Women’s 200m World Champion Shericka Jackson headlines a handful of Jamaicans confirmed to participate in the Oslo Diamond League set for June 15 in Norway
Jackson is set to take the blocks in the women’s 100m on Friday, which will be her fourth 100m of the season and first since sizzling to a season-best of 10.78 seconds at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston last week.
Shericka will also line up against the impressive Marie-Josee Talou of the Ivory Coast and former 200m World Champion Brittan’s Dina Asher-Smith along with fast-rising Bahamian Anthonique Strachan.
Jackson who finished second in the Diamond League standings behind compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce last season, will be aiming to gain maximum points in Friday’s race as she makes another run at the trophy.
In other events, the 2019 Long Jump Champion Tajay Gayle will line up for his pet event.
Gayle missed a portion of last season due to an injury and has been making a strong return, winning four of his six meets thus far including the JAAA Budapest Quest at National Stadium, on May 27 where he lept to an 8.12m season-best. He is expected to be pushed further with strong competition from Marquis Dendy, and Miltiadis Tentoglou who registered 8.34m and 8.26m this season.
Daniel Thomas Dodd will continue Jamaica’s participation in the field when she enters the thrower’s circle for the women’s shot put.
The former World Championship silver medalist will be buoyed to produce a good performance after winning the Folksam Grand Prix in Sollentuna, Sweden on Sunday with a heave of 19.66m.
The former Pan American and Commonwealth Games champ has maintained a steady streak of podium finishes this season as she sharpens her prep to regain another global medal.
The other Jamaican confirmations for the meet come in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Olympic finalists Janieve Russell and World Championship Bronze medalist Rushell Clayton will test their form against World Champ silver medalist- Netherlands’ Femke Bol and American sensation Anna Hall.
That race is expected to be a speedy one given Bol’s current form having run a blistering 50.11s over the flat 400 at the FBK Games in her native Netherlands on June 4.
