Jackson, Williams to headline J’can athletes at Diamond League

WORLD Champions Shericka Jackson and Danielle Williams are among seven Jamaicans who are scheduled to compete in the opening Wanda Diamond League series at Egret Stadium in Xiamen, China, on Saturday.

The series, which will continue next weekend in Shaoxing/Keqiao, also in China, will see 14 stops before the two-day final at Weltklasse in Zurich from August 27-28.

Jackson, who had her 2024 season cut short by injury and missed the Paris Olympic Games, is down to contest the women’s 200m. She ran two 60m races in early March and a 300m race in Florida in early April.

Jackson is to match strides with a trio of Americans: Jenna Prandini, Twanisha Terry and Anavia Battle; as well as Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji.

Two-time World Championships 100m hurdles gold medallist Williams, who won the first Grand Slam short sprint prize two weeks ago in Jamaica, has a season’s best 12.70 seconds over the 100m hurdles. She faces a line-up that includes three other top 10 runners in the world so far.

American Grace Stark is the world leader with 12.51, while Tonea Marshall is ranked fifth with 12.68, just ahead of Marione Fourie (12.69) of South Africa.

World record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria and Devynne Charlton are slated to add to the quality of the field.

Former Olympic Games gold medallist Hansle Parchment is set to open his season in the 110m hurdles race in which he is to face American Grant Holloway, who is coming off a rare loss.

Other Americans Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts are also to be among the starters.

World Indoor medallist Wayne Pinnock and Tajay Gayle, who is currently the second-ranked jumper in the world with 8.34m, will contest the men’s long jump. Australia’s Liam Adcock, who has also jumped 8.33m, is also expected to take part.

Former national champion Rohan Watson is down to run the men’s 100m in which he is to take on world leader Akani Simbine of South Africa. Simbine has run 9.90 this season.

Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy, both of whom have run 10.00, and American Christian Coleman, will be in the hunt for wins as well.

World Indoor finalist Jordan Scott is to contest the men’s triple jump.