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Sprinters catch up with Flo-Jo’s hallowed 100, 200 world records that have stood since 1988

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For generations of girls’s 100-meter sprinters, 10.49 seconds is the world record they have been chasing since 1988.

For Al Joyner, it is time he sees all over the place he looks. Like in the future when he was considering auctioning off a pair of his late wife Florence Griffith Joyner’s spikes and happened to glance on the clock.

It read 10:49.

“I think in moments like this she asks, ‘Hello, how are you?’ I’m still here,” Joyner said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press.

The aura and records of Griffith Joyner hang over the track to this present day. Known for her long and colourful nails, striking outfits and funky nickname “Flo-Jo”, in 1988 she experienced a magical run that once more entered the record books. During the Olympic Games within the USA, she set a results of 100, 10.49, and on her technique to the gold medal on the Olympic Games in Seoul, she exceeded 200, 21.34.

It seemed as if the records would never be broken. However, Flo-Jo’s performance appears to be close by on the Paris Olympics this summer. A gaggle of sprinters jump out of the blocks, not seeing an intimidating time, but fairly a record that must be broken.

“I mean (a few) years ago I would have said, ‘No, it’ll never happen,'” American Gabby Thomas said last season’s record 200. “With technology and the way our competitors operate? Absolutely. … Maybe I’m crazy enough to believe this could happen in the next few years.”

Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson nearly broke Flo-Jo’s 200-meter mark on the world championships in Budapest, Hungary last summer, posting a time of 21.41 seconds, the second-fastest time ever.

Joyner’s take? Go get it. Because he would love to see it.

“I remember Florence being asked if anyone had broken her records and how she would feel,” said Joyner, whose wife died in her sleep in 1998 on the age of 38 after an epileptic seizure. “She said she can be sad but pleased because records are supposed to be broken. But it could be like losing your best friend.

Of the ten fastest times within the 200, five were set by Jackson, two by Thomas and one by Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, and the remaining two were by Griffith Joyner.

At the championships, Jackson wrote her race number twice before the competition – at 9:40 p.m. (she almost predicted her time) and one other one that she didn’t reveal.

Of course, it would have had something to do with Griffith Joyner’s days.

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“When I crossed the finish line and saw the time, I believed, ‘I’m close. I’m close,” Jackson said after the race.

In the 100m, Thompson-Herah – a two-time defending Olympic champion in each sprints – was just shy of Flo-Jo’s mark in 2021 with a time of 10.54 seconds, the just one to interrupt 10.50 seconds – or lower – apart from Griffith Joyner. That is, in winds considered legal (2.0 meters per second or less).

Thompson-Herah looked like she could break the record in Paris, but her health could also be an element. She gave the impression to be injured on the finish line of Sunday’s USATF New York Grand Prix.

The 37-year-old Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce can be on the decline, whose best end in her profession is 10.60 seconds. Another one that could lower the bar is American Sha’Carri Richardson, the present 100-meter world champion with a larger-than-life personality who could develop into the world’s next big sprint star. Richardson ran 10.57 seconds in the course of the competition on April 8, 2023, however the wind exceeded the legal limit. Her best allowable time within the wind competition at August’s world championships was 10.65, beating Jackson and Fraser-Pryce.

“I see a new generation of Flo-Jos,” said Joyner, the 1984 Olympic triple jump champion. “The legacy she left behind, which she didn’t even know she was leaving, is that her dreams became the dreams of many, many ladies. …Because she all the time hoped they’d take greater steps, because she never wanted them to be like her. She wanted them to be higher than her.

Griffith Joyner’s record of 100 points was set on a windy day in Indianapolis, but officials ruled it as legal wind. She overtook Evelyn Ashford, who achieved a results of 10.76 in 1984.

Since then, few have come near touching the Flo-Jo mark. For comparison, since 1988 the lads’s record has been lowered a dozen times to its current level – 9.58 by Usain Bolt in 2009.

“One of Florence’s most famous slogans was to believe in the impossible,” Joyner said. “You set your own standard, and when you set it and exceed it, that’s when records are broken and amazing things happen.”

In those days, there was the specter of doping (Griffith Joyner passed every drug test). The only individual women’s running records that have been within the books longer are the 400 meters (Marita Koch of the GDR, 1985) and the 800 meters (Jarmila Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia, 1983).

Joyner saw Flo-Jo as a sprinter who never limited her performance.

Today he sees sprinters who don’t need to set limits.

“It’s not, ‘Oh, this is such a scary record,’” Joyner said. “These records will be broken. I do not know when. But they will be broken.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Fans warn Shedeur Sanders to beware of Kardashian curse after Colorado star spotted with Kendall Jenner

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Deion and Shedeur Sanders call out constant disrespect from their doubters.

Shedeur Sanders has been generating quite a bit of buzz recently and is claimed to be a highly anticipated prospect in next 12 months’s NFL Draft.

