Two-time double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is in no rush to break the 100m world record this year and says her major objective is to win her first World Athletics Championships gold medal and to stay healthy.

Thompson-Herah, who is the second fastest women ever after stopping the clock at 10.54 seconds in August last year, just outside the 10.49 seconds set by the late American Florence Griffiths-Joyner in 1988, is set to line up in a sumptuous women’s 200m at today’s Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome, Italy, the fifth stop on the Wanda Diamond League series.

Ten Jamaicans will be competing at the meet, including sprint hurdlers Britany Anderson, Megan Tapper and Danielle Williams; intermediate hurdlers Rushell Clayton and Janieve Russell; quarter-miler Christopher Taylor; middle-distance runner Natoya Goule-Toppin and sprinter Nigel Ellis.

In a line-up that would be worthy of any major global championships, Thompson-Herah will match strides with world champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain, Commonwealth Games runner-up Shericka Jackson, 2017 World Championships bronze medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, Switzerland’s Doha World Championships bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji as well as multiple Olympic and World Championships gold medal-winner Allyson Felix of the United States.

After last year’s spectacular season and on the background of her season’s best 10.79 seconds which was posted at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, just under two weeks ago, Thompson-Herah was asked at yesterday’s press conference what fans could expect from her. However, she was quick to put a damper on any talk of world records.

“I saw where I am at (in Eugene), I have a lot more to work on,” Thompson-Herah said, “I always have challenges coming into each race.”

“Last year was spectacular and I would love to repeat that this season but I am in no rush, no rush for the world record or anything like that. The main aim right now is to get a taste of that World Championships gold which I don’t have, I only have a silver from six years ago,” she said, “but even if I don’t get the gold, whatever medal I get I will still respect that, added to the tally, all my medals count, I wish to have fun this year and a healthy season, the next two years will also be important so it will be year to year.”

Today’s race will be a major test for both Jamaicans, coming just two weeks before the National Senior Championships and just over a month to the World Championships, also set for Eugene, Oregon.

Jackson will go into the race with the fastest time so far after running 22.07 seconds a month ago, the same day Asher-Smith ran 22.37 seconds while Miller-Uibo will be running the half-lap event for the first time this season.

For quality, the 100m hurdles race is not far behind the women’s 200m, with three Jamaicans, Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper, 2015 world champion Danielle Williams and the in-form Britany Anderson, who is coming off a big win in Holland on Monday when she ran a season’s best 12.51 seconds, all facing the starter.

On Monday, Anderson finished like a runaway train to beat world champion Nia Ali, who also line up in today’s race where world leader and Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn will start as the favourite.

Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico has run 12.52 seconds or better four times this year led by her world leading 12.39 seconds.

Holland’s Femke Bol, the Olympic Games bronze medallist, will start favourite to win the women’s 400m hurdles with the Jamaican pair of Russell and Clayton hoping to be able to match strides with her.

Russell’s season’s best 54.09 seconds ranks her sixth in the world, just behind Bol’s 53.94 seconds while Clayton has run 54.90 seconds.

Taylor ran 45.45 seconds in his opening outdoors 400m in Holland on Monday and will hope to better that time today when he faces Americans Michael Cherry and Vernon Norwood as well as Grenada’s Kirani James.

Goule-Toppin has been active in the outdoor season and will hope to go below her season best 1:59.39 seconds as she faces Olympic champion Athing Mu of the USA, Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie and Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza.

Ellis is the lone Jamaican in the men’s 100m and will line up against a field that will include Fred Kerley and Kyree King.

JAMAICAN SCHEDULE

1:03 pm — 400m hurdles women

Janieve Russell

Rushell Clayton

1:13 pm — 400m men

Christopher Taylor

1:42 pm — 800m women

Natoya Goule-Toppin

2:08 pm — 200m Women

Elaine Thompson-Herah

Shericka Jackson

2:37 pm — 100m hurdles

Megan Tapper

Danielle Williams

Britany Anderson

2:52 pm — 100m men

Nigel Ellis