Shericka Jackson headlines Rabat Diamond League meeting today
Two-time World Athletics Championships gold medallist Shericka Jackson will run her first 200m race of the season when she lines up at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday.
Jackson, the second fastest woman of all time in the 200m with a national record 21.41 seconds that she ran while defending her World Championships title in Budapest, Hungary, last year, has competed once this season, over the 100m at a meet in Kingston, clocking 11.03 seconds and is expected to dominate the field.
Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji appears to be Jackson’s main rival in the half-lap race which will also see Denmark’s Ida Karstoft and Maboundou Koné of the Ivory Coast taking part.
World leader Rushell Clayton fresh off her best start, running 53.72 seconds to win at the Jamaica Athletics International in Kingston last weekend and is expected to get major competition from compatriots Shiann Salmon and Janieve Russell as well as South African Zenéy Geldenhuys.
National champion and World Championships relay bronze medallist Rohan Watson and former world champion Yohan Blake are down to contest the men’s 100m.
American Brandon Hicklin is the only man in the race with a sub 10.00 seconds clocking so far this season while Jeremiah Azu of Great Britain, Pjai Austin of the United States, Andre de Grasse of Canada and Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon will also line up.
In the field events, Traves Smikle and Fedrick Dacres are down to face a powerful men’s discus throw field that will include world record holder Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania, reigning world champion and Olympic Games gold medallist Daniel Stahl of Sweden, Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia and Matthew Denny of Australia.
Smikle is ranked 12th in the world and is among three Jamaican men, including Ralford Mullings and Roje Stona who have already achieved the qualifying standard for the Olympics.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd is down to contest the women’s shot put against Canada’s Sarah Mitton and world champion Chase Jackson of the USA, both of whom have thrown over 20.00m already this season.
