The 2016 Harry Jerome International Track Classic will host several top athletes, as they continue their respective preparations for this summer’s Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
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Among the stars set to lineup at the meeting inside the Swangard Stadium in Vancouver, are Canada’s Andre De Grasse and USA’s Jenna Prandini who will both attempt respective sprint doubles, while world champion Derek Drouin goes in the men’s high jump.
De Grasse, the IAAF World Championships 100m bronze medal winner in Beijing, last year, will go after the men’s 100m and 200m short dash double.
The 2015 Pan American Games sprint double champion heads into the meeting with seasonal best of 10.07 seconds for the 100m and 20.16 seconds for the 200m.
On Friday, the 21-year-old will start as the man to beat in both events.
De Grasse, who owns a personal best of 9.92 seconds for the 100m, will face two other sprinters with sub-10 seconds personal bests as well.
American Ryan Bailey has a career best of 9.88, while the Cayman Islands’ Kemar Hyman has a personal record of 9.95.
This race is set to go off at 7:46 P.M. PT
Meanwhile, in the 200m, De Grasse, the Canadian national record holder in the event, will take on countryman Tremaine Harris, as well as Americans Joe Morris and Arthur Delaney.
In the women’s short sprints, Beijing 2015 World Championships 4x100m relay silver medallist Jenna Prandini will start as an easy favourite to clinch the double.
The former Oregon and NCAA sprint star has already posted times of 10.95 (100m) and 22.39 (200m) this season.
In the men’s 400m, American former World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner will test his fitness ahead of the U.S. Olympic Trials next month.
Wariner has a season’s best of 45.55 secs, but his last outing was very disappointing, after running only 46.33 in Hengelo, last month.
USA’s Brenda Martinez will clash with Canada’s Melissa Bishop in the women’s 800m, with Jessica Smith of Canada and Chrishuna Williams of USA – two women with sub-two minutes PB – also starting in the event.
In the men’s two-lap competition, Duane Solomon (USA) will start as the man to beat, while Pentathlon World Indoor champion Brianne Theisen-Eaton will lineup in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Derek Drouin, the Beijing 2015 IAAF world championships gold medal winner takes on countryman Mike Mason in the men’s high jump competition.
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