STAR athletes from Jamaican-based MVP Track Club are expected to be available for the Queen’s/Grace Jackson Meet from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm on January 29 at the freshly-laid University of the West Indies (UWI) Usain Bolt track in Mona.

Former world record-holder Asafa Powell; Olympic relay gold medallist Michael Frater; World and Olympic 100 metre champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price; and world and Olympic 400 metre silver medal winner Shericka Williams, as well as sprint hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton — who had a stellar 2009 season — are likely participants.

Another World and Olympic champion, hurdler Melaine Walker, and rising star Kaliese Spencer, should also compete.

Sprinter Nesta Carter, who last season lowered his personal best in the 100 metres on three occasions, may miss out due to prior commitments.

At yesterday’s launch at the Queen’s School, meet manager and president of the MVP club, Bruce James, said the competition will provide useful preparation for the athletes.

“All of MVP athletes who are fit and available will run (at the meet). This is a very important meet for the MVP Track & Field Club simply because this year… we have the World Champions and we really need to give the athletes all the exposure they can get at this time so that when they get closer to (international) competitions they will be very prepared,” he said.

James said that the meet, in its 10th year of existence, would feature 200, 400, 800 and 1500 metre match-ups, as well as the 400-metre relay for men and women.

Four field events will also take centre stage, namely the shotput, high jump, long jump and triple jump events.

James conceded that time management is of major concern to the meet organisers, but said measures have been put in place to ensure that all scheduled events are completed at the venue, which

is yet to have lights installed. “We have looked at the number of entries we have had in the past and the length of time it took to have each of those completed and so we have made some very

aggressive assumptions in terms of participation on this new blue track,” he said.

He added that 2:30 pm and 2:50 pm will see the running of the 400-metre races for elite male and female athletes.