But being the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback and son of former NFL player and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders also brings with it a potentially unwanted highlight. Shedeur’s clip goes viral after the 22-year-old was spotted embracing Kendall Jenner.

Deion Sanders' son Shedeur defends his father's coaching skills after criticism from former athletes.
Deion Sanders’ son Shedeur speaks out in defense of his father’s coaching skills after being criticized by former athletes. (Photo: @deionsanders/Instagram)

The content creator posted the clip and wrote, “Shedeur Sanders met up with Kendall Jenner, who was recently in Boulder.” Jenner was in Boulder — the house of the University of Colorado — because she was traveling to different cities to promote her brand of liqueur 818 Tequila.

Since the video only shows Jenner’s upper body and Shedeur’s back, who happened to be wearing a hoodie, it’s unclear if she was serving drinks during their meeting, but it surely appeared he was waiting in line to greet her. After a couple of people in front of him moved out of the way in which, he went over to hug Jenner and said, “How are you?” before the video ended.

Many fans warned Shedeur against getting close to Jenner.

One person said, “Nothing good happens when a BLACK athlete dates a Kardashian/Jenner,” and one other said, “Oh no. I’m scolding, I’m scolding!”

A 3rd person wrote: “Stay away from our quarterback. Kardashian/Jenner can’t remember the last athlete who had a successful relationship with one of these girls.”

Of all five Kardashian-Jenner girls, Khloé and Kendall have mostly dated NBA players. Khloé, who’s best known for her marriage and divorce from NBA player Lamar Odom, dated Minnesota Timberwolves player Rashad McCants from 2008 to 2009. He was then traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he played just one season and was never drafted by one other team.

Speaking to Charlotte’s Observer in 2017, McCants said his relationship with Khloé made people query his commitment to the NBA. “Without that in-game situation, I’m a $60-70 million player,” McCants said. “Easily.”

Later in 2009, after only one month of dating, Khloe married Los Angeles Lakers star Odom. The two documented their wedding on the truth show Khloe and Lamar, but their relationship began to crumble, and Odom’s secret struggles with substance abuse began to come to light in 2013. Later that 12 months, Odom was arrested for driving under the influence. From 2011 to 2014, he played for the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, after which the LA Clippers before becoming a free agent. He then went to the EuroLeague, where he played in two games before injuring his back.

Then in April 2014 he signed with the Knicks before the team waived it in July of the identical 12 months.

Then there’s Khloé’s infamous relationship with Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had two children with Thompson, but their relationship was severely strained by Thompson’s repeated infidelities. Nevertheless, Thompson’s 13-year NBA profession didn’t end there, and he’s currently on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster.

As for her younger sister Kendall, she briefly dated Brooklyn Nets player Ben Simmons from 2018 to 2019. Simmons was named Rookie of the Year in 2018 and an All-Star in 2019. However, the next seasons became difficult for Simmons after his Philadelphia 76ers team lost to the Atlanta Hawks within the Eastern Conference semifinals in an especially close seven-game series in 2021. He apparently felt that blamed for the Game 7 loss, Simmons never played for the 76ers again before being traded to Brooklyn. He ultimately missed the whole 2021-22 season, even after arriving in Brooklyn mid-season. Since then, battling knee and back injuries — which resulted in each knee and back surgeries — Simmons has played in only 57 games over the past three seasons.

Following this relationship, Kendall dated Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker for 2 years from 2020 to 2022.

It is currently unclear what her relationship status is, but it surely looks like she is likely to be rekindling her relationship with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny in 2023. They were spotted together in Paris, holding hands in June of this 12 months.

Shedeur’s relationship status is uncertain, because it appears he and actress Storm Reid have quietly split after making their red carpet debut last 12 months.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Kamala Harris’ Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour Turns Into ‘Scandal’ Cast Reunion

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Gladiators reunite within the name of democracy.

The solid of Shonda Rhimes’ hit series Scandal will reunite to affix Vice President Kamala Harris and her partner Tim Walz in Michigan for his or her Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour. Actors Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Guillermo Díaz, Bellamy Young, Katie Lowes, Dan Bucatinsky, Scott Foley, Portia de Rossi, George Newbern, Jeff Perry and Cornelius Smith Jr. will join Harris-Walz for the campaign launch in Madison Heights.

According to The Hollywood ReporterThe solid’s appearance on the political tour is an element of the Democratic presidential candidate’s technique to win the 2024 election. According to the Harris-Walz campaign, the tour’s mission is to “highlight the stark contrast between Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, who will restore Roe v. Wade protections when Congress passes legislation to that effect, and Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, who will enact their dangerous Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to contraceptives, force states to report women’s miscarriages and abortions, and threaten access to in vitro fertilization.”

