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The women’s 100 metres will be in the spotlight today at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Hungary Athletics Grand Prix in Budapest, a World Continental Tour Gold meet where 22 Jamaicans will be in action.Undoubtedly, the women’s 100m will take centre stage as four Jamaicans, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Brianna Lyston, Jonielle Smith, and Tina Clayton take on Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia in a mouth-watering clash.Coming off a special run in the 200m at the recent Prefontaine Classic, where she clocked a staggering 21.51 seconds for victory to become the third-fastest woman ever over the distance, Alfred will be hoping to carry that form into the 100m, where she has a season’s best of 10.93.All four Jamaicans have gone sub-11 seconds so far this season, with Clayton leading the way with her 10.85 clocking when she finished second behind Shericka Jackson at the Jamaica National Championships. She will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing fifth-place finish at the Prefontaine Classic and, as she did at last year’s World Championships, continue her dominance over Alfred.After returning from injury, Thompson-Herah has shown she is getting back near her best. The second-fastest woman in history, who has a season’s best of 10.91, will want to show she is ready to challenge the best this season. Smith has also been in impressive form and finished fourth at the Prefontaine Classic in a personal-best 10.89, while Lyston, who was second to Thompson-Herah a few weeks ago in Zagreb, Croatia, and has a season’s best of 10.94, cannot be counted out in what is expected to be a sizzling race.Rushell Clayton looks set to continue her fine form in the women’s 400m hurdles. She has been consistent on the Diamond League circuit and, with a season’s best of 53.05, will be among the favourites. She will be joined by compatriot Shiann Salmon, who has a season’s best of 55.56, while Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya (53.67) and American Jasmine Jones (53.92) should make it a very interesting contest.In the women’s 100m hurdles, Kerrica Hill, with a season’s best of 12.66, will face a strong field led by outstanding American Masai Russell, along with Alysha Johnson and Grace Stark. Russell has been exceptional this season and, with a personal best of 12.14, is just 0.02s outside the world record and could produce another outstanding performance.Other Jamaican women in action will be Krystal Slolely and Nickisha Pryce in the 200m, Ackelia Smith in the long jump, and Lamara Distin in the high jump.Ackeem Blake will lead the Jamaican challenge in the 100m. With a season’s best of 9.94, he will be joined by Nishion Ebanks (9.99) and Rohan Watson (10.05). They will face Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.94) and South Africa’s Akani Simbine (9.97).Following his national junior record run at the Jamaica National Senior Championships in the 100 metres, where he finished second behind Oblique Seville in 9.93, Gary Card will tune up for next month’s World Under-20 Championships in the men’s 200m. He will be hoping to improve on his season’s best of 20.59 against Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba (19.86s) and Canada’s Aaron Brown (20.07). Jamaica’s Michael Campbell will also contest the event.The men’s 110m hurdles will also feature a stacked field, with Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett, who has a season’s best of 13.15, leading the local challenge. He will be joined by Rasheed Broadbell and Tyler Mason, who will be making their season debuts. World record holder Ja’Kobe Tharp (12.75), Jamal Britt (12.86) and Cordell Tinch (13.07), all of the United States will headline the event.Wayne Pinnock, Tajay Gayle, and Nikaoli Williams will compete in the long jump, while Navasky Anderson will contest the men’s 800 metres.
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