 13.42. Two-time world U20 champion Kerrica Hill of Jamaica won the women's 100 hurdles in 12.81, just ahead of Alexandra Webster, who nabbed the runner-up spot in 12.86.
Kicking off the main schedule, the men's 4x100 final came down to the anchors as Star Athletics won in 38.52 with Courtney Lindsey edging Brandon Hicklin of Team USATF by .01. A Texas High School all-star squad used a blistering final carry by Tate Taylor to grab third in 38.56. The mixed nationality prep team of Joseph West III, Blake Hamilton, Jake Odey-Jordan of Great Britain, and Taylor combined for the second fastest U20 time ever.
The final individual event saw Sada Williams of Barbados take the measure of Jamaican sprint legend Shericka Jackson in the first section of the women's 300. Williams, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist in the 400, pushed hard in the final meters to win in 36.23, with Jackson, the second fastest woman ever at 200 meters, the runner-up in 36.51. Kenondra Davis won the second section handily in 36.44 to place second overall.
An opening round effort of 6.95/22-9.75 put 2024 World Indoor silver medalist Monae Nichols into the lead in the women's long jump, and after four fouls she added a wind-aided 7.07/23-2.5 on her final jump to seal the victory. Last year's World Championships heptathlon bronze medalist, Taliyah Brooks, sailed out to a windy 6.87/22-6.5 in round four to place second, one centimeter ahead of Jamaica's Ackelia Smith. It was the longest career jump in any conditions for Brooks.
Owner of a full set of World Championships medals in the men's long jump, including gold in 2019, Jamaica's Tajay Gayle captured the title here with an opening round attempt of 8.11/26-7.25. Cameron Crump took the runner-up spot with a best of 8.07/26-5.75, and Damarcus Simpson was third at 8.02/26-3.75w
Jamaica's Danniel Thomas-Dodd, the 2019 World Championships silver medalist, had five throws good enough to win the women's shot put, topped by her 19.12/62-8.75 toss in round five. Adelaide Aquilla, an Olympian at Tokyo and the 2023 Pan American Games bronze medalist for the U.S., placed second with a best of 18.48/60-7.75.
Running the two fastest races of her life in the women's 100, Jamaica's Lavanya Williams twice dipped under 11 seconds, albeit with illegal aiding wind both times. Williams won her preliminary heat in 10.98 with a +2.5 breeze and then took the final in 10.99 with a +2.6 wind. Liranyi Alonso of the Dominican Republic almost caught Williams at the line in the final, clocking 11.00 for second.
In other action on the oval, Will Sumner led a 1-2-3 finish for American men in the 600, winning by a second in 1:16.88 over Mehdi Yanouri, who was second in 1:17.89. Odey-Jordan, part of the Texas high school all-star 4x100 earlier in the program, was a late entrant in the men's 300 and surprised the field to win in 32.43. Jamaica won the mixed 4x100 in 41.24.
Full meet results can be found here.