Powell

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Jamaica's fastest male and female, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, head a host of top class track and field athletes down for today's University of West Indies (UWI) Invitational meeting at the National Stadium East Complex, slated to run off at 9:00 a.m.

Powell, in his season opener, ran 47.46 seconds over 400 metres at the Queen's/Grace Jackson Invitational Track Meet, held at the same venue on January 27.

He will again run in the 400 metre event today as he continues to focus on strength and endurance in this early part of the season.

"Last year, I ran a lot of over-distance races and I finished a lot stronger," said Powell, the joint 100 metres 9.77 seconds world record holder. "So I guess the stronger I am is the better for me."

Simpson also ran the 400m in her seasonal debut at the Queen's/Grace Jackson event, clocking 53.40 seconds for the one-lap race. Simpson, who clocked world-leading 10.82 and 22.00-second times for the 100m and 2006 last year, also led MVP Track Club to relay victories in 4x100m and 4x400m at the Milo Western Relays in Montego Bay.

Also down to participate are Athens Olympics sprint relay gold medallist Aleen Bailey, who will represent Royalty Track Club, as well as World Championships 100m silver medallist Michael Frater, Trinidad & Tobago's 2003 World Championships silver medallist Darrell Brown, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, who won bronze in Helsinki 2005, and Geraldine Pillay of South Africa, who are MVP teammates of Powell and Simpson from the Stephen Francis-coached camp.

So, too, are Shericka Williams, Kaliese Spencer and Melaine Walker, along with Ainsley Waugh, Winston Smith, Nester Carter, Germaine Mason and Gregory Little.

Several top schoolers, especially from Calabar and Kingston College, are epected to compete at the meet which will see action in 3,000m, 5,000m, 100m, 400m, 800m, 1500m 4x100m, 4x400m, long, triple and high jumps. All events are time finals.

The meet will also have a regional flavour as teams from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus in Barbados, Trupial Track Club out of Curacao and a team from Cayman Islands are expected to compete at the meet.