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Diamond debuts for Bloomfield, Allen

Published:Thursday | July 12, 2018 | 12:00 AMRaymond Graham/ Gleaner Writer
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Jamaica's top two 400 metres runners, Akeem Bloomfield and Nathon Allen, will make their Diamond League debuts today in Rabat, Morocco.

Both athletes who got a taste of the European circuit on Monday while competing in the 200 metres in Lucern, Switzerland will be running in the one-lap event . Bloomfield, the top Jamaican this year with his 43.94 seconds second place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon for the University of Auburn is the top ranked athlete in the event today while Allen who was third behind his schoolmate at the meet in 44.13, is the second ranked athlete in the event.

They will go up against Qatar's Haroun Abdelleleh with a best of 44.35, Paul Dedewo of the United States, 44.50, Great Britain's Hudson Smith (44.68) and the Dominican Republic's Lugelin Santos, 44.66.

Other Jamaicans on the track today will be Commonwealth Games female 800 metres bronze medallist Natoya Goule, Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles bronze medallist Yanique Thompson in her pet event and Shashalee Forbes who will compete in the women's 200 metres. Danniel Thomas Dodd and Kimberly Williams who were both gold medallists at the Commonwealth Games will compete in the shot put and the triple jump respectively.

One of the highlights of the today's meet will be the men's 100 metres which will see the four fastest this year down to compete. World co-leader Ronnie Baker and Noah Lyles of the United States who both have season's best times of 9.88 will meet countryman Michael Rodgers 9.89 and the other sub-10 seconds man in the field, Arthur Cisse of Cote d'Ivoire with a best of 9.94. The field will also include the World Championships silver medallist Christian Coleman who has a season's best of 10.06.