Photo: Kalise Spencer (Getty Images)
Diamond League Queen and world leader Kaliese Spencer and quarter miler and 2014 Diamond League winner Novlene Williams-Mills will lead a number of top Jamaican athletes into battle at the final IAAF Diamond League meeting on Friday in Brussels This will mark the second of two finals for the 2014 series.
Having already secure the diamonds in their respective events, they will seek to put the cherry on top with victory, before they are officially awarded their Diamond League trophies.
Spencer enters Brussels with 22 points, 16 clear of second place Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain and will seek to grab the 8 points on offer. She will be joined in the race by the likes of Eilidh Child of Great Britain, USA’s Georganne Moline and the Denisa Rosolova of Czech Republic.
Williams-Mills who secured the women’s 400-metre Diamond League title with victories in Shanghai, Eugene, Oslo and Stockholm and third places finished third in Paris and London will seek to build on her 10 point lead, when she comes face to face with second place American Sanya Richards-Ross, 400m world leader Francena McCorory, fellow Jamaicans Stephanie-Ann McPherson and Christine Day, and European champion Libania Grenot.
Bubbling with confidence from his latest string of victories, Commonwealth Champion Kemar Bailey-Cole will seek to continue his winning streak, when he faces a very strong lineup which includes diamond chaser Nesta Carter, former world record holder Asafa Powell, James Dasalou. Top American sprinter Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, and Michael Rodgers who currently leads the points standing and T&T sprinter Richard Thompson.
Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams will try to stop the high flying Caterine Ibarguen of Columbia, when they match up in the Women’s Triple jump. Ibarguen has secured the diamond with Williams way down in second spot. National Champion Andrew Riley will do battle with diamond race winner Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France in the men’s sprint hurdles.
Other events that will be worth watching are the battle for the crown in women’s 200m, where just two points separate Allyson Felix and Blessing Okagbare. Whoever wins in Brussels will take the Diamond Race trophy.
The men’s high jump which will feature Bogdan Bondarenko up against Mutaz Essa Barshim for the US$ 40,000 and the diamond trophy.
The other athletes who have secured Diamond League titles going into Brussels are, steeplechaser Jairus Birech, 800-metre runner Eunice Sum, pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, and shot putter Valerie Adams.
The Diamond Race for the eight other disciplines will be decided in Brussels on Friday.
Live coverage can be seen locally on Tvj starting at 1pm.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login