Jackson headlines Jamaican contingent at Shanghai DL opener

WORLD champions Shericka Jackson, Danielle Williams, and Tajay Gayle are among 11 Jamaicans scheduled to compete at the season-opening Wanda Diamond League meet in Shanghai, China today.

Included in the line-up are Olympic Games medallists Rojé Stona and Wayne Pinnock, who recently had their transfers of allegiance to Turkey blocked by World Athletics.

The Shanghai meet marks the first of 14 circuit events to be staged through to Zurich on August 27th, ahead of the final in Brussels, September 4-5 when the series champions will be crowned.

Earlier, organisers announced increased prize money for competing athletes, who can now earn up to US$20,000 at each qualifiers event and up to US$60,000 at the Wanda Diamond League Final — the highest payouts in the series’ 17-year history.

Jackson is the sole Jamaican in the women’s 200m, where she will face off against Americans Jenna Prandini and Sha’Carri Richardson, as well as Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas. Jackson, who represented Jamaica at the World Athletics Relay Championships earlier this month, will be running the half-lap event for the first time this season after contesting the 400m twice and a 300m race in Florida.

Williams will open her outdoor campaign in a stacked 100m hurdles field alongside compatriots Ackera Nugent and Megan Simmonds. World leader and reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell of the USA enters as the pre-race favourite, while World Championships gold medallist Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, and three-time World Indoor champion Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas are all slated to line up.

In the men’s long jump, Gayle makes his first outdoor appearance of the season, taking on Bulgaria’s joint world leader Bozhidar Saraboyukov, Italy’s Mattia Furlani, and China’s Zhang Mingkun.

Stacey Ann Williams and Nickisha Pryce, both expected to be top-three contenders at next month’s National Championships, are set for the women’s 400m. American Aaliyah Butler, Roxana Gómez of Cuba, and Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain headline the entry list for the quarter-mile event.

In the 110m hurdles, World Championships silver medallist Orlando Bennett will challenge world leader Rachid Muratake of Japan and American Jamal Britt.

Rounding out the Jamaican contingent, Danniel Thomas-Dodd will match-up against some of the world’s top women’s shot-putters. The field features world leader Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands, Chase Jackson of the USA, and Sarah Mitton of Canada, all of whom have already thrown over 20.00m this season.

Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle contests the men’s long jump during the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League athletics finals at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday.