Jackson, Thompson take Olympic prep to Hungary

LED BY national double sprint champion Shericka Jackson and men’s 100-metre champion, Kishane Thompson, 16 Jamaicans will be in action at today’s 14th Gyulai István Memorial World Continental Gold meet in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.

Jackson, who says she will be aiming for gold in both sprints at the Paris Olympic Games to go with her World Championships 200 win last year, will be contesting the women’s 200 metres today.

She will be up against St Lucia’s Julien Alfred along with country-women Natasha Morrison and Lanae-Tava Thomas, as well as Great Britain’s Darryl Neita in a very competitive lineup.

Following his impressive win in the men’s 100 metres at the National Championships where he blazed to a personal best and world-leading 9.77 seconds, Thompson will look to go even faster as he prepares for Paris.

Rohan Watson and Michael Campbell will be the other Jamaicans here while Akani Simbine of South Africa, the United States Ronnie Baker and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana are also down to compete here.

Second in the women’s 100 metres at the National Championships, Tia Clayton will lead four Jamaicans in the women’s event. Her sister Tina, Natasha Morrison and Krystal Sloley also face the starter.

The United States duo of Tamara Clarke and Tamari Davis, who have both gone sub-11 seconds this season, will also contest the event.

Andrew Hudson, in the men’s 200 metres, and Sean Bailey, in the 400 metres, are also down to compete.

Bailey will clash with Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, who has gone 44.39 seconds this season.

Long jump champion, Ackeila Smith, Tajay Gayle, in the men’s long jump, Christoff Bryan, in the men’s high jump, and Rajindra Campbell, in the men’s shot put, are also down to appear.