KINGSTON, May 1, 2008 (AFP) - World sprint double champion Tyson Gay, Olympic champions Veronica Campbell-Brown and Joanna Hayes and Sanya Richards headline the field for Saturday’s Jamaica International Invitational athletics meeting.
The Jamaica International is one of a select group of Area Permit meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final, to be held on 13-14 September in Stuttgart.
America’s Gay, Campbell Brown’s training partner, is down for the men’s 200m where he will face Jamaicans Marvin Anderson, a finalist at the World Championships in Osaka, and Chris Williams, the 2001 World Championships silver medallist over the distance.
Campbell-Brown will run the women’s half lap event against Americans Shalonda Solomon and LaShauntea Moore, Sri Lankan Susanthika Jayasinghe, along with Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Aleen Bailey.
In the 100m hurdles, Haynes will face Jamaicans Delloreen Ennis-London, last year’s World Championships bronze medallist, and Lacena Golding-Clarke.
Another world champion, Trinidad and Tobago-born Kerron Clement, will take on Jamaicans Danny McFarlane, the Olympic Games silver medallist, Isa Phillips, Adrian Findlay and his American counterpart, Derrick Williams in the men’s 400m hurdles.
The men’s 100m features Wallace Spearmon against Usain Bolt, both medallists in the men’s 200m at last year’s World Championships in Osaka.
The athletes have a running battle that hit high gear last year in the 200m. Bolt, however, won their only 100m showdown at Rethimmo, Greece, in 10.03 seconds, with Spearmon behind in 10.20.
Overall, they have met 14 times with Spearmon winning the vast majority of those races - nine times.
Former world champion Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis, American Darvis Patton and Churandy Martina of the Netherland Antilles are also in a quality 100m field.
Richards, a Jamaican-born athlete who competes for the United States, will feature in the women’s 400m, where she will face Jamaican Novlene Williams and American DeeDee Trotter.
American Marshevet Hooker will head the women’s 100m field where she will be challenged by Kerron Stewart, while Jamaican Kenia Sinclair and Guyanese Marion Burnett are leading contenders in the women’s 800m.