KINGSTON, Jamaica- Jamaican sprinters led by Oblique Seville in the men’s 100m, Ackera Nugent in the 100m hurdles and Antonio Watson in the men’s 200m, will be on show at today’s staging of the Adidas Atlanta City Games at Piedmont Park.

The event, which is held on a specially designed elevated track, is expected to produce outstanding performances from a number of top athletes, including 17 from Jamaica.

Seville, who ran a wind-aided 9.84 seconds at the opening Grand Slam event in Kingston three weeks ago, will hope for better conditions when he lines up against world leader Akani Simbine of South Africa along with fellow Jamaicans, Ryiem Forde, Kadrian Goldson and Deandre Daley, who will be making his professional debut.

Coming off her season’s best 12.34 seconds in Miramar, Florida earlier this month, third best in the world so far, Nugent will start favourite to win despite the presence of former world leader, Grace Stark of the USA, Tia Jones, also of the USA and world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria.

Megan Tapper and Demisha Roswell of Jamaica will also line up.

Watson, the reigning men’s 400m world champion, is one of four Jamaicans who are down to race in the men’s 200m, where Trinidad and Tobago’s world number two ranked Jereem Richards and Great Britain’s Kingston based Zharnel Hughes are expected to feature.

Sprinter Bryan Levell, as well as Demish Gaye, are also down to contest the half lap race while Niesha Burgher will compete in the women’s 200m where she will race against Americans Lynna Irby-Jackson and Talitha Diggs as well as Aliyah Abrams of Guyana.
Orlando Bennett is listed to contest the 110m hurdles where he faces Americans Trey Cunningham, Michael Dickson, Freddie Crittenden and Robert Dunning.

Ashanti Moore will contest the women’s 150m against American Tamari Davis, Daryll Neita of Great Britain and Favour Ofili of Nigeria.

Two Jamaicans, Carey McLeod and Nikolai Williams, are set to contest the men’s long jump, where Italy’s Mattia Furlani will start as favourite.

-Paul Reid