Athletes make last stand for places in Diamond League final

ATHLETES WILL have last chances to earn spots at next weekend’s Diamond League finals in Eugene when they compete tomorrow and Friday at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League Meet in Brussels.

World Championships 200 metres champion, Shericka Jackson, who has qualified for both the 100 and 200 metres in Eugene, will be one of 12 Jamaicans who will be in action. Jackson will contest the Women’s 200 metres with her main competition coming from Daryll Neita of Great Britain and Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas.

World Championships shot put finalist, Danniel Thomas-Dodd, will be the first Jamaican in action on tomorrow’s opening day.

Over the years, fast times have been done at this meet and with several world champions down to compete, the trend is expected to continue.

Usain Bolt, the meet record holder in the men’s 100 metres with 9.76 seconds, Yohan Blake with 19.26 over 200 metres, along with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson Herah, joint meet record holders in the women’s 100 metres with 10.72 seconds, are just some of the big names to have gone fast in Brussells.

Women’s 100 metre clash

Following her season’s best 10.92 in Switzerland on Monday, Olympic champion Thompson Herah will be hoping to go faster when she contests the women’s 100 metres. Two other Jamaicans in Shashalee Forbes and Natasha Morrison will also line up in the event, along with Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain, Tamara Clarke of the United States, and Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand.

The trio of World Championships bronze medallist Rushell Clayton, Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight will renew battle in the women’s 400 metres hurdles. World Championships gold medallist, Femke Bol of the Netherlands, fresh off her win in Switzerland on Monday, should continue her winning ways here.

An improving Candice McLeod, who recently finished second at the Xiamen Diamond League in China with a season’s best 50.19 seconds, will be hoping to go faster when she contests the women’s 400 metres. World Championships bronze medallist, Sade Williams of Barbados, Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands and 400 metres hurdles specialist, Shamier Little of the United States, who have all gone sub-50 seconds this season, should make it a very competitive affair.

Triple jumpers Shanieka Ricketts and Kimberly Williams, finalists in the event at the World Athletics Championships last month, will be the final set of Jamaican women to compete at the meet. Maryna Romanchuk of Ukraine, who won silver in Budapest, and Thea Lafond of the Dominica Republic will also contest the event.

Rusheen McDonald, the country’s fastest man in the 400 metres this season with 43.03 seconds, will be the lone Jamaican in that event. He will contest the one-lap event against Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, the World Championships silver medallist.