Knight among Jamaicans at ATL meet in Georgia
INTERMEDIATE hurdler Andrenette Knight and quarter-milers Tiffany James-Rose, Junelle Bromfield and Akeem Bloomfield will lead a Jamaican contingent at today’s Stars and Stripe Classic, a part of the American Track League (ATL) series, to be held at Marietta High School in Atlanta, Georgia.
Twenty-four Jamaicans, most of whom competed at last weekend’s Jamaican National Senior Championships, are down to compete at the event today which is set to start at 6:00 pm Jamaican time.
Knight, the fastest Jamaican over the women’s 400m hurdles this year, was well ahead of the field in the final at the Jamaican championships but hit the eighth hurdle hard and fell to the track, costing her a place on the team to the World Championships.
The former Vere Technical and St Jago High athlete had run a personal best 53.39 seconds three weeks before the championships, fourth best in the world so far, and will try to run another fast time today.
Barbadian Tia-Adana Belle and Canada’s Noella Montcalm are expected to give Knight the most competition.
Former World Under-18 champion and Pan Am Juniors bronze medallist Marvin Williams will take on American Amere Lattin, Barbadian Rivaldo Leacock and Eric Cray of the Philippines in the men’s 400m hurdles.
James-Rose and Bromfield were finalists in the women’s 400m last weekend and will take on American Shakima Wimbley over the one-lap race today.
Hurdles specialist Ronda White will also contest the women’s 400m.
Bloomfield, who finished sixth in the men’s 400m at the Jamaican Championships, Rusheen McDonald, Demish Gaye, Ronald Sayles and Robin Anderson will take on world record holder Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa and American Will London.
Remona Burchell and Natasha Morrison, who were in the women’s 100m final last Friday, will join Kashieka Cameron and Shockoria Wallace in the women’s race that will be run over two rounds.
In the men’s event, two time national champion Tyquendo Tracey, Raheem Chambers, Rasheed Dwyer, Andre Ewers, Mario Heslop, Fabian Hewitt and Shamar Ramsey are the Jamaicans down to compete.
Chanice Porter, who is expected to be the only Jamaican women’s long jumper named in the team to the World Athletics Championships, will face American Tiffany Flynn, who has jumped 6.69m this year, Sha’Keela Saunders and Rhesa Foster.
National shot put champion O’Dayne Richards will contest his pet event against New Zealand’s Tom Walsh and American Roger Steen who has a personal best 21.14m done this year.
LaFranz Campbell, a finalist in the 110m hurdles at the national championships on Sunday, will take on American Eddie Lovett over the barriers today.
— Paul A Reid