Velocity Fest: Top seniors on show at National Stadium

Several top local and overseas-based senior athletes will be in action inside the National Stadium today at the Velocity Fest 10 track and field meet.

The meet, which is a part of the World Athletics Continental Combined Tour Challenge Series, will not be short of stars as it will involve several athletes who have won medals at both indoor and outdoor World Athletics Championships. The three-hour long meet will start at 5 p.m.

Stephanie McPherson, with individual bronze in the 400 metres and gold in the 4x400m at the recent World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, heads the female athletes who are listed to compete. She will contest the 200 metres. The three other members of that successful team will also be in action. Roneisha McGregor will run in the 400m while Janieve Russell and the vastly improved Junelle Bromfield will contest the 400m hurdles.

A hot contest is expected in the 400m as World Indoor 60m finalist, Shericka Jackson, will be in the event. The field will also include last week’s women’s 100 metres winner Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas. Strachan won the event in a personal best 10.99 seconds. World Championships 400m hurdles bronze medallist Rushell Clayton who captured the women’s 400m last Saturday and Candice McLeod, a finalist in the event at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, will also face the starter.

Other top females down to compete today include Remona Burchell and Shashalee Forbes in the 100m, Jura Levy and Anastasia LeRoy in the 200m. In field events, 2019 World Championships silver medallist Shaneika Ricketts will be in action in the triple jump and Olympian Shadae Lawrence in the discus throw.

Fresh off his impressive win last week in the 100m, new local sprinting sensation Ackeem Blake will be hoping to maintain his great form in the event today where he will face a strong field. Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, Jahzeel Murphy, Oblique Seville, Jhevaughn Minzie, Oshane Bailey and Antonio Watson are down to contest the event. Demish Gaye, Tyquendo Tracy, Chadic Hinds and Great Britain’s Miguel Francis will contest the 200 metres.

In the men’s field events, the top competitor is World Championships long jump gold medallist Tajay Gayle who will compete in his pet event. In the throwing events, Fedrick Dacres, Travis Smikle and Chad Wright will compete in the discus throw with Odayne Richards heading competitors in the shot put.