POINTE-A-PITRE, Guadeloupe – World-class T&F athletes continue to travel to the French Caribbean island for the annual International Meeting Region de Guadeloupe; this year on May 17th. Now in its 13th year the organizers have invited and confirmed 25 Olympic athletics who competed in the Rio de Janiero Olympic Games last August. 9 of those Olympians are medalists that include:
Ryan Crouser (USA) – Gold medal, Men’s Shot Put
Andre DeGrasse (CAN) – Silver medal, Men’s 200m, Bronze medal 100m, 4×100
Yulimar Rojas (VEN) – Silver medal, Women’s Triple Jump
Nia Ali (USA) – Silver medal, Women’s 100m hurdles
Brittney Reese (USA) – Silver medal, Women’s long jump, 2012 Gold medal
LaShawn Merritt (USA) – Bronze medal, Men’s 400m, 2008 Gold Medal 400m, 4×400
Will Claye (USA) – Silver medal, Men’s Triple Jump 2016, 2012
Dawn Harper (USA) – Gold medal, Women’s 100m hurdles 2008, Silver medal 2012
Nelson Evora (POR) – Gold medal, Men’s Triple Jump 2008
In last year’s meeting, the USA’s Marquis Goodman jumped a World Lead of 8.45m. 2012 Olympic gold medalist Kirani James of Grenada ran :44.15 in the 400m event, Jamaica’s Asafa Powell nearly ran under :10.00 in the 100m and US Olympian English Gardner set a meeting record in the 100m in :11.04.
The track in the Stadium de Baie Mahault has been re-surfaced making the 8 lane track lightning fast for all the events scheduled this year (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 110H and 400H). The jump runways have all been resurfaced hoping to help the athletes soar to record distances in both the long and triple jumps.
Rio Olympic Champion Ryan Crouser makes his first trip to the Caribbean and organizers are excited about his throws approaching World Record distances. Venezuelan Olympic silver medalist Yulimar Rojas will look to set a new meeting record in the women’s triple jump. Canadian Andre DeGrasse put on a show in Rio running against Jamaica’s Usain Bolt in both the 100m and 200m events. Organizers are looking for DeGrasse to break :10.00.
The women’s 100m hurdles is always the highlight of the meeting and this year is no different with 4 top world ranked hurdles entered led by Olympic silver medalist Nia Ali, Sharika Nelvis, Jasmin Stowers and the veteran 2008 Olympic Champion Dawn Harper-Nelson.
Once again the meeting will be televised on European television in France and results will be posted on the meeting Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MeetingAthletismeGuadeloupe/