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The Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour, which kicks off September 3 in Florida, plans to go to key states across the country to debate the stakes of reproductive rights with Democratic and Republican communities. During the last presidential debate, attention focused on abortion rights and in vitro fertilization (IVF), as Harris pledged to revive nationwide reproductive rights, while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump refused to commit to vetoing a nationwide abortion ban if he wins the election.

In August, “Scandal” stars Washington and Goldwyn, known for his or her iconic roles as Olivia Pope and fictional President Fitzgerald Grant, thrilled fans by reuniting to co-host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Over the years, Washington has develop into known for her political advocacy. As a Democratic supporter, the actress has not only partnered with nonprofits to debate abortion rights, but additionally launched her own nonprofit, Influence Change, which “recruits other artists to promote civic engagement.”

“Democracies work best when everyone votes. As a public figure, it’s important to me to remind people of their political power and share any information I have that helps them step into their power,” she said, as previously reported by theGrio. “Artists, musicians, athletes, actors and creators have a unique opportunity to encourage voters. The combined reach of our networks can be used to inspire participation and ensure that more people take their rightful place as active participants in our democracy. I’m not speaking out because I’m an artist; I’m speaking out because I’m an American.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Former Bad Boy artist Shyne reveals his true feelings about Diddy’s role in sending him to prison following Mogul’s recent arrest

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Former rapper turned politician Moses “Shyne” Barrow has broken his silence on the recent arrest of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The Belize-born artist, once an integral a part of Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, has publicly shared his thoughts for the primary time on the music executive’s recent legal troubles.

Though he’s made it clear that Diddy’s legal troubles “don’t make him happy,” the “Bad Boyz” chart-topper stays adamant that his former boss “ruined” his life.

Former Bad Boy artist Shyne blames Diddy for his 10-year sentence for a 1999 nightclub shooting. (Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage; Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Shyne’s statement got here just days after Combs was arrested on federal charges including extortion, human trafficking and prostitution, which resulted in Diddy being denied bail twice.

The case has made headlines, with many wondering about Diddy’s past. Not only are people bringing up his infamous “Freak-offs” and “Diddy Parties,” but in addition his infamous connection to an incident at a New York nightclub in 1999, where Shyne was partying with the Bad Boy founder and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, before gunfire injured two people.

Shyne had no idea how his life would unravel after that night. His profession was cut short, and his life as a free man was marked by first-degree assault, possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. The chart-topping star was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2001 for his role in the altercation. He was eventually released in 2009 and deported to Belize.

Fast forward to 2024, and the 2 men appear to be on completely different paths. Shyne is now the leader of the opposition in the Belize House of Representatives, while Diddy faces charges that would land him a life sentence. Shyne shared his thoughts on his former boss’ case at a press conference in Belize.

“When I was an 18-year-old kid who wanted to do nothing but make my mother and Belize happy and be recognized for my talent and take over the world,” Shyne recalled in an interview with Channel 5 Belize. “I defended him and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me.”

Shyne’s face remained impassive as he explained the role Diddy played in his legal struggles. “He contributed to… basically sent me to prison. That’s the context in which this (relationship) should always be described. I’ve forgiven. I’ve moved on. But let’s not pretend I was in Miami for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Shyne suggested that he and Combs aren’t as close as some might think. Despite his forgiving heart, he made sure to set the record straight about their relationship.

“So let’s not lose sight of the cold, hard facts,” Shyne said. “This is not someone I vacationed with and he and I had this wonderful, intimate brotherhood with. This is someone who destroyed my life and I have forgiven him and moved on.”

For years, Shyne has worked with Diddy to bring resources to Belize, but Diddy has clarified that their partnership is strictly business-related.

“Don’t distort it like we’re boom bally. This is someone who ruined my life,” he continued.

Shyne’s evolution from rapper to politician has not gone unnoticed. When The Shade Room published press conference, many praised him for his grace and wisdom in handling the situation, with one commentator noting, “Shyne is the true definition of someone who will sit back and let God do the work.”

Another person said, “This man has really grown. Holding on to bitterness and resentment only hurts you, not the perpetrator. Let life deal with people. Karma never loses its address.”

“Forgiving someone without an apology is powerful,” said a 3rd comment.

Not everyone was impressed. Some wanted him to admit his role in his death.

“First of all, you ruined your life…let’s take responsibility,” the Shade Room commentary admonished. “That’s the problem, people not taking responsibility for their actions and how it leads them to destruction.”

Despite his troubled past, Shyne stays focused on his future and the well-being of his country. “Nobody has to fail for me to succeed,” he said, further evidence of his growth.

Meanwhile, the producer behind the success of artists like Mary J. Blige, The Notorious B.I.G. and The Lox is facing legal troubles. His legal team had proposed a $50 million bail to secure his release, but a judge denied the request, citing concerns about witness intimidation and flight risk. The music mogul will remain behind bars in Brooklyn as his trial approaches.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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