Changing of the guard - Young Turks to rule in women’s 100m

ONE of, if not the most highly anticipated event at this weekend's National Senior Championships is the women's 100 metres, as we could witness a new era in female sprinting in the country, with a changing of the guard on the cards.

For over a decade, the event at the Championships has been dominated by the big three - Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Elaine Thompson-Herah - all of whom have gone on to shine on the international stage.

Come this Friday at 9:45 p.m , when the finals of the blue riband event get underway, we could see a shift, with only two of the three - Jackson and Fraser-Pryce - listed to compete, as Thompson-Herah will be missing in action.

Jackson, winner of the event in 2022, 2023, and 2024, will be seeking her fourth win in a row, but will have her hands full, coming into the Championships in indifferent form. After an injury curtailed her season last year - forcing her out of the Paris Olympics - Jackson, who ran sub-11 seconds to win the title in each of the past three years, has not looked like herself this season and is yet to dip below 11 seconds.

Her season best stands at 11.04, done in winning at the Rabat Diamond League late last month. The fourth fastest Jamaican in the event this season, Jackson did not show her usual explosive top-end speed on the anchor leg for Jamaica at the World Relays in both the preliminary round and final of the 4x100m relay last month in China. She will have to improve significantly on those performances if she hopes to be among the top three.

Like Jackson, veteran Fraser-Pryce, the winner in 2021, was also not at her best during her leg at the World Relays and will need to step up considerably to be a factor.

With a season best of 11.05 seconds, done when finishing fourth at the Doha Diamond League in mid-May, she will need a big effort if she hopes to claim one of the individual spots for Tokyo.

Led by the Clayton twins, Tia and Tina, this could be the beginning of a new era in Jamaica's female sprinting. Both could create history by becoming the first set of twins to represent the country individually at the global level.

Tia, with a best of 10.92 seconds, is the fastest Jamaican this season, following an impressive win in Doha. She has competed once since then -- at the Racers Grand Prix -- where, after an average start and appearing to dominate the latter stages of the race, she slowed down significantly in the final 20 metres, apparently due to a slight injury, and finished fifth in 11.24.

Her sister Tina won that race in a season-best 10.98. After placing seventh in the final of the event at the Paris Olympics last year, Tia will be highly motivated.

Tina, who is the joint second-fastest Jamaican female this season, with Shenese Walker , showed at the Racers Grand Prix that she is getting back to her best and will be aiming to join her sister as an individual competitor at the global level - and could possibly go all the way for the win this Friday.

Walker has been the breakout female athlete for Jamaica this year in the event, posting a personal best of 10.98. She will be eyeing a top-three finish.

However, she will need to improve on her 11.23 clocking done in the final of the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, where she finished sixth.

The likes of Briana Williams, Alana Reid, Shashalee Forbes, Jonielle Smith, Krystal Sloley, Natasha Morrison, Jodean Williams and Kemba Nelson will also be hoping to make their presence felt.

TOP THREE PREDICTION:

1. Tia Clayton

2. Tina Clayton

3. Shericka Jackson