Oakley set for pro debut at Pre Classic
DEJANAE Oakley is set to make her professional debut when she competes in the women’s 400m on the opening day of the Prefontaine Classic, the ninth stop on the Wanda Diamond League series, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, today.
Oakley, who won the NCAA Division One Outdoor Championships title with a personal best 48.79 seconds, and national champion Stacey Ann Williams will fly the Jamaican flag on the opening day, with another 13 Jamaicans set to compete on Saturday’s main programme.
The Clayton twins, Tina and Tia, and Shericka Jackson; sprint hurdlers Ackera Nugent, Danielle Williams and Demario Prince, as well as shot-putter Rajindra Campbell and 200m runner Bryan Levell are among the Jamaicans set to compete on Saturday.
Oakley returns to the scene of her career-best performance from just three weeks ago when she takes on Williams, who also ran a lifetime best 49.48 seconds in Croatia just over a week ago.
Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo, Americans Aaliyah Butler and Sanaria Butler, and Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke will also compete.
On Saturday, the women’s 100m, one of the featured events on the programme, will be contested over two rounds and will see some of the world’s fastest women square off on what is regarded as one of the quickest tracks on the circuit.
The Claytons, Jackson and Jonielle Smith will all hope to qualify for the final but will face world leader Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands, who ran 10.63 seconds in the semi-finals at the recent NCAA Championships, as well as Americans Mellissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha’Carri Richardson, and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili.
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Williams and Nugent, who both skipped the recent national championships, will take on the world’s top four sprint hurdlers — Americans Masai Russell and Grace Stark, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and the Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton.
Prince, who won his first national senior title two weeks ago, will join Orlando Bennett in the men’s 110m hurdles against world leader Ja’Kobe Tharp of the United States, who has run 12.75 seconds, faster than the world record 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012 but with illegal wind assistance, along with Jamal Britt, Cordell Tinch and Cuba’s Kendry Menendez.
World Championships medallist Bryan Levell and Adrian Kerr will line up in the men’s 200m against world champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Puerto Rico’s Jose Figueroa and Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba.
Campbell is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, is ranked third in the world, and will face Americans Joe Kovacs and Jordan Geist, as well as Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who are all among the leading throwers this season.
Repeat Jamaican and NCAA champion Ralford Mullings will make his professional debut alongside Roje Stona in the men’s discus throw, where they will face world leader Matthew Denny of Australia, Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh and Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna.