Gatlin for Jamaica International invitational

MONTEGO BAY, St James — American Justin Gatlin will run in the men’s 100m at the May 3, Jamaica International invitational (JII) to be held at the National Stadium, it was confirmed yesterday.

A release from the organising committee said the former Olympic Games 100m champion and silver medallist in the straight sprint at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, had joined an already impressive list of athletes that had earlier this week confirmed their participation.

Unlike the other 12, however, only Gatlin has so far been confirmed for an event but it is expected that Jamaica’s World Championships bronze medallist Nesta Carter may line up against Gatlin.

The release also announced that the meet, which is an IAAF World Challenge-designated event, would be launched at a press conference set for the Hilton Kingston next Friday morning.

Gatlin, meanwhile, joins a list of glittering stars led by Jamaica’s Olympic, IAAF World Outdoor and Indoor gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix, Olympic and World Championships gold medallist Sanya Richards Ross, World Championships men’s 400m gold medallist LaShawn Merritt as well as Francena McCorory who won the World Indoors 400m in Sopot, Poland, last weekend.

Nigerian World Championships 200m/long jump medallist Blessing Okagbare and Americans Curtis Mitchell and Briana Rollins are also named. Jamaicans Kaliese Spencer, the silver medallist in the 400m in Sopot behind McCorory, World Championships 400m finalist Stephanie McPherson the defending champion for the JII meet, and World Championships relay gold medallist Nickel Ashmeade who won the 200m race last year ahead of Warren Weir, have also been listed as confirmed for the meet.