Shelly looks to impress in NY

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

MVP Track Club speedster Nesta Carter has pulled out of today's big 100m clash at the Adidas Grand Prix Diamond League with the world's fastest men so far this season, Tyson Gay (9.79), and compatriot Steve Mullings (9.80), but a host of other Jamaicans are expected to light up the New York meet.

The multiple relay medallist is nursing a slight hamstring niggle and has decided to skip the meet as a precautionary measure.

Carter, who along with Gay led the world last year with a 9.78 timing, was expecting to test his readiness for this month's Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships against Gay, who will be running in his first international 100m of the season, a week after posting a fast 9.79 at his training track in Clermont, Florida. Jamaicans Mullings and former St Jago standout Nickel Ashmeade will also face the starter. Carter's MVP team-mate Michael Frater was also listed in the original start list, but it's not certain if he made the trip to New York for the meet.

A highlight of the meet will certainly come in the women's 200m, where Olympic and World 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will look to bounce back from her 100m loss at the Prefontaine meet last week in the latest instalment of her half-lap campaign.

Fraser-Pryce,
who has already gone 22.69 over the distance this season, will not have
to look any further than American Allyson Felix for her top competition
in this event. Felix, the defending world champion and world leader
with 22.38, is heavily favoured to make up for her own loss in Eugene
over 400m here, but will also face competition from her countrywomen
Bianca Knight and 100m world leader Carmelita Jeter, running in her
first 200m of the season.

World champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton
will be carrying the Jamaican flag in the women's 100m hurdles along
with fellow veteran Delloreen Ennis. The pair may both have to lower
their respective season-best marks of 12.99 and 13.04 if they are to
have a positive outing this afternoon, with the likes of world leader
Kellie Wells (12.58), Lolo Jones (12.67) and former world champion
Perdita Felicien (12.73) all showing good form.

National
champion Jermaine Gonzales will continue his preparations in the men's
400m, coming up against the likes of US star Jeremy Wariner and new boy
Rondell Bartholomew from Grenada, who currently has the best time over
the distance with 44.65. Jamaican Ricardo Chambers will also line up in
the event.

Jovanee Jarrett, who represented Jamaica at the 2009
World Championships in Athletics, will feature in the women's long jump,
while national high jump champion Sheree Francis will test her troubled
ankle against defending world champion and Olympic silver medallist
Blanka Vlasic, who will be debuting in the USA with her sights set on
breaking the 2.00m mark this season.

Schedule

Men's 400m (Heats - 1:30 p.m.)

Jermaine Gonzales

Ricardo Chambers


Final at 2:10 p.m.

Women's High Jump (2:15 p.m.)

Sheree Francis


Women's 100m Hurdles (3:32 p.m.)

Brigitte Foster-Hylton

Delloreen Ennis


Women's 200m (3:40 p.m.)

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce


Men's 100m (3:50 p.m.)

Steve Mullings

Nickel Ashmeade

Michael Frater