Saint Lucia’s Olympic Games 100m champion Julien Alfred headlines the Caribbean contingent at this week’s Boris Hanžeković Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet set for May 22–24. She will be joined by three Jamaican athletes across key events as the region’s top names continue their build-up toward the summer championships.
Alfred, currently ranked third in the world, will contest the women’s 200m on May 24. The 22-year-old enters the race with a season best of 21.88 seconds, just two-hundredths shy of her personal record. A Paris 2024 Olympic Games 200m silver medallist, she will line up against Germany’s Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (SB 22.84) and Spain’s Jaël Bestué (PB 22.54).
Jamaicans in the hurdles, jumps, and middle-distance events.
Former Olympic champion Omar McLeod returns to the men’s 110m hurdles with a season best of 13.38. He will face Americans Jamal Britt (SB 13.10) and Dylan Beard (SB 13.21), along with Cayman Islands’ Rasheem Brown, who has posted 13.52 this year.
In the women’s triple jump, Shanieka Ricketts leads the field with a personal best of 15.03m. The two-time World Championships silver medallist and Paris 2024 2nd placer opened her season with 14.30m and will be joined by countrywoman Ackelia Smith, who holds a best of 14.54m and is easing into her 2025 campaign. They will face top European contenders including Turkey’s Tugba Danışmaz (SB 14.10) and Finland’s Senni Salminen (SB 14.07).
Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey is entered in the women’s 1500m. The 2022 World Championships finalist brings a career best of 3:58.77 and a 2025 season mark of 4:06.23. Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the reigning world champion, leads the entries with a season best of 3:53.92. Birke Haylom (SB 3:59.82) and American Danielle Jones (SB 4:03.21) are also in the field.
Other Caribbean athletes down to compete at Boris Hanžeković Memorial
Elsewhere in the program, Denisha Cartwright of The Bahamas will race in the women’s 100m hurdles. Cartwright owns a personal best of 12.60 and has clocked 12.93 this season. She will line up alongside world No. 9 Alaysha Johnson of the United States (SB 12.56).
Barbados’ Tia-Adana Belle will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles. Belle has a season best of 55.79 and a lifetime best of 54.18. She’ll face a strong field that includes Norway’s Line Kloster (PB 53.91) and Germany’s Elena Keletý (SB 55.63).
In the men’s long jump, Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock is the top seed. The World Championships silver medallist leads the field with a personal best of 8.54m and enters with a season best of 8.29m. His competition includes Yuki Hashioka of Japan (SB 8.10), Uruguay’s Emiliano Lasa (SB 7.97), and American Jason Smith (SB 7.95).
The three-day meet in Zagreb concludes on May 24.
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