Ricketts, Parchment look to continue good form in Zagreb
FRESH from outstanding performances, triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts and sprint hurdler Hansle Parchment will seek to continue their improvement when they compete in today’s 73rd Boris Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb, Croatia, a World Athletics Continental Tour — Gold meet.
Ricketts set a new personal best 15.01m to win the women’s triple jump at the Diamond League meet in Belgium on Friday while Parchment ran a season’s best 12.96 seconds in China last weekend.
Thirteen Jamaicans are down to compete at the meet, including World Championships relay medallists Candice McLeod in the women’s 400m, and Oblique Seville and Rohan Watson in the men’s 100m.
World Championships finalists Fedrick Dacres, Rajindra Campbell and Kimberly Williams are also set to compete.
On form, Ricketts who just missed a medal in Budapest last month, should win today following victories in Brussells and Reverto, Italy, last week.
Williams, who was fifth in Brussells, will also seek a podium spot as she goes up against Dariya Derkach of Italy and Dovile Kilty of Lithuania.
Parchment snatched a silver medal at the World Championships and followed it up with his best time in nine years — and if he can build on that, could challenge his own lifetime-best 12.94 seconds which is also the world lead held by compatriot Rasheed Broadbell.
World Championships bronze medallist Daniel Roberts of the USA, finalist Wilhem Belocian of France, and Cuban Roger Iribarne should make the event competitive.
The ever-improving Amoi Brown will line up in the second section of the 100m hurdles against World Championships medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, Nadine Visser of the Netherlands, and Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland.
McLeod has a legitimate shot at winning the women’s 400m in which she will line up against American Taliths Diggs, Andrea Miklos of Romania, Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain, and another American Kaylin Whitney.
Seville and Watson will contest an interesting men’s 100m that will also see Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, World Championships finalist Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, and Kyree King of the USA.
Seville is coming off back-to-back wins at meets in Italy last week, and if his form holds he could run even faster today.
Dacres is included in what could be a tough men’s discus throw field that will be led by World Championships medallist Kristjan Ceh as well as Matthew Denny of Australia.
Campbell is also in what should be a competitive men’s shot put field that will see Italy’s Zein Weir who threw a personal best 22.44m to win in Padova, Italy, last week as well as World Championships medallists Leonardo Fabbi and Joe Kovacs, and Tom Walsh of New Zealand.
Michael Campbell will contest the men’s 200m during which he will face Kyree King, Brendan Rodney and Brandon Carnes.