Jamaican athletes flood London

WHEN THE 11th stop in the Wanda Diamond League gets under way this Saturday in London, there will be an invasion of the country’s top senior athletes, as 13 of them are set to compete in individual events, while a stacked men’s 4x100-metre relay team will bid to secure qualification for Tokyo.

Known as the NOVUNA Diamond League, the event is expected to play out before a sold-out crowd inside the London Stadium. The spotlight will be on Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m relay team, featuring the two fastest men in the world this season – Kishane Thompson (9.75 seconds) and Oblique Seville (9.83). They’ll team up with Ackeem Blake (9.88) and Rohan Watson in a strong effort to dip under the 38.20-second mark needed to guarantee the country’s spot in Tokyo. This comes after a failed qualification attempt at the Barbados Grand Prix, which did not include any of the four mentioned above.

Undoubtedly, this will be one of the fastest Jamaican quartets ever assembled. If the baton goes around cleanly, a super time is expected – and South Africa’s world-leading 37.81 from the World Relays could be under serious threat. Jamaica will line up against two Great Britain teams, Poland, and the Netherlands.

The relay is scheduled to begin at 7:23 a.m. and is expected to set the tone for a day of exciting individual clashes.

Seville and Blake will also compete in a mouth-watering 100-metre event, where they’ll face Noah Lyles of the United States – the Olympic gold medallist – Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain, Akani Simbine of South Africa, and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

After making a late-season debut at last weekend’s Monaco Diamond League – where he clocked a stunning 19.88 to win the 200 metres and turn back world leader Tebogo – all eyes will be on Lyles in the shorter sprint.

He’ll be tested by both Jamaicans, who are in peak form this season. Hughes, who finished a strong second to Thompson in Eugene two weeks ago in 9.91, will be highly motivated at home, with Simbine and Tebogo expected to play major roles.

Three Jamaicans – led by Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock with a season’s best 8.10 metres – will line up in a highly anticipated men’s long jump.

Joining him are Tajay Gayle and Carey McLeod.

Gayle, who missed the National Senior Championships, owns a season’s best of 8.34 and will be out to prove his return to full fitness. McLeod is just behind at 8.33.

The field also features Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece, who leads the world with 8.46, along with Liam Adcock of Australia and Simon Ehammer of Switzerland (both 8.34), and Italy’s young sensation Mattia Furlani (8.31).

Olympic discus gold medallist Roje Stona will be the other Jamaican male in action. With a season’s best of 67.19 metres. He will face world record holder and leader Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania (75.56), Kristjan Ceh of Slovakia (72.36), and Sweden’s Daniel Stahl (70.19).

On the women’s side, four Jamaicans – led by national champion Rushell Clayton – will contest the 400-metre hurdles. She’ll be joined by Shiann Salmon, Andrenette Knight, and veteran Janieve Russell. They’ll take on world champion and leader Femke Bol of the Netherlands, who clocked a world-leading 51.95 seconds in Monaco last weekend and remains unbeaten this season.

National 200m champion Ashanti Moore, who won her first senior title in 22.66s, will get a shot at the 22.57 automatic qualifying standard for Tokyo when she lines up in the women’s half-lap event. She’ll face Olympic silver medallist and world leader Julien Alfred of St Lucia (21.88), who is coming off a 100m win in Monaco in 10.77. Also in the line-up are Brittany Brown of the US (22.17), Spain’s Jael Bestue (22.19), and British stars Dina Asher-Smith (22.65) and Daryll Neita (22.89).

Natoya Goule-Toppin in the 800m and national champion Lamara Distin in the high jump will round out the Jamaican contingent at the meet.