Source: Jamaica Gleaner
FOUR DAYS after running the world’s leading time in the 100 metres at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial meet in Hungary, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the World champion in the event, will face compatriot Shericka Jackson, the World 200 metres champion, at the Monaco Diamond League meet in France this afternoon
The two women scored impressive wins in Hungary. Fraser-Pryce won the 100m in 10.66 seconds to lower her world-leading time by one-hundredth of a second. Jackson won the 200 metres in 22.02.
Jackson, who will be racing in Monaco for the first time, said yesterday that facing Fraser-Pryce in the shorter event will always spur her on.
“I love competing with Shelly. She brings out the best of me when we are competing in the 100m,” the 2022 World 100m silver medallist said at yesterday’s pre-event press conference. “She always brings her ‘A’ game. I’m looking for super exciting times tomorrow.”
Ten other Jamaicans are down to compete at the meet.
The men’s 110m hurdles will feature Olympic champion Hansle Parchment who pulled out of the Commonwealth Games final last week as a precautionary measure. He will face American World Champions Grant Holloway, silver medallist Trey Cunningham and American champion Daniel Roberts.
In the women’s 400 metres, Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson, Candice McLeod and Junelle Bromfield will oppose World champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas and Commonwealth Games champion Sada Williams of Barbados.
Two Jamaican women, Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell and Rushell Clayton, will run in the 400m hurdles. Russell and Clayton have identical season’s best times, 53.63, the fastest in the field, and could hand Jamaica the top two places in the event.
Natoya Goule also gets a glorious chance to top the 800m as she is the fastest woman in the field this year with a season’s best of 1:57.88. Also down to face the starter in this event are Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie (1:58.44) and Americans Sage Hurta (1:58.30) and Olivia Baker (1:58.46).
In the field events, Commonwealth Games triple jump champion Shanieka Ricketts will have another showdown with World triple jump champion and record-holder Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela. Rojas will start as the big favourite to extend her long winning streak.
Former world champion Tajay Gayle, who was not at his best at the recent World Championships, will try get his season back on track when he competes in the long jump.
Gayle has a season’s best of 7.97m. Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece heads the field with a season’s best of 8.36m.