JAMAICA’S Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the second-fastest woman alive and third-best ever, will seek to end her 2021 season in style today when she lines up in the women’s 100m at the Gala dei Castelli Bellinzona, in Switzerland, World Athletics continental tour silver series meeting.

Fraser-Pryce, who has run nine-straight sub 10.85 seconds races dating back to the semi-finals of the Jamaica National Championships in June, is one of two Jamaicans in the race and one of nine who will be participating in the meet.

The nine-time World Championships gold medallist should be rested after she skipped last week’s Diamond League finals and has raced only three times since August 21. She is expected to run fast today.

Jamaica’s Olympic relay gold medallist Natasha Morrison and Swiss Olympic 100m finalists Mujinga Kambundji and Ajla Del Ponte, as well as Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye are also down to compete in the race.

Morrison will also contest the women’s 200m along with 400m specialist Candice McLeod and will go up against Kambundji and Great Britain’s Beth Dobbin.

Natoya Goule, the Olympic Games 800m finalist, if she runs up to her recent form, will start favourite to win the two-lap race today, with only American Chanelle Price expected to push her.

Goule was third in the Diamond League final a week ago after winning the event at the Brussels Diamond League stop, and has enjoyed what is arguably her best season as a professional.

Jaheel Hyde has consistently run under 49.00 seconds in his first full season as a professional and will face another tough field in the men’s 400m hurdles, led by the seemingly indefatigable Brazilian Alison dos Santos, Rasmus Magi of Estonia and American Aldrich Bailey.

Leah Nugent will race in the women’s 400m hurdles where she faces Diamond League winner Femke Bol of Holland, Viktoriya Tkachuk of the Ukraine, Lea Sprunger of Switzerland and American Cara Nnenya Hailey.

Olympic Games semi-finalist Damion Thomas will race in the 110m hurdles where he will face American Michael Dickson, Jason Joseph of Switzerland and Italy’s Dal Molin.

Christopher Taylor, who was sixth in the Olympics, will contest the men’s 400m where American Vernon Norwood and Davide Re of Italy are expected to be his main rivals, while Nigel Ellis will contest the men’s 100m against a strong line-up that will include American Fred Kerley, Andre De Grasse of Canada and the veteran Justin Gatlin.

— Paul Reid