Nine new Jamaicans hit the track
NINE Jamaicans will begin their World Championships participation on day five (today) in the Bird’s Nest. Among them is Elaine Thompson, who is expected to make waves the track in the women’s 200m.
Thompson is drawn in heat five and will run from lane four with her main dangers, if any, being Bianca Williams of Great Britain and Natalia Pohrebniak of Poland. Thompson, 23, who has developed at a rapid pace, will start as favourite in the absence of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Allyson Felix and Shaunae Miller.
Veteran Veronica Campbell Brown should navigate safely through heat five, the same for Sherone Simpson who is running in heat seven.
Jamaica’s middle and long-distance hopes will be put to the test as Natoya Goule and Simoya Campbell take to the track in the women’s 800m, but before them, Kemoy Campbell will be in action in the men’s 5000m.
Campbell is drawn in heat one which will have 20 runners, heat two will have 21 athletes with the first five in each heat plus the next best five making it 15 persons into the final out of 41 runners.
Campbell, who has a personal best of 13:20.93 minutes, will be hard pressed to advance having entered the race with the 15th slowest time.
In the women’s 800m, young Campbell with a personal best of 1:59.26 minutes is drawn in heat four with the second fastest time. Goule with a personal best of 1:59.63 is in heat five with the third quickest time.
Jamaica will have three men contesting the 110m hurdles in-form Omar McLeod, Hansle Parchment and Andrew Riley.
McLeod, the NCAA champion, is the second fastest in the world this year with 12.97 seconds, and word emanating out of the camp is that he is looking extremely good. McLeod will start in lane one.
Andrew Riley is in heat two alongside Pascal Maretinol-Lagarde of France and American Ronnie Ash. London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Parchment is returning from injury and is drawn in heat four beside Alec Harris of the United States.