J’can triple jump trio eye medal finishes
EUGENE, Oregon — Jamaica’s medal hunt at the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, will continue this afternoon with three women lined up in the triple jump final set to start at 6:20 pm local time.
Shanieka Ricketts, the silver medallist in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, will lead the Jamaican charge that includes World Indoor bronze medallist Kimberly Williams and University of Texas freshman Ackelia Smith.It will be the first time three Jamaicans will line up in a triple jump final at a global championships.
Meanwhile, fresh from their exploits last night, former champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, national champion and world leader Shericka
Jackson, and Elaine Thompson-Herah will start their quest in the 200m.The Jamaican male sprinters will also start their quest for redemption when their 200m also gets underway, while female discus thrower Samantha Hall makes her first appearance at the World Championships when she lines up in the qualifying round.
After finishing an agonising fourth last year at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Ricketts will start as a medal favourite here but faces the daunting presence of superstar Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, the world record holder for both indoors and outdoors.Ricketts has been in great form with a season’s best 14.52m. She only needed one attempt in the first round to qualify for today’s final, that mark was 14.45m.
The 20-year-old Smith, who was ninth at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, last year, recorded a massive personal best 14.36m on Friday to qualify for the finals and is expected to continue her improvement today with nothing to lose.
The experienced Williams, a two-time Commonwealth Games champion, cannot be counted out and despite being the final qualifier on Friday, could challenge for a medal.
Despite not contesting the event at the national championships last month, Ackeem Bloomfield will run the 200m here and will line up against American teen sensation Erriyon Knighton and former Jamaica College runner Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Great Britain.
Yohan Blake, who failed to get past the semi-finals of the men’s 100m on Saturday, will face 100m champion Fred Kerley of the USA in his heat, while Rasheed Dwyer takes on Noah Lyles of the USA in his first-round race.
