Broadbell, James-King, Hudson, Ricketts on show in Monaco

FOUR Jamaicans, led by national 110 metres hurdles champion Rasheed Broadbell, will be in action at today's Herculis Wanda Diamond League meet in Monaco.

The Jamaican contingent at the meet was reduced by two following the late withdrawals of defending Olympic 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment and national 400m champion Deandre Watkins. American 200m World champion Noah Lyles has also pulled out of the meet. He was down to contest the half-lap event.

With this being the penultimate Diamond League meet before the Paris Olympic Games, some outstanding performances are expected as there will be some key clashes on the track and in the field.

Broadbell, who clocked a season's best 13.18 seconds to win a very close men's 110m hurdles final at the national championships will face a tough field led by American champion Grant Holloway. Holloway is the world leader in the event with his 12.86, a time he did while winning at the US national championships.

Also down to contest the event are Americans Cordell Tinch and Trey Cunningham. Tinch has a season's best 13.03 and Cunningham, 13.12. Sasha Zhoya of France with a best of 13.15 and Japan's Shuxsuke Izumiya whose season's best is 13.16 will also contest the event.

The vastly improved Malik James-King, the national 400m hurdles champion, will face another stern test. James-King had a good third-place finish in Paris last Sunday, clocking 48.37 seconds in a race won in 47.78 by Brazil's Alison dos Santos. He will be up against the three medal favourites for the Olympic Games in world leader Rai Benjamin of the US, with 46.46; Dos Santos 46.63; and World and Olympic champion Kersten Warholm of Norway, with a season's best 46.70. Also in the line-up will be Americans Caleb Dean (47.23) and CJ Allen (47.81).

National 200m runner-up Andrew Hudson, with a season's best 20.02 seconds, will contest the 200m.

A very close and exciting battle is expected in the women's triple jump.

With the absence of the World and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, it will be a wide-open affair for gold in Paris. Jamaica's Shanieka Ricketts, with a season's best of 14.58m, will be hoping to hit top form ahead of the Olympics. The field will include World Indoor champion Thea LaFond of Dominica, who won gold with 15.01m, Leyanis Perez Hernandez of Cuba with a best of 14.90m; her teammate Liadagmis Povea Rodriguez with 14.73m; and Spain's Ana Peleteiro, the European champion whose season's best is 14.85m.