McLeod, Parchment, VCB set for Shanghai showdown

SHANGHAI, China:

The Jamaican interest will be strong in the women's 400m at tomorrow's Shanghai Diamond League meeting in China with four athletes from the island down to compete.

Novlene Williams-Mills, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Christine Day and World Champs bronze medal winner, Shericka Jackson, are down for the event.

Bahamian Shaunae Miller, the fastest woman in the world this year with a 49.69 clocking, is widely expected to have her way here with Americans Natasha Hastings and Ashley Spencer also notables.

With Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's late withdrawal from the 200m due to a persistent toe injury, Veronica Campbell-Brown should have an easier run to the finish line.

Anneisha McLaughlin will be looking to improve on her 22.78 with Murielle Ahoure (Ivory Coast) set to get her 200m campaign under way.

The race of the meet will, however, be the 110m hurdles with Jamaican pair Omar McLeod and Hansle Parchment renewing rivalry in a field that includes world record holder Aries Merritt, along with global medallist David Oliver and Jason Richardson.

With this much firepower, as is always the case in the 110m hurdles, anyway, we could see the season's first sub-13 second clocking, which, in itself, is a rare feat in May.

McLeod, who leads the world with a 13.05 mark, got the better of Parchment (13.10) in Doha but will again have to be at his best if he is to continue his unbeaten stretch, which now stands at nine races this season.

Only the Jamaican has gone faster than Cuba-born born Orlando Ortega (13.12), who now competes under the Spanish flag. He too will have something to say tomorrow.

World Champs bronze medallist and national record holder, O'Dayne Richards, will get his season started in the shot put, facing world champion Joe Kovacs (USA). Ryan Whiting (USA), Tom Walsh (New Zealand), Christian Cantwell (USA) some of the other big names down to compete.