Shelly & Shericka Need To Fix This On Priority

^{August 13, 2025 | Edition #169}

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

Budapest just delivered a meet to remember! Yes, the Gyulai Istvan Memorial aka the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix 2025 went down on Tuesday and it was every bit dramatic as we expected. From Shelly-Ann being left off the podium, to the men’s 100m getting a dominant champion, and oh yes, a World Record, it had it all. So hop on, because this meet was sign that August is going to be wild!

🌟 Track Stories

Talk About a Plot Twist!

While watching the race yesterday, we found ourselves saying this over and over again: ‘This didn’t look like the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson we’re used to seeing.’ After all, the two had already lost the 100m Jamaican Champion title to Tina Clayton in June. And now, once again, they've been left behind by the same 20-year-old. But this time, there was another veteran beside Tina doing the damage...

We'll tell you what happened. At the Gyulai Istvan Memorial, both Shericka and Shelly-Ann were entered in the women’s 100m. At the sound of "go" Shelly-Ann started strongly out of the blocks with the fastest reaction, 0.136s. “Good start from Fraser-Pryce,” praised the commentator. But he spoke too soon! Because a few meters in, Shelly began to fade.

By the 60m mark, it was Tina who was leading. But then came a surprise lead. Africa’s fastest woman, Marie-Josée Ta Lou Smith stormed through in the final meters and crossed the finish in 10.97s! Here, watch Ta Lou Smith's surprise 100m surge, that left the Shelly & Shericka chasing! Tina still held on for second, 0.02s behind, while Shericka clawed into the third position in 11.00s. But Shelly-Ann? She missed the podium entirely in 11.07s.

Clearly, Ta Lou Smith’s been on fire. The 36-year-old was fresh off beating sprinters like Daryll Neita at the Brescia Grand Prix in 10.92s and now this. Same for Tina Clayton. She’s making a habit of taking down Shericka and Shelly-Ann, now twice in three months. However, Shelly-Ann, who is in her final track season, isn’t looking as sharp. Just one sub-11s performance for her so far. And even though Shericka podiumed, this wasn't her best. So yes, the Jamaican veterans need to buckle up before the Worlds, this is yet another warning bell!

You Might Wanna Sit Down for This

You know how it is. Long afternoons watching relay heats or field events more often than not leave you shifting uncomfortably in your seat. But that doesn’t have to be the case. With ComfiLife lumbar support pillow comfort creeps into every sit-down! Its high-density memory foam cradles your lower back and aligns your spine just right, while the breathable mesh and adjustable strap keep it firmly in place on your chair, car seat, or recliner.

What’s more, It’s now on sale for for less than $35 making it the perfect time to stay focused on every fast finish without the usual posture slump. So grab it, and get comfort through every final lap.

📈 Trending News

Kishane Strikes Again!

The track world just witnessed another Kishane Thompson masterpiece. Because, at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial yesterday, Kishane did what he does best…

Let’s paint you a picture: Off the gun, Kishane’s reaction was lightning-fast, in just 0.148s. Well, Akani Simbine was 0.001s quicker, but it didn’t matter. Because within seconds, Thompson had already shifted into top gear. He then blazed to a comfortable 100m win in 9.95s, with very little competition, as he was the only man under 10s that day. Watch below how Kishane turned the 100m final into a one-man show!

Behind Kishane were Abdul Rasheed Saminu and Simbine, both of whom clocked 10.01s. But Saminu took silver while Simbine had to settle for bronze. So yeah, Kishane’s 0.01s Shanghai DL loss to Simbine, that’s settled. Meanwhile, it was a day to forget for Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, who looked off and finished eighth in 10.26s. But, for Kishane, this was an added feather in his crown.

This was Kishane’s 8th straight 100m victory since May 2025. Also, he has now run five 100m finals this season, while clocking sub-10s in all. Plus, he leads the world with a jaw-dropping 9.75s that no runner touched in a decade. Oh, and he now gets to keep his Gyulai Istvan crown for another year, as 2025 is his second consecutive win after the 9.91s 2024 success! So yeah, Kishane is in unbelievable form. Next he meets Noah Lyles in Silesia, and the reigning World Champ better watch his back after this!

Watch: Not Thompson, This Jamaican Shattered a Meet Record at Gyulai Istvan!

📰 Top Stories of Today

🙃 Julien Alfred’s sad career update turns out to be fake news! - Full Story 

🤯 Sha’Carri issues heartfelt message to BF Coleman after incident - Full Story

🤔 Fred Kerley’s career on pause after shocking suspension! - Full Story

🙌 Femke Bol just asserted her dominance! - Full Story

😔 Track fans are mourning 17-year-old’s heartbreaking loss! - Full Story

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

 🏃‍♀️ Beyond The Medals

Mondo Doing Just Mondo Things!

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Mondo Duplantis is unreal. If you weren’t convinced yet, what went down in Budapest yesterday will change your mind!

On Tuesday, Mondo stepped into the meet, facing two of his toughest competitors: Emmanouil Karalis and Sam Kendricks. Kendricks had an early stumble after he failed to clear 5.83m thrice and had to exit. Meanwhile, Karalis pushed on, clearing 6.02m on his first attempt. However, when he tried 6.11m, even he missed and retired. Now Mondo was the last man standing and what he did next was unthinkable!

Mondo easily cleared 6.11m and it was certain by now that he’d won it. Yet, he kept going. He then set his sight straight on 6.29m. Now this was a tall challenge, a full centimeter higher than the existing pole vault world record he set at the Stockholm DL. But, the crowd jumped out of their seats when Mondo cleared 6.29m on his second attempt and gave the Gyulai Memorial it’s first-ever world record. Watch Mondo’s world record leap here!

For the world, this might be Mondo’s 13th WR, but for him, it looked like just another day at the office. Can you believe, this is his third WR of the calendar year and fourth since the Paris Olympics. The stat book even says that Mondo alone accounts for 32 of the 44 competitions where athletes have cleared at least 6.10m. Plus, he’s currently on a 36-meet winning streak. So yes, when we say Duplantis is the most dominant pole vaulter the sport has ever seen…we mean it. However, we have a question for you. Scroll to the poll below!

Watch: This Athlete Took Down the Olympic and World Champ At Gyulai Istvan!

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Last Poll Result: We asked you, “With New Faces Like T’Mars McCallum, Kayla White, in the Squad, Can Team USA Get a Clean Sweep in Relays at the Tokyo World Championships?” And the answer was an exact 50-50 between Yes and No. But amid this split opinion, one of you had a standout suggestion. “Until the USA squads practice like the elite college programs, good results will be problematic.” Now that’s an interesting take!

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

💌 FEEDBACK