Jackson hunts 200m hat-trick | Sports
FOLLOWING wins in Shanghai and Xiamen, a very confident Shericka Jackson will go into tomorrow’s third Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, full of confidence as she looks set to make it three wins from three starts when she contests the women’s 200 metres at 2:26 p.m. Jamaica time.
One of eight Jamaicans down to compete at the meet, Jackson, the two-time World 200m champion, is coming off a season’s best and world number two 21.87 seconds clocking in Xiamen. Earlier, she had clocked 22.07 to win in Shanghai and looks set for another sterling performance tomorrow.
The line-up will once again include Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, who finished second on both occasions to the Jamaican, along with the United States duo of McKenzie Long and Cambrea Sturgis, who has gone sub-22 seconds this season with a season’s best 21.93.
World Championships 100m silver medallist Tina Clayton, who was a member of Jamaica’s world record-breaking 4x100m mixed relay team at the recent World Relays, will line up in the women’s 100m at 1:39 p.m. Jamaica time.
With a season’s best 10.98, Clayton will be one of three Jamaicans contesting the event. The other two are Lavanya Williams, who will make her Diamond League debut and who has a season’s and personal best of 10.96, and Jonielle Smith, who has also gone sub-11 seconds this season with a personal best 10.99. World Indoor 60m champion Zaynab Dosso of Italy and Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand will also face the starter.
Rushell Clayton, who was fourth in the 400m hurdles at last year’s meet, will be hoping to go all the way when she contests the event at 1:04 p.m. Jamaica time. She will go up against World Championships silver medallist Anna Cockrell of the United States and Gianna Woodruff of Panama.
World Championships 200m bronze medallist Bryan Levell will be the only Jamaican male to contest a track event when he lines up in the 200m at 1:48 p.m. Jamaica time.
Levell, with a season’s best 19.93, will face a very competitive field led by Sinesipho Dambile of South Africa, the second fastest man in the event this season with 19.77;, World Championships 200m gold medallist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana;, Andre De Grasse of Canada, who has a season’s best of 19.84; and Kenneth Bednarek of the United States.
Coming off a national record 22.34m in winning the men’s shot put a week ago in Xiamen, Rajindra Campbell will be hoping for another big performance when he contests the event at 12:30 p.m. Jamaica time.
Campbell, who was second in the event a year ago, will once again come up against the likes of American Jordan Geist, who was second last week, and his compatriot Ryan Crouser, who was third. Tomorrow’s line-up will also include world leader Leonardo Fabbri of Italy, who has a season’s best 22.50m.
High jumper Lamara Distin completes the list of Jamaicans competing at the meet. She will be the first Jamaican in action at 12:25 p.m. She was third in Xiamen.