Jamaica to send record 18 athletes to Brussels Diamond League Final

Jamaica: Jamaica will have a record 18 athletes competing at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium, on September 4 and 5. This comes after the 14-meet regular season ended in Zurich, Switzerland, last Thursday. The athletes will compete against the top athletes from the Diamond League season. They were selected across sprinting, hurdles and field events.

World Championships 100m champion Oblique Seville will lead the Jamaican team. He finished first in the men’s 100m standings.

The Commonwealth Games champion, Jordan Scott, will be competing in the men’s triple jump as the top qualifier. Orlando Bennett will compete in the men’s 110m hurdles.

Both Tajay Gayle and Wayne Pinnock will represent Jamaica in the men’s long jump, both making the final. Gayle finished second in Zurich with a jump of 8.43 metres, while Pinnock was third with 8.33m.

Jaydon Hibbert will join Scott in the triple jump. Romanie Beckford qualified for the high jump and Roje Stona for the discus throw.

Rajindra Campbell also secured a place as he finished second in the shot put in Zurich with 22.22m.

In the women’s events, Nickisha Pryce and Stacey-Ann Williams qualified for the 400m.

Tina Clayton and Jonielle Smith will be competing in the women’s 100m. In Zurich, Clayton finished fourth in 10.98 seconds, this helped her secure a place in the final.

Rushell Clayton qualified for the women’s 400m hurdles after placing third in Zurich in 53.17 seconds. Megan Simmonds will compete in the 100m hurdles and Ackelia Smith was also qualified for the triple jump.

Daniel Thomas-Dodd will be competing in the shot put, while Lamara Distin qualified for the high jump. Distin finished fourth in Zurich with 1.96m, moving into a qualifying position.

Shericka Jackson has withdrawn due to injury even though she qualified for the women’s 200m. She finished sixth in the standings with 16 points but would not be attending the finals.

The Brussels event will bring the Diamond League season to an end, with 32 events scheduled across September 4 and 5.