Thompson Herah faces massive field over half-lap in Rome

TOKYO DOUBLE-OLYMPIC sprint champion Elaine Thompson Herah will be hoping to continue having an unbeaten season today when she competes in the women’s 200 metres at the Stadio Olimpico Stadium in the Rome Golden Gala, where she is one of 10 Jamaicans down to compete.

Thompson Herah is hoping her preparation for this year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, continues unabated as she hopes to build on her double success in Tokyo last year. She is expected to be fully tested today when she lines up in the half-lap event at 2:08 pm.

With a season’s best of 22.55 seconds, posted a few weeks ago in Jamaica, where she won easily, Thompson Herah is not the best of a quality field.

Countrywoman Shericka Jackson, the fastest in the field with a season’s best 22.07, done in Doha, Olympic Games 400m champion Shaunae Miller Uibo of the Bahamas, World 200-metre champion, Diana Asher Smith of Great Britain, and veteran Allyson Felix of the United States should all make this a humdinger of an event.

Following her impressive season’s best of 12.51 seconds to win the Women’s 100-metre hurdles three days ago in Hengalo, Britany Anderson will be hoping for bigger scalps today when she contests the event at 2:37 p.m.

BLAZING SPEED

Sixth in the world so far, Anderson has shown blazing speed over the latter part of her races and will be hoping for another big run today when she comes up against defending World Champion Nia Ali of the United States, her training partner in Florida, who she defeated in Hengalo.

But her training partner isn’t Anderson’s only hurdle as Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn of Puerto Rico is also in the race. Camacho Quinn is the world leader in the event with 12.39 seconds.

Danielle Williams, with a season’s best 12.61 and Megan Tapper, with a best of 12.80 this year, are the other Jamaicans down to compete here.

The Women’s 400 metres hurdle is building up to be one of the more highly anticipated events at Jamaica’s National Championships in a few weeks’ time and World Championships bronze medallist Rushell Clayton, with a season’s best 54.90 seconds, and Tokyo Olympics fourth-place finisher, Janieve Russell with a best of 54.09 seconds, will contest the event.

After her smashing world record run recently in the Women’s 300m hurdles, Femke Bol of the Netherlands, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist will lead the pack here with a season’s best 53.94.

Natoya Goule will contest the Women’s 800 metres, where she will come up against Olympic champion Athing Mu of the United States, while Nigel Ellis will face the starter in the men’s 100 metres, where he will be hoping to improve on his season’s best of 10.16 seconds.