Photo: Megam Simmonds celebrates winning the Women’s 100m sprint hurdles title at the National Championships last year. Simmonds will be looking to defend her title at the National Championships this weekend.
Jamaica will have four representatives to this summer’s World Championships and by all indications, it will be a case of who wants it most that will make the trip.
Defending World Champion Danielle Williams is determined to atone for the huge disappointment of not getting by the 100 hurdles trails in 2016, missing out on chance at her first Olympic Games, when she gets to London in August.
Williams has a bye to her third consecutive World Championship Games and is hoping to defend her title, won at the Beijing Games. She will not be running the event at this weekend’s championship but will instead run the 100m.
This opens up the field for reigning NCAA bronze medallist in the sprint hurdles Rushelle Burton who is ranked ninth best in the world for 2017 with a slightly wind-aided time of 12.65 seconds.
The Texas Longhorn freshman finished second at the world U-20 Championship last year and has been racking up fast times all season. She will be hoping to cement a spot to the 16th edition IAAF World Championship this summer.
The experience of the older of the William sisters, Shermaine should help her nab a spot to London, in the absence of any unforeseen mishaps. The seventh place finisher from the Beijing World championship will hope to improve on her 13.03 seconds season’s best for a chance to representing Jamaica at her third consecutive championship.
The diminutive figure in reigning national champion Megan Simmonds is sprinting high with confidence and should be in the mix for a shot at her first senior World Championships.
The Olympic semi finalist from Rio enters the championship with a season best of 12.83 seconds.
Former 400m hurdler Nikieshia Wilson transitioned to the shorter event last year and represented Jamaica at the Rio Olympic Games. She has the third fastest time among the Jamaican entries this season with 12.80 seconds clocking and will be looking forward to a fifth World Championships.
The field should include two other young athletes in Florida State Sophomore Peta-Gaye Williams 12.93 seconds and Georgia Tech University Jeannie Williams 12.99. seconds. Keep an eye out for US based hurdler Monique Morgan who enters with 12.80 personal best to her record, 2017 Inter-Collegiate 100 metre hurdles Champion Yanique Thompson (13.13 PB) and MVP/UTech Shimayra Williams whose best is 13.18 seconds done this season…
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