Jackson vs Ta Lou headlines Oslo Diamond League meet
Olympic Games and World Athletics Championship medallist Shericka Jackson will take on a strong women’s 100m field at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, the fifth stop on the Wanda Diamond League series on Thursday.
Jackson, who has the third-fastest 100m time in the world so far this year, a season’s best 10.78 second set at the recent Racers Grand Prix, is one of seven Jamaicans who are down to contest the meet that will be held at Bislett Stadium.
World Athletics Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts and Kimberly Williams will contest the women’s triple jump; Danniel Thomas-Dodd will line up in the women’s shot put; Rushell Clayton and Janieve Russell are down for the women’s 400m hurdles; while former World Champion Tajay Gayle will make his Diamond League debut in the men’s long jump.
Jackson will take on second-ranked Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast as well as Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Daryl Neita, and Poland’s Ewa Swaoboda.
Ricketts, who won in Finland earlier this week, will face her biggest challenge when World and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela makes her Diamond League debut.
Thomas-Dodd will rekindle her battle against Americans Maggi Ewan and Chase Ealey who are ranked ahead of her as well as Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo who moved into the fourth spot last week.
Commonwealth Games medallists Janieve Russell and Rushell Clayton will line up against world leader Femke Bol of Holland as well as the Ukrainian pair of Vitoriya Tkachuk and Anna Ryzhykova.
Gayle, who is returning to full fitness, will battle American Marquis Dendy and Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece.