Seville looks to rebound at Herculis Diamond League Oakley faces tough test against Olympic champion Paulino

WORLD 100m champion, Oblique Seville, the world leader with 9.82 seconds, will contest the men’s 100 metres, as the Louis II Stadium hosts the Herculis EBS track and field athletics meeting, the 10th stop on the Wanda Diamond League series.

Coming off a second-place finish in Paris, Seville will be eager to return to winning ways.

A number of athletes will be looking to upset the Jamaican. Among those are Italy’s Marcel Jacobs, who clocked a wind-assisted 9.67 seconds (4.1 m/s) a few days ago, Colombia’s Ronal Longa (9.85), American Jordan Anthony (9.91) and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (9.95). Jacobs’ legal season’s best is 9.96 seconds.

The women’s 400 metres is also expected to attract much attention locally, as the unbeaten Dejanea Oakley, following a winning start to her professional career a week ago at the Paris Diamond League, faces what appears her toughest test of the season.

Oakley will be challenged by Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the world leader with 48.48 seconds. The two were scheduled to meet in Paris, but Paulino withdrew at the last minute, paving the way for Oakley to claim victory.

With a season’s and personal best of 48.79 seconds, Oakley may have to run even faster if she is to deny Paulino, who will be making her third Diamond League appearance of the season.

World indoor champion Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic (49.37), American Aaliyah Butler (49.78) and Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, who has a season’s best of 49.75 seconds, will also be hoping to win in what promises to be a highly competitive race.

WOMEN’S 100M HURDLES

National champion Demisha Roswell will line up in the women’s 100m hurdles, where she will face the in-form Masai Russell of the United States. Russell owns a personal best of 12.14 seconds, just 0.02 seconds outside the world record.

Roswell, the fastest Jamaican in the event this season with 12.40, will be aiming for an even quicker time. Also, she is looking to bounce back after her disappointment of being left off Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games team.

The hurdles field will also include World champion Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, who has a season’s best of 12.62 seconds, and the consistent Nadine Visser of the Netherlands, whose best this season is 12.41.

Four other Jamaicans will be in field event action as Ackelia Smith contests a stacked women’s triple jump, Romaine Beckford competes in the men’s high jump, and Tajay Gayle and Wayne Pinnock line up in the men’s long jump.

Another event expected to generate plenty of excitement is the women’s 200 metres, featuring the three fastest women in the world this season — Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands (21.68), American Gabrielle Thomas (21.70), and Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia (21.86).

JAMAICANS IN ACTION (Jamaica time)

11:40 a.m. – Women’s Triple Jump

Ackelia Smith

12:55 p.m. – Men’s High Jump

Romaine Beckford

1:04 p.m. – Women’s 400m

Dejanea Oakley, Nickeisha Pryce

1:35 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump

Tajay Gayle, Wayne Pinnock

1:49 p.m. – Women’s 100m Hurdles

Demisha Roswell

2:52 p.m. – Men’s 100m