JAMAICA’S Hansle Parchment and Omar McLeod, the last two Olympic Games 110m hurdles champions, will renew their rivalry when they clash at today’s second stop on the Wanda Diamond League series in Birmingham, England.

It will be the first meeting between the two Jamaicans since the National Trials in June last year when Parchment won his first major international gold medal in Tokyo, Japan.

McLeod, the winner in Rio in 2016, had issues negotiating the hurdles and finished at the back of the field, missing a chance to defend his title.

Seven Jamaicans will take part in today’s competition, including Olympic medallist Shericka Jackson in the women’s 100m; Olympic Games finalist Natoya Goule in the women’s 800; 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake in the men’s 100m; and Janieve Russell and Ronda Whyte in the women’ 400m hurdles.

Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was originally scheduled to compete in the women’s 100m but withdrew on Thursday in “an abundance of caution” after she felt some discomfort in training.

Both Parchment and McLeod have had good starts to their season and are expected to battle with Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi for the win today.

Parchment, who has a season’s best 13.15 seconds, third-best in the world, was quoted on the World Athletics site as saying: “I am feeling good; I think I am in good form. I still have a lot of work to do but I’m looking forward to executing a really good race and hoping to get a lovely time on this beautiful track.”

With one eye on the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in just under two months, he said, that “After this one we’re going to shut it down and focus on the trials. We have some really good guys in the hurdles so I have to make sure I am ready to give my best there”.

Jackson will face a stacked women’s 100m field that will include number three-ranked American Cambrea Sturgis who ran her personal best 10.87 seconds this year, Bahamian Anthonique Strachanwith -10.99 seconds, as well as Great Britain’s World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith and Daryl Neita.

Jackson ran her season-best 11.00 seconds two weeks ago, and with favourable weather and strong competition could go faster today.

Blake has battled injuries and poor form for the past few seasons and, despite voicing his doubts about continuing in the sport past last season, will be seeking another shot at World Championships gold.

American Trayvon Bromell comes into the race with the fastest time of 9.92 seconds, with Canadian Jerome Blake 10.00 secs while his compatriot Aaron Brown and Andre DeGrass, as well as European champion Zharnel Hughes, are all expected to make the event competitive.

After firmly establishing herself as a legitimate contender in the 800m last year, Goule will hope to build on her results from last year and will renew rivalry with Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson — the Olympic silver medallist — Lindsey Butterworth of Canada and American Sage Hurta.

Russell and Whyte could battle for a podium place in the women’s 400m hurdles today but will have to contend with American Dalilah Muhammad (the world’s number-two ranked), Gianna Woodruff of Panama, Lina Nielsen of Great Britain, and the Ukrainian pair of Anna Ryzhykova and Viktoriya Tkachuk.