By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
FLORIDA, USA: Barbadian national record holder Andrea Blackett will race against Olympic champion Fani Halkia of Greece in the women’s 400-metre Hurdles at the Papaflessia, Kalamata, EAA Permit Meeting in Greece, on June 2.
Blackett, who skipped last year’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, because she thought the timing of the meet came too soon in the season, will be hoping for a good run on the Greek soil, as she continues her preparation for this summer’s World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
After a slow build up to her season last year, the 31-year-old, who is unlikely to stretch her Olympic career further than the Beijing Games next summer, ran a personal best of 54.01 in the short campaign and will definitely be a strong Caribbean contender on the circuit again this season.
Blackett current best this season is 56.28, accomplished in Ponce, last weekend. She is the sixth fastest among regional 400m hurdlers this season behind Jamaica’s Melaine Walker, who sits fourth on the IAAF list with a time of 55.21.
Two-years-ago in Helsinki, Finland, Blackett was the only Caribbean athlete to reach the finals, but finished sixth in 55.06.
Another Caribbean athlete confirmed to race at the meet is Ricardo Williams of Jamaica.
The in-form Williams, who is coming off a solid 20.35 seconds winning performance in Belem, at the weekend, will race again in the half-lap event.
In the field events, Cuban Yoandri Betanzos and countryman David Giralt will line up in the men’s Triple Jump competition.
They will match leaps with Allen Simms of Puerto Rico who has a firm 17.10m best performance already this season. Also entered in the event are Russians Yevgeniy Plotnir and Alexander Petrenko.
In the women’s event, Cuban Mabel Gay, the second best jumper in the pit this season, heads the list of competitors down to compete. Look out for strong challenges from former Cuban jumper Yamile Aldama, who now competes for Sudan, as well as the host of Greek jumpers listed. |
