Shericka Jackson and Kishane Thompson set for high-stakes sprints in Szekesfehervar Tuesday

By Sports Desk July 08, 2024
Shericka Jackson and Kishane Thompson will face stern tests in Hungary on Tuesday. Shericka Jackson and Kishane Thompson will face stern tests in Hungary on Tuesday. Gyulai István Memorial Instagram

Jamaican sprint champions Shericka Jackson and Kishane Thompson are set to race for the first time since their victories at the national championships, facing stiff competition as they fine-tune their preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both athletes will compete at the prestigious Gyulai István Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, where they will encounter some of the world's top sprinters.

 World 200m champion Shericka Jackson will face a formidable opponent in St Lucia's star athlete Julien Alfred, alongside Britain's European silver medallist Daryll Neita and fellow Jamaican Lanae-Tava Thomas. Jackson, who has dominated the 200m at this meeting for the past three years, is eager to defend her title. She set a meeting record of 21.96 seconds in 2021 and is coming off a recent season's best of 22.29 seconds, which earned her the Jamaican title.

 Julien Alfred, the world indoor 60m champion, also has fond memories of Szekesfehervar, where she made her professional debut and achieved her first victory last year with a time of 10.89 seconds in the 100m. Alfred enters the race with the fastest time this year, having clocked 22.16 seconds indoors back in February. This highly anticipated clash between the two Caribbean sprint stars over the longer sprint distance promises to be a highlight of the meet.

 Kishane Thompson, the fastest man in the world this year, will face South Africa's Akani Simbine and world silver medallist Letsile Tebogo. Thompson recently won the Jamaican title with a world-leading time of 9.77 seconds and is determined to maintain his top form as he heads into the Olympic season.

Simbine, a multiple world and Olympic finalist, has a strong track record in Szekesfehervar, having won the 100m in the Hungarian city on two previous occasions, setting South African records both times (9.89 seconds in 2016 and 9.84 seconds in 2021). The 30-year-old sprinter will be keen to notch up another victory, but he will face a stern challenge from Thompson, who is rapidly establishing himself as one of the top sprinters in the world.

Akani Simbine

World silver medallist Letsile Tebogo will also be a key contender, making this 100m race one of the most anticipated events of the meet.

Both Jackson and Thompson are using this meet as a crucial part of their preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. For Jackson, the race against Alfred, Neita, and Thomas will be a test of her current form and a chance to fine-tune her strategy against some of her potential Olympic rivals.

 Thompson, on the other hand, will look to solidify his status as the world's fastest man this year by competing against top-tier sprinters like Simbine and Tebogo. A strong performance in Szekesfehervar will not only boost his confidence but also send a clear message to his competitors as the Olympics approach.

Jamaican sprint champions Shericka Jackson and Kishane Thompson are set to race for the first time since their victories at the national championships, facing stiff competition as they fine-tune their preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both athletes will compete at the prestigious Gyulai István Memorial in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, where they will encounter some of the world's top sprinters.

 

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