Veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the only sprinter to win five world 100-metre titles, will be one of eight Jamaicans competing at today’s Brussels Wanda Diamond League meet in Belgium. This is the 14th and final stop before the grand finals in Zurich, Switzerland, set for August 27 and28. Fraser-Pryce will line up in the women’s 100 metres at 1:45 p.m. Jamaica time.
This will be her second Diamond League appearance of the season after finishing fourth in Doha back in May. She will face strong competition from Melissa Jefferson Wooden of the United States, the in-form sprinter who is unbeaten this year in both the 100m and 200m and who has a World lead of 20.65 on the shorter sprint. Defending world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson, also of the US, will also be in the field.
In what could be her final race before next month’s World Championships, the 38-year-old Fraser-Pryce will be aiming for a solid showing as she looks to better her season’s best of 10.91, posted when finishing third at the Jamaica National Senior Championships. She is coming off a fourth-place finish at the World Continental Tour Gold meet in Budapest.
Shanieka Ricketts will also be in action in the women’s triple jump. She enters as the Diamond League leader with 23 points, and she is coming off a win at the recent NACAC Senior Championships in the Bahamas with a modest 14.23m.
Ranked fourth in the world with a season’s best 14.64m, Ricketts will face world number one and two, Leyanis Pérez Hernández (14.93m) and her Cuban teammate, Liadagmis Pérez (14.84m), along with world number three Jasmine Moore of the US (14.68m).
Ricketts will be seeking revenge against Hernández, her only conqueror this season at the Oslo Diamond League. She will be joined by countrywoman Ackelia Smith in the event. Smith has a season’s best of 14.44m.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Andrenette Knight sits second in the Diamond League standings with 25 points. She will look to improve on her season’s best 53.67, clocked in her breakthrough win at the Rome meet.
Shot putter Danniel Thomas-Dodd, with a season’s best of 19.30m, will also represent Jamaica in the women’s event.
On the men’s side, Diamond League triple jump leader Jordan Scott heads the Jamaican field athletes. He has 31 points and a personal best of 17.52m set in Rome, which ranks him third on the world list. Scott will be looking to continue his fine form heading into next week’s finale.
In the men’s discus, Ralford Mullings, with a national record throw of 72.01m set on August 16 in Ramona, Oklahoma, and Roje Stona (70.17m) will also be in action.
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