World leader Scott to face stiff challenge at Rome Diamond League

JAMAICAN Jordan Scott, the world leader in the men’s triple jump, is expected to be tested by a quality field at Thursday’s Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome, the fourth stop on the Wanda Diamond League.

Scott, who won three Diamond League events last year, is one of 12 Jamaicans — including national champions Nickisha Pryce, Megan Tapper, Orlando Bennett and Rushell Clayton — set to compete.

The Rome Diamond League is one of three scheduled over an eight-day period, with the Stockholm meet set for Sunday and Oslo on Wednesday, June 10.

With the Jamaica athletics championships set to start June 18, a number of athletes will be fine-tuning preparation in order to make the team for the Commonwealth Games set for July in Glasgow, Scotland.

The 28-year-old Scott, who set a personal best 17.66m while winning at the Coqui International Cup in Puerto Rico on May 17 before winning again at last week’s JBL Jump Fest in Slovakia, is looking for a fourth-straight win.

World Under-20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert is set to make his second outing since 2024, while Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez, Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez and Brazil’s Almir dos Santos are among a number of top jumpers lined up.

Tajay Gayle, who is coming off a season’s best 8.32m in China, is to contest the men’s long jump. He is to be joined by Wayne Pinnock in a field that should also feature Greece’s world number two-ranked Miltiadis Tentoglou, Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Saraboyukov and Australia’s Liam Adcock.

Pryce’s season’s best 49.75 seconds is the fastest going into the women’s 400m race, but she is expected to be challenged by Aaliyah Butler of the United States, who has run 49.78. Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands and Amber Anning of Great Britain are also down to compete.

Clayton opened her season with a solid 53.75 for third place in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday and will be hoping to improve on that.

World leader Emma Zapletolova, who set a Slovakian record and the Anna Cockrell of the United States, who was second on Sunday, are also down to run. The veteran American Dalilah Muhammad and Gianna Woodruff of Panama are also expected to feature.

Two-time World Athletics Championships gold medal winner Danielle Williams and Olympic Games bronze medallist Megan Simmonds are to contest the 100m hurdles. They will try to match-up to Nadine Visser of the Netherlands and the Americans Kendra Harrison and Tonea Marshall.

Bennett is to face the consistent American Jamal Britt and world number two ranked Rachid Muratake of Japan in the 110m hurdles.

World number three ranked shot-putter Rajindra Campbell could only manage 21.04m in Rabat on Sunday after he had set a personal best 22.34m a week earlier in China. He will hope to rebound in Rome.

Campbell will have enough motivation with the likes of world leader Joe Kovacs of the United States, his American compatriot Ryan Crouser and world number two Leonardo Fabbri of Italy also expected to contest the event.

Two-time World Indoor medallist Raymond Richards and Romaine Beckford are down to take part in the men’s high jump. They are slated to clash with American JuVaughn Harrison and Australian Yual Reath.

Nickisha Pryce (Photo: Collin Reid)