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September 6, 2012
Star Sport


 

Bolt, Blake set for Brussels
Andre Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter


Blake (left) and Bolt

Sprint headliners Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake will bring the curtains down on another successful season for the pair at tomorrow's Diamond League closer in Brussels, a city that remains a special place for the younger Blake.

One year ago, shortly after his World Championships 100m gold medal run, Blake turned up in Brussels and upstaged his training partner Bolt, who minutes earlier had registered the fastest 100m time for the year, Blake romping to a blistering 19.26 effort in the 200m - the second fastest 200m ever ran, second only to Bolt's 19.19 word record.

The pair will again run in different events with Bolt, who just a few weeks ago defended his 100m and 200m titles at the Olympic Games, lining up in the shorter sprint while Blake has been entered in the 200m.

Bolt will lead a very strong Jamaican contingent, which includes the youngster, who many see as his carbon copy, Kemar Bailey-Cole, who should legally go below 10 seconds for the first time here. Nesta Carter, Kenroy Anderson and 200m Diamond winner Nickel Ashmeade will also face the starter with American Ryan Bailey looking to prevent complete Jamaican dominance.

Bolt, on eight points, with a win, will cement his first Diamond win and add his name beside defending champion Blake, as wild card entrants in the 100m for next year's World Championships. The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association will decide through policy, which athlete will get the bye, as only one can enter the World Championships as an actual wild card, as per IAAF rules.

season best

Blake will be looking to better his season best 19.44 in the 200m with Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir, 19.84, and Jason Young, 19.86, will also be hoping to lower their marks.

Kaliese Spencer is also expected to crown her Diamond capture with a win in the women's 400m hurdles, where she will have company in the form of Melaine Walker, Ristananna Tracey and Britain's Perri Shakes-Drayton.

Spencer has mined an unassailable 16 points on the lucrative circuit, while Walker, who had a miserable Olympic Games, is currently positioned on seven points in second place.

Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment will compete in another tough field with gold medallist Aries Merritt, silver medallist Jason Richardson and David Oliver also expected to line up.

Rusheen McDonald and Allodin Fothergill will feature in the men's 400m while Anneisha McLaughlin and Samantha Henry-Robinson will compete in the women's 100m. Kimberly Williams will bring her break-out season to a close in the women's triple jump.

Schedule for Jamaican athletes

Friday, September 7

(1:05 p.m.) Women's 400m Hurdles

Kaliese Spencer

Ristananna Tracey

Melaine Walker

(1:25 p.m.) Men's 110m Hurdles

Hansle Parchment

(1:30 p.m.) Women's Triple Jump

Kimberly Williams

(1:45 p.m.) Men's 100m

Usain Bolt

Kenroy Anderson

Nickel Ashmeade

Kemar Bailey-Cole

Nesta Carter

(1:55 p.m.) Men's 200m

Yohan Blake

Jason Young

Warren Weir

(2:05 p.m.) Men's 400m

Allodin Fothergill

Rusheen McDonald

(2:30 p.m.) Women's 100m

Anneisha McLaughlin

Samantha Henry-Robinson

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