Jackson set for quick turnaround

TWO DAYS after her 100-metre second-place finish in the Diamond League meet in Poland, World 200m champion Shericka Jackson will return to action, leading a loaded Jamaican contingent to the Gyulai Istvan Memorial meet today in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

This will be the first opportunity for Jamaicans, who have booked their spot for the World Championships in Budapest next month, to race in Hungary, four weeks before the championships start.

Jackson will line up in the women’s 200m at 12:00 p.m. Jamaica time along with world and Olympic 4x100m relay medallist Briana Williams and Jackson’s MVP track club teammate Athonique Strachan of The Bahamas. Jackson is coming off a 10.78-second clocking in Sunday’s Diamond League in Poland, where Sha’Carri Richardson (10.76) bested her for the second time this year, remaining unbeaten over the distance this season.

This will be Jackson’s fourth 200m race this year and her first 200m race since the National Championships, where she ran 21.71 to retain her national title.

In the men’s 200m, national champion Andrew Hudson will line up with Michael Campbell and Julian Forte at 12:10 p.m. This will be Hudson’s second meet since April after he made his return from injury at the National Championships two weeks ago. The trio will be facing 2023 United States 200m champion and World Championships bronze medallist Erriyon Knighton.

In the women’s 100m at 10:35 a.m., Natasha Morrison is the lone Jamaican to line up in the field, which includes Richardson, as well as St Lucia’s Julien Alfred. At 10:45 a.m., the men’s 100m will have four Jamaicans in the field, namely, national champion Rohan Watson, second-place finisher Ryiem Forde, former world champion Yohan Blake, and Ackeem Blake. Yohan and Ackeem are coming off fifth- and seventh-place finishes, respectively, at the Diamond League in Poland on Sunday.

In the men’s 110m hurdles, Olympic champion Hansle Parchment will line up with Damion Thomas and Tyler Mason at 11:50 a.m. Newly crowned national champion Adelle Tracey will line up in the women’s 1500m at 10:55 a.m.

Charokee Young will contest the women’s 400m at 10:26 a.m. in her first race since the National Championships. Former world champion Tajay Gayle will contest the men’s long jump at 10:25 a.m., while Rushell Clayton, Shiann Salmon, and national champion Janieve Russell will contest the women’s 400m hurdles at 10:25 a.m.

Chanice Porter will start things off for the Jamaicans at 8:40 a.m. in the women’s long jump.