A possible clash between world leader Grant Holloway of the United States and Jamaica’s reigning Olympic champion Omar McLeod over the 110m hurdles could be one of the highlights of today’s American Track League Duval County Challenge in Jacksonville, Florida.

McLeod, who is ranked number three in the world after his opening 13.11 seconds in Irvine, California two weeks ago, will be making his second outdoor appearance of the season and will face the American who has been in outstanding form all year, as he broke the world indoors record earlier.

Twenty-one Jamaicans including former World Champion Danielle Williams and World Under-20 sprint double champion Briana Williams are expected to participate in today’s event.

With the clock ticking down to the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Trials that will help to select the team to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in July, a number of the Jamaicans competing today will be hoping to use the meet to assist in their preparation.

McLeod is one of three Jamaicans down to take part in the men’s sprint hurdles and will run in the first heat with former Commonwealth Games champion Andrew Riley and World Under-20 silver medallist Orlando Bennett will contest the other heat.

Holloway, who is the world leader with 13.07 seconds, will also run in the second heat with the top eight on times set to meet in the final set for just before 9:00 pm local time.

Americans Devon Allen, Daniel Roberts and Trinidad’s Ruebin Walters are also expected to feature in the final.

Williams and World Under-20 silver medallist Brittany Anderson will carry the Jamaican flag in the women’s 100m hurdles where world leader Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, Americans Dawn Harper-Nelson and Queen Harrison along with Great Britain’s Tiffany Porter and Norway’s Isabelle Pedersen should add to the quality of the field.

Former World Champion Yohan Blake and Michael Stephens, the latter who contested the men’s 100m at the JOA/JAAA Olympic Destiny Series meet at the National Stadium on Saturday, will contest the men’s 100m today.

Blake, who has a season’s best 10.05 seconds, will face Canada’s Andre DeGrasse, France’s Jimmy Vicaut and Japan’s Hakim Sani Brown in the first heat.

The USA’s Ronnie Baker will headline the second heat.

Briana Williams, Christania Williams and Veronica Campbell Brown are the Jamaicans down to contest the women’s 100m.

Both Williams will run in the first heat where they will face off with American English Gardner, TyNia Gaither and Mikiah Brisco while the veteran Campbell Brown will square off against Hanna Cunliffe and Morolake Akinosun.

Former World Under-18 champion Christopher Taylor is the only Jamaican in the men’s 400m A final where the American Michael Cherry with a season’s best 44.37 seconds will be the man to beat.

Jahnoy Thompson is down to take part in the men’s 200m A final where he will meet Great Britain’s Jamaican-based Zharnel Hughes, American Trayvon Bromell and Nigeria’s Divine Oduduru.

Shiann Salmon and Ronda White, both of whom are expected to battle for a place on the Jamaican team to Tokyo, will be in the women’s 400m hurdles A final.

The top two runners in the world, American Shamier Little and Panama’s Gianna Woodruff and Canada’s Sage Watson will be the top runners going into the meet.

O’Dayne Richards will contest the men’s shot put event while Andre Clarke and Shawn Rowe will contest the men’s 400m hurdles A final.

There will be a number of B events that will see a number of Jamaicans taking part and Odean Skeen will contest both the men’s 100m and 200m events. Senoj-Jay Givans will also run the 100m while Javon Francis will run the men’s 400m B events as Kemario Eldermire and Romel Lewis will feature in the men’s 400m hurdles B race.

— Paul Reid