Women’s quarter-milers bow into action
Beijing, China — Aisha Praught, who switched allegiance from the United States of America (USA) to Jamaica will make her debut in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at 8:45 pm (Jamaica time) today.
Praught, 25, won the 1,500m at National Senior Championships but only participated because there were no competitors for the steeplechase.
Praught, whose parents are Jamaicans, actually grew up in Eugene, Oregon, but after meeting her biological father Joseph Grant in Germany in 2013, she decided represent Jamaica, and thus made the switch. She is expected to give Jamaica a presence in the middle-distance and steeplechase for years to come.
Meanwhile, veteran Novlene Williams-Mills will lead three other Jamaicans in action in the women’s 400m set to begin 9:45 pm. She will be joined by 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Stephenie McPherson, Christine Day and Shericka Jackson.
The 400m should highlight race favourites, Americans Allyson Felix, Natasha Hastings and Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas.
MVP head coach Stephen Francis, who guides McPherson, Day and Jackson, believes all three will do Jamaica proud. “All three have been doing quite fine. I think anybody who is going to beat our girls will have to run faster than they have run all season.
“It will be an interesting race and I would not be surprised if we have all three girls in the finals,” he added.
Williams-Mills has not been performing up to her usual high standard but is such a gritty competitor, she cannot be ruled out and should give a good account of herself.
Meanwhile, Damar Forbes is Jamaica’s lone competitor in the men’s long jump set to begin 9:00 pm to complete the first session.
The second session, which will see the final of the women’s 100m closing the day, should see Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce crown herself in glory once again.
The women’s 400m hurdles semi-finals are scheduled for 6:10 am (tomorrow), while the men’s 400m semi-finals should get going at 7:05 am. Jamaica will have two jumpers in Kimberly Williams and Shaneika Thomas in the women’s triple jump final set to start at 6:30 am.
