Strong Caribbean contingent for Thessaloniki meeting
|
| Published on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 |
Email To Friend Print Version |
By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
THESSALONIKI, Greece: Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown will lead the Caribbean contingent competing at the Thessaloniki Olympic Meeting to be held on Wednesday.
Antigua's Brendan Christian, U.S. Virgin Islands' Laverne Jones and Cuba's Yargelis Savigne are some of the other notable stars down to represent the region at the meeting.
Campbell-Brown back in dash
Campbell-Brown will be looking to put last Friday night's 100m disappointments behind her when she lines up in that event in Thessaloniki. At the Jamaican Championships, the 25-year-old finished fourth in a fast race and will be missing from the starting line-up when the straightaway dash goes off at the Beijing Olympic Games this summer.
Her seasonal best of 10.88, however, makes her the strong favourite to win on Wednesday.
The Jamaican will match strides with compatriot Simone Facey, who will do the double in Greece, American World Indoor champion Angela Williams, an in-form Jones, who has won three consecutive races in Europe, as well as British Virgin Islands' Tahesia Harrigan and Maria Karastamati of Greece.
Jones and Harrigan will also contest the women's 200m with Facey and home favourites Andriana Ferra and Agni Derveni.
Christian to do double
In the men's event sprints, Christian will continue his Olympic preparation when he takes on American Darvis Patton, who ran a 9.89sec personal best at the US Olympic Trials, his countryman Mike Rodgers and Jamaican Steve Mullings.
The Antiguan will return to run the 200m against fellow islander Chris Lloyd of Dominica, Zimbabwe's Brian Dzingai, American Carlos Moore and Ireland's improving sprinter Paul Hession.
Meanwhile, reigning outdoor and indoor world champion Yargelis Savigne of Cuba has set up an interesting date with Hrysopiyí Devetzí of Greece, Slovenian Marija Šestak and Cameroon's reigning Olympic champion Françoise Mbango Etone in the women's Triple Jump.
She is currently the world-leader with a 15.02m mark and is the only female athlete to clear 15m in the outdoor campaign, but will face stiff competition in Thessaloniki.
Other Caribbean athletes down for the meeting are Grenadian out of form former two-time world indoor champion Alleyne Francique, who joins Jamaican Ricardo Chambers and Sanjay Ayre in the men's 400m and Olympic sprint hurdles fourth place finisher Maurice Wignall of Jamaica.
Jamaicans Shevon Stoddart (400m H), James Beckford (LJ) and Shereefa Lloyd (400m) are also down to compete. | | | | Reads : 45 |
|
