Shot putter Richards in action today

COMMONWEALTH Games shot put gold medallist O'Dayne Richards will be the first Jamaican in action when the two-day Prefontaine Diamond League meet gets under way today in Eugene, Oregon.

Richards will take the field at 6:28 p.m. Jamaica time as he will take on a very strong men's shot put line-up.

Richards, who won gold in Glasgow last year with a personal best of 21.61 metres, will be hoping for a big improvement on his season?s best of 21.00 metres. After a disappointing 19.89m throw at the Doha Diamond League meet when finishing eighth, Richards will be hoping for a better display.

He will once again face the four top finishers at the Doha meet, led by winner David Storl of Germany. World leader Joe Kovacs of the United States, with throws of of 22.35 and 22,06 metres so far this season and who finished fourth at Doha, is also among the competitors. Other top names in the line-up include Reese Hoffa, Christian Cantwell, and Ryan Whiting of the United States, along with Tom Walsh of New Zealand and Poland's Tomasz Majewski.

Competition on today's opening day will get under way at 6:03 p.m. (Ja time) with the finals of the men's discus. The women?s long jump at 6:06 p.m is the other field event down to be contested today, while there will be two events on the track - the men's 5,000 metres at 7 p.m. and the men's 10,000 metres at 7:20 p.m.