Jamaican Fraser among champions for Prefontaine
Published:Thursday | June 3, 2010 | 12:06 PM
World and Olympic sprint champion Shelly Ann Fraser has been confirmed for July’s Prefontaine Classic, the sixth meet of the lucrative International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League series.
The 23-year-old Jamaican will headline the women’s 100 at the July 3 championship which will make its debut as a member of the glitzy Diamond League.
Fraser will be one of several Olympic and World champions who will be on show and meet director Tom Jordan assured the meet would be a quality event.
Fraser has emerged as one of the outstanding sprinters in recent times, snatching gold at the Beijing Olympics two years ago and repeating the feat at the World Championships in Berlin last year.
She opened her season at the Shanghai Grand Prix earlier this month when she finished second to the speedy American Carmelita Jeter.
Fraser bounced back with a win at the Ostrava Golden Spike last week when she clocked 11.04 seconds to beat Bahamian Chandra Sturrup into second.
World championship silver medalist, Jamaican Kerron Stewart will also be present along with compatriot Sherone Simpson, silver medalist in Beijing and two-time reigning Olympic 200-metre gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown.
American Tyson Gay has already been announced to headline the men’s side of the draw.