Leighton Levy, Star Writer

Melaine Walker, the 2008 Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion and 2009 IAAF World Champion, will get the first test of her credentials as a sprint hurdler when she takes on 2012 Olympic silver medallist Dawn Harper at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) on May 4.

Donald Quarrie, meet director of the Invitational, said he got word from the hurdler's handlers weeks ago requesting a lane in the sprint hurdles. The 30-year-old Walker, who is the second-fastest woman of all time over the 400-metre hurdles, recently went through a very public break-up with her former coach Stephen Francis of the MVP Track Club over her ambitions to pursue the sprint hurdles. Francis said he was not prepared to coach her to take on the sprints at this stage of her career.

Now being coached by Fitz Coleman, who is guiding the development of 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment, Walker will get an early taste of what it will be like going up against some of the world's best as in addition to Harper, the 2008 Olympic champion, who has a personal best of 12.37 seconds, she also faces two-time NCAA champion Virginia Crawford (12.48) and Jamaica's Olympic sprint hurdles semi-finalist Shermaine Williams (12.78s). Walker's best time in the event is 12.75s, which was achieved back in 2006.

On the men's side, Parchment will take on the likes of Dwight Thomas, Briton Andy Turner and American Antwon Hicks, a previous winner at the JII.

The men's 100 metres might be without 2011 World Champion Yohan Blake who will be absent because of injury, but it will still be one of the main draws of the Invitational as it pits Jamaica's fast-rising sprinter Kemar Bailey-Cole of the Racer's Track Club against American veteran Darvis Patton. Quarrie said that Asafa Powell, who has run under 10-seconds for the 100 metres a record 88 times, could confirm his participation in the coming days.

Blake's more celebrated training partner, six-time Olympic gold medallist and world-record holder Usain Bolt will race his long- time friend and rival Wallace Spearmon over the 200 metres.

2012 Olympic bronze medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown will be looking to rebound from her surprise loss to American Natasha Hastings over the 200 metres last weekend when she takes on her perennial rival Alyson Felix and Trinidad and Tobago's Olympic 100-metre finalist Kelly-Ann Baptiste in the 100 metres.