Jamaica is the home of defending Olympic champions Usain Bolt (100/200), Veronica Campbell Brown (200), and Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, so it’s only fitting that this weekend’s JN Jamaica Invitational will have a laser like focus on sprinting.

The headliner will be Usain Bolt who will open his season in the 100 meters. Bolt will take on a field that includes Richard Thompson (TRI), Nesta Carter (JAM), Michael Frater (JAM), and Darvis Patton (USA). The race should give us a good indication of Bolt’s level of fitness as the last time he contested the 100 in this meet (in ‘08) he ran 9.76 – on his way to an Olympic title and 9.69 then WR. The above men have all made Olympic or World finals, and have personal bests between 9.78 & 9.89, so should be able to provide solid competition for Bolt. Last year Bolt opened at 9.91, didn’t run under 9.90 until July 22, and finished with a season’s best of 9.76 (his only clocking under 9.80). The hounds nipping at his heels this year should be much improved as a more seasoned Blake, a healthy (?) Gay, and an improved Dix will be looking to out dash the big man. Look for Bolt to run well in front of the home crowd and send a message to the competition.

Speaking of the competition, several other events should also provide outstanding action, starting with the 200 which will feature Yohan Blake (JAM) who ended last year with the #2 time ever in the event at clocking 19.26. Blake’s toughest competition should come from countryman Nickel Ashmeade who was 5th in Daegu. Blake has already run 9.90 in the 100 this year showing a nice turn of speed, so this race be a gauge of his speed endurance and will be compared to Wallace Spearmon’s (USA) world leading 19.95. With Walter Dix scheduled to run the deuce next week in Doha, the 200 should begin to take shape by this time next week. Blake looks on point for sub 20, the question is how far under – and the response of the competition in subsequent meets. Curiously I’ve heard that Bolt will not be contesting the deuce until Jamaican Trials, which means no head to heads with any potential contenders until going head to head with Blake at the end of June.

In the women’s sprints we’ll get our first look at Carmelita Jeter (USA) in the 100 meters as she will be taking on a strong field that includes Kerron Stewart (JAM), Sherone Simpson (JAM) and Kelly Ann Baptiste (TRI). As with Bolt, this group should provide strong competition for Jeter, and give us a good snapshot of where she is right now. We know her strength is up as she opened with a world leading 22.31 over 200 meters. Now we’ll see where her speed work is at. At the least I would expect her to take the WL (currently 11.05) below the 11 second mark. If Jeter is going to continue to dominate this event as she has over the past few seasons she’ll have to get back to her 10.6x form of 2009, because always looming in the background is Veronica Campbell Brown (JAM) who PR’d last year at 10.76 and looked very good indoors over 60 meters.

In contrast we’ll get to see where Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce’s strength is at as she will contest the 200 and not the 100 in Kingston. Pryce is known much more for the 100 but had a windy 22.10 last year in victory over VCB. She was also 4th at the Jamaican Trials in ‘08 (22.15 PR), the same season she set her 100 PR of 10.78 and won Olympic gold – so she has the potential to do well in this race AND it should be a good precursor of how her 100 season may go. She’ll get a strong test as she goes up against Shalonda Solomon (USA) – last years list leader in the event at 22.15.

The meet will also have Jamaica’s top quarter miler in Jermaine Gonzales; Bershawn Jackson (USA) who currently leads the world in the 400 hurdles going against top Jamaican Isa Phillips; and shot putter Christian Cantwell (USA) one of the best in the event over the last Olympic cycle.
All in all it should be a good meet – and provide us with a status check on some of the worlds top sprinters.