Jackson leads Jamaican charge at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
World Championships gold medallist Shericka Jackson is among several Jamaicans who are down to compete at today’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold event.
Jackson, who won three medals at the World Championships last year, including gold in the women’s 200m, is down to contest the women’s 60m against a strong line-up of Americans.
Former world champion sprint hurdler Danielle Williams, former world Under-20 gold medallist Damion Thomas, multiple Commonwealth games gold medallist Janieve Russel and Javon Francis are also down to compete at the event that will be held at the Roxbury Community College indoor track.
Jackson, who was a finalist at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia last year and who has a personal best 7.04 seconds, opened her season last weekend with a 400m effort at the Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet at the National Stadium in Kingston and will face a field that will include World Indoor silver medallist Mikiah Brisco, Candace Hill, Aleia Hobbs, and Bahamian Anthonique Strachan.
Hurdles specialists Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Kendra Harrison are also listed to take part in the race.
The race will be run in two rounds, a semi-final and final.
Williams, who has run the 60m hurdles once already this season and has a 8.07 seconds best, will line up against World Championships medallist Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas who has a season’s best 7.89 seconds, Sharika Nelvis of the USA and Cindy Sember of Great Britain.
Thomas will face a tough field in the men’s 60m hurdles that will see World Indoor and Outdoor champion Grant Holloway, Trey Cunningham and Daniel Roberts.
Russell will contest the rarely run women’s 500m where she will face 400m hurdles world champion Femke Bol and her Dutch compatriot Lisanne de Witte.
Francis will contest the men’s 400m against Trinidad’s World Indoor Championships gold medallist Jereen Richards of Trinidad and Tobago and American Vernon Norwood.
Meanwhile. Michael Campbell will line up in the men’s 60m against Amerticans Trayvon Bromell, Noah Lyles and Terrence Laird.
