Dacres looks to land first DL win
Published:Wednesday | June 14, 2017 | 12:00 AMRyon Jones
OSLO, Norway:
Fedrick Dacres and Simone Facey are the only two Jamaicans down to compete on today's fifth stop of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League series being staged in Oslo, Norway.
Dacres will feature in the second diamond event of the day, the men's discus, scheduled for 12:57 p.m. (Ja time). The 23-year-old has registered the two longest throws in the world so far this year with his heave of 68.88 metres, which he did at Excelsior High in February, the new national record in the event. He is now looking to become Jamaica's first Diamond League winner in a throwing event.
But competing at this his second Diamond League meeting Dacres will come up against stern competition from the likes of reigning world champion Piotr Malachowski of Poland and German brothers Christoph Harting, who is the reigning Olympic champion, and 2012 Olympic champion Robert Harting
Dacres is, however, not daunted by the stacked field, as he believes this to be ideal preparation needed going into the World Championships.
"I am just here to compete and get more comfortable with the big guys so that when I reach the Olympics or World Championships, I am not shocked," Dacres said. "These are guys who other than my world lead are 60m throwers and you have the Olympic champion and world champion in the field, so it should be good throwing. This meet should be exciting."
FACEY IN 200M
Seasoned campaigner Facey will line up in the women's 200m, the evening's penulti-mate event, set for 2:50 p.m.
Facey, who will be looking to better her season's best of 23.00 seconds, said she is "totally focussed on the race". The 32-year-old will have for company reigning 200m world champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands and two-time World Championships silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of Cote d'Ivoire.
The men's 100m will come up at 2:03 p.m. and will feature the man many have dubbed the heir to Usain Bolts' throne, Andre De Grasse of Canada. The Olympic 100m bronze medalist and 200m silver medallist could really use a win here having placed fourth and fifth in his previous two Diamond League 100m outings this season. He is, however, coming off a 200m win in Rome last week.