Leah O'Brien Just Broke A Record Older Than Colour TV

^{Apr 9, 2025 | Edition #112}

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

GST Kingston might be over, but we’re not over the athletes who stole the show! Especially a Jamaican star who saved the day at the GST! And while we were glued to the action, an Australian teenage athlete broke a 57-year-old record! Yes! Today’s edition is filled with action and drama!

But before we dive in, here’s a shoutout from a reader: "Great coverage of the first MJ GST in Kingston." We love hearing that—glad you're on this ride with us!

📈 Trending News

This Aussie U18 Record Holder Torched an Olympian

Looks like Australian athletes are on fire this season! Keep reading, and you’ll know how! At the Australian Athletics Championships, 17-year-old Leah O’Brien blazed through the U18 100m final in 11.14 seconds, leaving the competition trailing by a cool 0.21s! But that’s not the mic-drop moment!

O’Brien torched Raelene Boyle’s long-standing 11.20s junior record, set way back at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. That’s 57 years in the books—before WiFi, before iPhones, and when color TVs were still a flex! Intrigued? Watch her thumping victory yourself!

Well, this makes Leah O'Brien the second teen after Gout Gout (who shattered Peter Norman’s 200m mark) to break a major Australian record from the 1968 Games. Clearly, Aussie teens are fired up. But O’Brien?

• 🔥 Tied at #4 on Australia’s all-time 100m list—right up there with Olympic gold medalist Sally Pearson.

• 🔥 Just 0.04s off Torrie Lewis’ National Senior Record.

• 🔥 Ranked #9 among the fastest U18 women’s 100m sprinters in HISTORY.

That’s not all. Just three days earlier, she conquered the U18 200m title—into a -1.1 headwind, no less. Yeah, now she’s leveling up! "I’m going to come back and run the opens," she declared. And yes, at the Open Nationals 100m this Friday, she’s going head-to-head with the country’s top senior sprinters. And after this record-smashing week? You can bet they’re all paying attention.

Watch: You Think Leah Was Good? Watch Raelene Boyle Dominate In Her Prime!

📰 Top Stories of Today

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😲 Jamaican experts slam Michael Johnson’s ‘poor management,’ as Grand Slam Track’s biggest flaw comes to light! - Full Story

🏃‍♀️ Gabby Thomas & Sydney McLauglin-Levrone did what no American woman could since 1988 - Full Story

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⚔️ Fred Kerley opens up on life’s struggles amid ongoing beef with Noah Lyles - Full Story 

See what else is trending in the world of track & field - Click here

🌟 Track Stories

Danielle Williams Delivered It For Jamaica!

We were this close to witnessing Jamaica go Slam-less on home turf—until Danielle Williams showed up! How? Well, it all started on April 6…

Williams lined up for the 100m hurdles—her race, her bread and butter. The reigning world champ was expected to dominate, but Tia Jones edged her out with a 12.63s finish. Silver wasn’t the ideal outcome, but it still felt pretty damn good! Why? Because Williams had just smoked some of the best. Olympic champ Masai Russell—Fifth. Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn—Third. Missed this epic moment? Here, we’ve got you covered!

The next day, she was back at it—this time for the flat 100m. This isn’t even her forte! But in 11.54 seconds, she delivered 12 crucial points! The race was quite ecstatic! Watch for yourself!

Either way, the math worked out! A first-place finish and a second-place finish meant 20 points. Williams walked away as the Short Hurdles Slam Champion—the only Jamaican to claim this title on home soil. And even more history? She became the first Grand Slam challenger to win a race group. Her reaction? "Hopefully, it starts a little cycle and more come after me."

Yet, what makes Williams even more special isn’t just her speed—it’s her journey. She’s an HBCU alum—one of the few elite athletes carrying that legacy on the global stage. And she wears it with pride. "Coming from an HBCU and a Division II school, there aren’t many of us competing—at least that I’m aware of, especially in track and field." An unconventional path? Maybe. But here she is, standing on top!

Watch: Jamaicans In Stands Were Ecstatic After Williams’ Win!

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Since Freeman’s historic 400m gold at Sydney 2000, Australia has had sporadic success in track and field with names like Sally Pearson and Kelsey-Lee Barber. However, the kind of dominance that Freeman symbolized has been missing.

Last Poll Result: We asked you, “With Sydney promising 110mH in the Miami Grand Slam Track, can she break the world record?”—and the results are in! 42.8% of you said YES, backing her to make history. Meanwhile, 31.6% voted no, and 25.6% went with maybe. The verdict? Sydney sure has got a challenge ahead!

🏅Beyond the Medals

The NCAA May Be Changing: A Prayer Heard or Not?

A very essential aspect of the track is on the cusp of change, folks! Yes! The NIL landscape. The House v. NCAA lawsuit has been dragging on (Catch up to speed here), but April 7 marked a pivotal moment—a hearing that could lead to a massive $2.8 billion settlement in backpay. The beneficiaries—former NCAA athletes who gave their all but weren’t allowed to earn a dime.

Let’s rewind to the pre-2020 era. The global track scene was buzzing—Allyson Felix was a legend, and Jamaica’s "Big 3" (Shericka, Shelly-Ann, and Elaine) were rewriting history. Meanwhile, in the NCAA, new stars were rising:

• Sha’Carri Richardson was blazing through 100-meter records at LSU. Her 10.75s NCAA mark? Still untouched. (Watch her record-breaking run here!)

• Gabby Thomas was racking up 22 Ivy League titles at Harvard.

But it wasn’t until 2021 that the NIL policy came in, and athletes could finally earn from their names. By then, a lot of opportunities were lost. For these stars and multiple NCAA track names. Gabby admitted, "The NIL is crazy, I could have never imagined that. " She remembers having to ask friends for money, "Oh, could I borrow five bucks so we can afford the salad?’

But this is where this settlement comes in. It doesn’t just symbolize backpay for athletes between 2016 and 2024. It represents a long-overdue acknowledgment. But contemporary track stars? They might have a different perspective on this. Check it out below!

Watch: Some Believe The NIL Could Destroy College Track? Here's How.

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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