Yohan Blake leads J’cans to Atlanta meet today
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Six Jamaican athletes who will contest individual events at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo are among just over 20 Jamaicans who are set to compete in this evening’s American Track League Stars and Stripes Classic to be held at Marietta High School in Atlanta.
Former World Champion, Yohan Blake, sprint hurdlers Yanique Thompson and Hansle Parchment, Rasheed Dwyer, Demish Gaye and Ronda Whyte are among the Jamaicans slated to participate. The meet was originally set for last week but was pushed back a week.
Blake will be joined by Jevaughn Minzie, Javoy Tucker, Andre Ewers and Michael Campbell in the men’s 100 metre, that will have a first round, from which eight will qualify for the final later in the day.
Barbados’ Mario Burke and Americans Elijah Hall, Jason Rogers and Kendal Williams are also listed.
Remona Burchell, who is part of the female 4x100m relay pool and Natalliah Whyte will contest the women’s 100m, where Trinidad’s Kai Selvon and Americans English Gardner, Hannah Cunliffe and Tamari Davis will also line up.
Former World Under-18 champion Yanique Thompson and former World Champion Danielle Williams are the Jamaicans in the 100m hurdles while Hansle Parchment will line up in the 110m hurdles race.
National champions, Rasheed Dwyer and Nathon Allen contest the men’s 200m that will include Akeem Sirleaf of Liberia, Kyle Greaux of Trinidad and Tobago, and Americans Quintaveon Poole and Justin Robinson.
Demish Gaye, who has been working his way back from injury, will run the men’s 400m that will see Americans LaShawn Merritt, Trevor Stewart, Justin Robinson, Trinidadians Machel Cedenio and Asa Guevara, and Kimard Rolle of the Bahamas.
Tovea Jenkins and Candice McLeod, who are part of the women’s 4x400m relay pool, will contest the women’s 400m along with Tiffany James-Rose and Anatasia Le-Roy.
Rowe and Andre Clarke will run in the men’s 400m hurdles while White and Nikita Tracey are the entrants in the women’s 400m hurdles and Rajay Hamilton will run the men’s 800m.
Paul A Reid
