Six Jamaicans ready to fire in Brussels Diamond League final

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Six Jamaicans will take centre stage on Friday when the Allianz Memorial Van Damme Wanda Diamond League final gets underway in Brussels, with world champion Oblique Seville and Olympic discus champion Roje Stona among the island’s leading hopes on the opening day. The Jamaican contingent also includes Rushell Clayton, Romaine Beckford, Ackelia Smith and Orlando Bennett, all of whom will be looking to end their seasons on a high at the prestigious two-day meeting. Clayton will get Jamaica’s campaign underway in the women’s 400m hurdles at 1:04 pm Jamaica time, where she will face a quality field that includes Olympic champion Anna Cockrell and former world champion Dalilah Muhammad.

A minute later, high jumper Romaine Beckford will take to the runway in the men’s high jump, alongside a star-studded field featuring Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi and JuVaughn Harrison. Seville will then take the spotlight at 1:14 pm in the men’s 100m. The reigning world champion faces a strong field that includes Americans Christian Coleman and Trayvon Bromell, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi, Switzerland’s Emmanuel Eseme, South Africa’s Gift Leotlela, and Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy.

With the Diamond League title at stake, Seville will be looking to underline his status as one of the world’s premier sprinters with another big performance. Stona, meanwhile, will unleash his power in the men’s discus final at 1:37 pm. The Jamaican Olympic champion will have his hands full against some of the biggest names in the event, including world record-holder Mykolas Alekna, Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, Sweden’s Daniel Stahl and Australia’s Matthew Denny.

Stona’s appearance promises to be one of the day’s major field-event attractions as he seeks to finish his campaign on a winning note. Triple jumper Ackelia Smith will be Jamaica’s next representative, competing in the women’s triple jump at 1:48 pm. Smith will face a quality field headed by Olympic champion Thea LaFond, Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez and Liadagmis Povea, as well as Senegal’s Saly Sarr.

Hurdler Orlando Bennett will close out Jamaica’s individual participation on day one when he lines up in the men’s 110m hurdles at 1:55 pm. Bennett will face Americans Ja’Kobe Tharp, Cordell Tinch, Trey Cunningham and Jamal Britt, Japan’s Rachid Muratake, and Kendry Menendez.