Gay, Campbell-Brown, Bolt, Spearmon and more - loaded sprint fields on tap in Kingston – Jamaica International preview

1 May 2008 - Kingston, Jamaica – The men's 100m where American Wallace Spearmon and home town hero Usain Bolt are expected to face-off will be the hottest race at Saturday's fifth Jamaica International Invitational at the National Stadium.

The Jamaica International is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final, to be held on 13-14 September in Stuttgart.

The athletes have a running battle that hit high gear last year, but this was over the half lap event, which saw them share the clashes – six. However, overall, Spearmon has won nine of their 13 meetings.

However, in the lone 100m showdown in Rethimmo, Greece, last year, Bolt ran a personal best 10.03 seconds, with Spearmon behind in 10.20.

Bolt, who opened up with a 10.03 dash at GC Foster College earlier this year and Spearmon, a World Championships silver medallist, will be joined in Saturday's event by Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis, the 2003 World champion, Americans Darvis Patton and Gary Jones. Churandy Martina of the Netherland Antilles, the early season co-world leader, is also listed in a quality 100m field.

Gay, Campbell-Brown and Clement among the stars

Beside the men's 100m showdown, several top athletes including three reigning World champions – Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, and Americans Tyson Gay and Kerron Clement, along with Olympic 100m Hurdles champion Joanna Haynes are down to compete.

Gay, who according to the meet athletes' liaison Donald Quarrie, had asked for a special lane, will face the starter in the men's 200m. In this event, Jamaicans Marvin Anderson and Chris Williams, the 2001 World Championships silver medallist, will also face the starter.

Gay, at last weekend's Penn Relays in Philadelphia, spoke about "time-wise" for his 200m opener. "I opened up with 19.97 (seconds) last year (in Kingston)," he said. "Hopefully I'll open up around the same time and then I'll know my training is going in the right direction."

On the female side, Campbell-Brown will run the women's half lap event against Americans Shalonda Solomon (22.36 PR) and LaShauntea Moore, Sri Lankan Susanthika  Jayasinghe and Jamaicans Aleen Bailey, Sheri-Ann Brooks and Anastasia Le-Roy.

Richards, Trotter and Williams-Mills top the 400 field

In the women's 400m, it might be a one woman race with Sanya Richards, a Jamaican-born who competes for the United States, but her compatriot DeeDee Trotter and Jamaicans Novlene Williams-Mills, Davia Prendergast and Sonia Sutherland should challenge, at least for the first 300m.

The other World champion, Trinidad and Tobago-born Kerron Clement, will take on fellow American Derrick Williams and Jamaicans Danny McFarlane, the Olympic Games silver medallist, Isa Phillips, Adrian Findlay and his American counterpart, Derrick Williams in the men's 400m Hurdles.

In the men's 400m, Jamaicans Ricardo Campbell, Sanjay Ayre, Germaine Gonzales and Michael Blackwood will match strides against the United States' Andrew Rock.

Jamaican Kerron Stewart will head the women's 100m, but can expect competition from Americans Marshevet Hooker, Stephanie Durst and Bianca Knight. Other Jamaican entries in the event are Nadine Palmer, Schillonie Calvert, and Peta-Gaye Dowdie.

Kenia Sinclair and Marion Burnett will battle in the women's 800m.

In the hurdles, Hayes will face Jamaicans Delloreen Ennis-London, the World Championships bronze medallist, Lacena Golding-Clarke and Vonette Dixon in the sprint hurdles, while Lashinda Demus of the United States, her compatriot Markita James, along with Jamaican Shevon Stoddart will contest the full-lap event.

Anthony Foster for the IAAF