Kingston, Jamaica – In a tense, unpredictable final round of men’s senior discus competition at the JAAA National Championships held Saturday at Kingston’s National Stadium, top thrower Ralford Mullings delivered a winning performance that secured both his title defense and a spot on Jamaica’s roster for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this July.
Mullings, the Jamaican national record holder in the event, entered the competition fresh off a historic milestone earlier this month: back-to-back NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships titles while competing for the University of Oklahoma. The standout athlete only recorded two valid, legal throws across the six-round competition, but his best effort of 64.31 meters was enough to outpace every other competitor and claim the top spot on the podium.
Behind Mullings, 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Fedrick Dacres finished as the runner-up with a top throw of 62.97 meters. Racquil Broderick, a standout from the University of Southern California who also finished second behind Mullings at the recent NCAA Outdoor Championships, rounded out the top three with a throw that matched his 2022 season best of 62.87 meters.
The day ended in heartbreak for fourth-place finisher Chad Wright, who came into the national championships with high hopes of becoming a dual-sport Jamaican representative at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Wright had thrown a personal best 67.92 meters earlier this April, putting him in strong contention for a top-three finish and a spot on the discus roster. But his best effort on Saturday only reached 60.55 meters, ending his dream of competing in both discus and a second sport at the global games this summer.