Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Jamaica's gold medallist, Brigitte Foster-Hylton (front), leads team member and Lacena Golding-Clarke (centre) and Canada's silver medallist, Angela Whyte (right), during the women's 100m hurdles final at the recent Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. All three women and bronze medallist Delloreen Ennis-London will clash again later at the National Stadium. - REUTERS
THE JAMAICA Inter-national Invitational, an IAAF Area Permit Meet, will take centre-stage at the National Stadium this afternoon and many believe track and field fans will witness the first sub-20 seconds clocking in the men's 200m in Jamaica.
Apart from that, world 100m record holder, Asafa Powell, will grace the track.
However, the women's and men's 200m, along with the men's 400m and 100m hurdles events, are the hottest on the card.
Powell, who may have a stadium record in store for his fans later, is expected to get his strongest challenge from fellow Jamaican Dwight Thomas and Trinidad and Tobago's Marc Burns.
Powell set the world record 9.77 seconds with a blistering run in Athens on June 14 last year and is said to be in the best shape this season. He holds the stadium record of 9.84.
LOCAL HERO
The men's 200m will see local hero Usain Bolt against American Tyson Gay. Both athletes met last July and Bolt edged out Gay in positions decided by the camera.
Both ran 19.99 seconds for second and third respectively behind Wallace Spearmon's 2005 world leading 19.89 in London.
However, Gay was fourth in the World Championships final in 20.34 while Bolt, who missed the Commonwealth Games because of injury, finished at the back of the field.
Commonwealth Games 200m gold medallist Omar Brown and bronze medallist Chris Williams, who is also the 2001 World Championships silver medallist, along with Trinidad & Tobago's Aaron Armstrong, should also make this race interesting.
Gay believes Bolt will have to beat him on the curve.
"I am going to try and come off the curve first, stay relaxed and hopefully hold on for the finish," Gay said yesterday.
A smiling Gay said his race plan against Bolt is to "get away from him."
"I am going to try to make him run my race and that's the curve, and hopefully the strongest man shall survive.
"I'm in good condition," added Gay who said he hopes he and his teammates Brown and Armstrong finish 1-3.
He, however, believes it is going to be a very fast race.
"Consider that Bolt opened up with 20.0 ... I think it's going to be 19," he added.
He also said he would give it everything.
"I told Omar I'm going to go, and if I die I die, that's how I look at it."
Jamaica's Olympic 200m gold medallist, Donald Quarrie, who is also the athletes' agent for the meet, also expects a fast race.
Quarrie also said that Gay is in top form.
"Last week at the Penn Relays he (Gay) ran the first leg on the 4x100m and was shocking.
"You're going to see him (Gay) run the curve and he's strong enough to hold on.
"The races are going to be competitive and they are going to be fast.
"I think this is a good test for Usain (Bolt). Last year we didn't have that kind of competition for him," he added.
"I think we're going to see a new Usain Bolt after this year," he said.
Commenting further on the meet in general, Quarrie added: "I think we are going to end up with a lot of world-leading times that are going to last for weeks."
WOMEN'S 200M
Another race that will spark huge interest is the women's 200m in which Olympic champion Campbell and Simpson will be meeting over the half-lap event for the second time in their senior career.
In their initial meeting, Simpson beat Campbell at the Common-wealth Games in Melbourne and the rematch should be worth travelling miles to see.
Also in the women's 200m are world champion Lauryn Williams and her American teammates Muna Lee and Dee Dee Trotter, along with CAC Championships gold medallist Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands.
In the men's 400m, Andrew Rock, second at the World Championships, returns to take on fellow American LaShawn Merritt, the defending champion, with Jermaine Gonzales, the Commonwealth bronze medallist and veteran Davian Clarke, Sanjay Ayre and Grenada's Alleyne Francique also in the line-up.
Merritt said he will go out to do his best.
"I am just trying to go out and run a great race," said Merritt, who added that "the winning time maybe mid-44".
Jamaican Ayre said he is looking forward to the race.
"I am really looking forward to this race. I know it's going to take 44 seconds to win and that's what I am looking forward to run. Anything less than that will be a disappointment at this time," he said.
Asked about his chances against the strong field, Ayre said:
"I am not worrying about it at all. At this level I am at the shape that I am in; I'm doing far better than previous years," he said.
As for Clarke, the race will be fast.
"The competition is good enough and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be a fast race. I am sure we will have a world-leading (time)," he added.
In the women's equivalent, national champion Shericka Williams and Lorainne Fenton are the top local stars, lined up against Jamaican-born American Sanya Richards, the top 400m runner of 2005.
Richards is anticipating a sub-50 seconds clocking.
"I opened up with a 51.1 (last season) and this year I opened up 50.4, so I think I am in better shape.
She said she is "excited to run fast, the track is fast, the crowd is always great, so I'm looking forward to run-up around 49.5 in that range.
"It's going to be a top-class field. I expect it to be a fast race and I am going to give my best," she added.
HOTTEST RACE
In what could be the hottest, closest race of the night, American Olympic champion Joanna Hayes faces Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Delloreen Ennis-London in a top-class 100m hurdles field, which also includes Lacena Golding-Clarke, Vonette Dixon and Angela Whyte of Canada.
