News15 Apr 2015


One-lap stars announced for Kingston

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Sanya Richards-Ross and Novlene Williams-Mills in the 400m in Kingston (© Getty Images)

The three reigning global 400m champions will take on the Diamond Race winner on 9 May at the Jamaica International Invitational, an IAAF World Challenge meeting.

Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross will face world champion Christine Ohuruogu, world indoor champion Francena McCorory and Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills over one lap of the track in the Jamaican capital next month.

It will be just the third time in history that this quartet of quarter-milers has clashed.

World Championships fourth-place finisher Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Diamond Race 400m hurdles winner Kaliese Spencer will also be in a field that is major-championships worthy.

The men’s event is similarly packed with talent. World champion LaShawn Merritt, Olympic silver medallist Luguelin Santos, Asian record-holder Yousef Masrahi and African record-holder Isaac Makwala will face two of Jamaica’s brightest prospects in the event.

Javon Francis, whose 44.05 anchor gave Jamaica the 4x400m silver medal at the 2013 World Championships, will also be in the field alongside Akeem Bloomfield, the 17-year-old who recently broke the Jamaican junior record with 44.93.

Other leading Jamaican sprinters confirmed for the meeting include world 100m leader Elaine Thompson, 2009 world and 2008 Olympic 100m silver medallist Kerron Stewart, Commonwealth 200m champion Rasheed Dwyer, Central American and Caribbean champion Andrew Fisher and Commonwealth 4x100m champion Julian Forte.

In the men’s shot put, Commonwealth champion O'Dayne Richards will face a trio of the USA’s top throwers: three-time world indoor champion Christian Cantwell, two-time world indoor champion Ryan Whiting and 2007 world champion Reese Hoffa.

Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF