Thompson-Herah, Richardson set to clash in 100m tomorrow

OLYMPIC champion Elaine Thompson-Herah will make her season debut tomorrow when she competes in the 100 metres at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Thompson-Herah will face a strong field headed by World 100m champion Sha'Carri Richardson of the United States. Richardson will also be running her first 100m event this year. Richardson has already competed twice over 200m this year.

The line-up will also include, 14-time Diamond League meeting champion, Marie-Josee Ta Lou- Smith of Cote D'Ivoire, who was second in the Diamond League final last year in a season's best 10.75 and Julien Alfred of St Lucia, the World Indoor 60 metres champion.

Ten other Jamaicans are down to compete at the meet.

Both men's and women's sprint hurdle events are expected to be fast. Jamaica's Danielle Williams will run in the women's event while Olympic champion Hansle Parchment will compete in the men's 110m hurdles.

Williams, with a season's best of 12.46 seconds, will battle Americans Kendra Harrison and Tonea Marshall, Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho Quinn and Deveynne Charlton of The Bahamas, the World Indoor 60m hurdles champion.

Parchment, who posted a personal best of 12.93 seconds in winning the Diamond League men's 110m hurdles finals last year, has a season's best of 13.26. He will renew battle with World champion Grant Holloway of the United States, with a season's best of 13.21 and another American, Daniel Roberts, who is the world leader in the event with 13.11.

Jamaica's Ackeem Blake who was disqualified for false-starting in Los Angeles last week will be hoping to make up for that disappointment when he lines up in the event tomorrow. Blake who has a personal best of 9.89 seconds will face the likes of Diamond League champion Christian Coleman of the United States and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala who has a personal best of 9.77.

After his second-place finish behind world leader Rai Benjamin of the United States who won the men's 400m hurdles in Los Angeles with 46.64, Roshawn Clarke, who posted a season's best 48.11 seconds, will be one of three Jamaicans in the event tomorrow. Malik James- King, with a season's and personal best 48.39 and Jaheel Hyde with a season's best of 49.48 are also down to contest the event.

Natoya Goule-Toppin will compete in the 800m and Adelle Tracey in the 1500m are the other Jamaicans down to compete on the track.

Shanieka Ricketts who was a close second to World Indoor champion Thea Lafond of Dominica in the women's triple jump a week ago at the Los Angeles World Continental meet will renew battle with her. Ricketts will be joined by countrywoman Kimberly Williams.