WORLD leaders Yohan Blake and Novelene Williams-Mills will lead Jamaica’s charge at today’s inaugural Cayman Invitational track and field meet at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.

Twenty-four Jamaicans are among the nearly 80 athletes from 11 countries who will participate at the event.

Fresh from their outstanding performances at Saturday’s ninth JN Jamaica International Invitational (JII) meet at the National Stadium, Blake and Williams-Mills are expected to dominate their events.

IAAF World Championships 100m gold medallist Blake, who set a world-leading 19.91 seconds in the 200m on Saturday, will contest the 100m and after clocking 9.90 seconds just under a month ago, could go faster today.

Two other Jamaicans, Michael Frater, who was second in the 100m behind double world record-holder Usain Bolt on Saturday in 10.00 seconds flat, and Kemar Bailey-Cole, who ran a personal best 10.09 in the ‘B’ race, will match strides with Blake and world 100m bronze medallist Kim Collins of St Kitts/Nevis, Trinidad’s Marc Burns and Keston Bledman and American Travis Padgett.

Williams-Mills is off to her best ever start after recording 49.99 seconds to win the 400m on Saturday and will take on the USA’s Monica Hargrove and the US Virgin Island’s Chantel Malone, along with Jamaica’s World Indoor semi-finalist Dominique Blake.

The men’s 400m is a showdown between Jamaica and the Bahamas with six Jamaicans scheduled to contest the one-lap event, led by Jermaine Gayle, who opened eyes on Saturday with a brilliant 45.60 seconds in a ‘B’ race.

Former national champion Oral Thompson, Peter Mathews, Allodin Fothergill, Ricardo Chambers and Dwight Mullings are also listed to compete, as well as Bahamians Ramon Miller and Chris Brown, who should start as pre-race favourites.

Quarter-miler Jermaine Gonzales, who as third in the championships 400m in 45.66 seconds on Saturday, will drop down to the 200m where he will face compatriots Warren Weir, who ran a personal best 20.21 seconds on Saturday; Lansford Spence and Ainsley Waugh.

American Shawn Crawford should start as favourite in the event which will also see Canada’s Rondel Sorillo.

Rising star Hansle Parchment will get the chance to prove his 13.19 seconds in winning the 110m hurdles on Saturday was no ‘flash in the pan’ as he tackles compatriot Richard Philips, Americans Joel Brown and David Payne, and former IAAF world champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados.

The veteran Vonette Dixon, Shermaine Williams and Nickesha Wilson are the Jamaicans who will compete in the women’s 100m hurdles where they will face Americans Tiki James, Damu Cherry and Ginnie Crawford.

World Championships semi-finalist Ristananna Tracey, who opened her season in the 400m hurdles on Saturday, will challenge Americans Queen Harrison and Latoya James and fellow Jamaican Shevon Stoddart in the 10-barrier event.

The other Jamaicans scheduled to take part are Samantha Henry in the women’s 100m; Korene Hinds and Mardrea Hyman in the 800m; and O’Dayne Richards, who will make yet another attempt to achieve at least the Olympic ‘B’ standard in the men’s shot put.