ATHLETES competing at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational (JAI) meet this evening are promising to deliver some sensational performances when they grace the track inside the National Stadium.

The meet, which is a World Athletics Silver Continental Tour event, is set to get underway at 7:00 pm.

One of the most intriguing races of the meet will be the men’s 400m which is to feature a rematch between Jamaica’s reigning world champion Antonio Watson and Matthew Hudson-Smith, the silver medallist at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Hudson-Smith, whom Watson ran past in the closing stages of the 400m final to win the gold medal in Budapest, said he is looking forward to the rematch.

“As soon as my agent told me about this meet, I told him to book it,” Hudson-Smith said. “I am very excited to be here because I have roots in Jamaica, and I want to get the food, and I get my rematch — and that is something that I am looking forward to. I feel like it is going to be a good show in front of the Jamaican people,” he said.

They will be joined in the one-lap event by Jamaica’s Demish Gaye, Zandrian Barnes, Michael Cherry, as well as Matthew Boling of the United States, Alonzo Russell of The Bahamas, and Michale Joseph of St Lucia.

Fireworks are expected in the women’s 400m hurdles event set to feature former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad, who is the 2016 Rio Olympic Games gold medallist in the event.

She clinched gold at the 2019 World Championships, setting a then-world record of 52.16 seconds. Muhammad is to be joined in the event by Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton, who is the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist in Doha. The American Shamier Little is another standout athlete in the field. Little is a two-time World Championships silver medallist in the event.

Clayton said she is looking forward to a very exciting race today because all the athletes in the race are world-class competitors.

“I am looking forward to it because, at the end of the day, you need to race — and these ladies are who I race with week in, week out. To have them at home, and not at the Diamond League or World Championships final, is a very good look for the country,” said Clayton.

“I think it is going to be a fast race because it is most people’s season opener and Jamaica is just a great place to race. The stadium will be filled with people, and I know everybody is excited for that, and so I am really looking forward to it because I am ready to compete mentally and physically,” she said.

The field is completed by Janieve Russell, a two-time Commonwealth Games champion; and Gianna Woodruff, the Pan American Games champion; Andrenette Knight and Anna Cockrell, along with Commonwealth Games silver medallist Shiann Salmon.

The women’s 100m event is to comprise reigning World Indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia going up against Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast, along with Abby Steiner from the US, Gemima Joseph of France, and Jamaicans Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Briana Williams and Clayton twins Tina and Tia.

The men’s 100m event is to feature Jamaica’s World Indoor 60m bronze medallist Ackeem Blake, along with the US pair of Ronny Baker and Brandon Hickling, Jerome Blake of Canada, and Sanjay Davison and Julian Forte, both of Jamaica.

CLAYTON… I think it is going to be a fast race because it is most people’s season opener and Jamaica is just a great place to race (Photo: Collin Reid)

Dalilah Muhammad of the United States.

Reigning world champion Antonio Watson is down to compete in the men’s 400m race during the Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)