History beckons for Fraser-Pryce
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will today create IAAF Diamond League history when she lines up in the 100m at the 14th and final event of the series at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels, Belgium.
The four-month long series that saw 14 meetings in 12 cities is expected to climax with fireworks today with almost 60 medallists from the recent IAAF World Championships in Moscow taking part with nine events featuring the gold, silver and bronze medallists from the Russian capital, according to an IAAF online article.
With double world-record holder Usain Bolt deciding to contest the shorter 100m over the 200m he was originally scheduled to run, a second Jamaican could also walk away with a diamond today.
Warren Weir, the 200m silver medallist, is the current leader in the men’s 200m, but if he slips up on the final rung of the ladder, his compatriot Nickel Ashmeade, who won the diamond last year, could snatch it.
Following last week’s ‘coronation’ of 16 diamond winners in Zurich, Switzerland, another 16 winners will be decided today, but in nine events it will be a formality as the leaders are so far ahead in the points standing, all they need to do is show up to collect the silverware.
After last week winning the diamond and US$40,000 prize in the 200m, the World Championships triple gold medallist Fraser-Pryce is one of the nine leaders that need only to make it to the starting blocks to bank another US$40,000 (approximately J$4,080,000).
No woman has ever won both series races (100m and 200m) in the same year and it will be the third diamond for the ‘Pocket Rocket’ after she won the 100m diamond last season.
Today she will line up against World Championships 4x100m relay gold medal winning teammates Kerron Stewart, and Carrie Russell, who has had a string of good runs, including a personal best 10.98 seconds last week in Zurich, as well as American sprinters Alexandria Anderson, and Barbara Pierre.
Bolt had a shot at winning the 200m diamond but said in a press conference Wednesday he would contest the shorter race as he ends his successful 2013 season and will line up in the 100m against Diamond winner Justin Gatlin of the USA, who was second in Moscow, with Jamaican Nesta Carter, the bronze medallist from Moscow, ensuring a quality line-up.
Bolt, who has the meeting record of 9.76 seconds set in 2011, is seeking his fourth 100m victory at the Van Damme, and fifth overall.
Three other Moscow finalists, Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole, Great Britain’s James Desaolu, and American Mike Rodgers will also be in the men’s 100m line-up today.
If he is to win his first diamond, Weir, who was a shock bronze medallist in the London Olympics a year ago, will have to work, but a top two finish should be enough as he leads the race by six points.
A third place or lower finish would open the door for Ashmeade, who could be looking to atone for his fourth place finish in Moscow.
A third Jamaican, Rasheed Dwyer, will also line up in the event that will also feature American Walter Dix and Holland’s Churandy Martina.
The 400m could be one of the best races on the night, as Botswana’s Diamond winner Amantle Montsho seeks to avenge her loss by .04 seconds to Great Britain’s Christine Ohuruogo.
All eight finalists from Moscow will line up again in this event that sees seven going under 50.00 seconds already this season.
Kimberly Williams will also seek to end her season on a high, despite not being in the race for the diamond in the triple jump that sees Colombian world champion Caterine Ibarguen ahead by an insurmountable 11 points.