Carmelita Jeter

LOS ANGELES – American sprint ace Carmelita Jeter is set to open her outdoor season over 400m at the 2016 Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersey Invitational at UCLA Drake Stadium on Saturday.

Jeter, the IAAF World Championships gold medallist over 100m in 2011, is fully fit again after suffering a left quadriceps injury at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last season, and she is targeting a place on the national team in Rio.

The 36-year-old is scheduled to race from lane 3 in the second section of the women’s 400m against fellow short sprint specialist Miki Barber, as well as Krishna Curry and Lauren Hansson.

Jeter will also run a leg on a Nike/USA select 4x100m relay team, which could also include Barber.

The American star is the second fastest woman to ever cover the 100m dash with her personal best of 10.64 seconds, achieved in 2009.

Jeter won silver in the 100m behind Jamaica’s Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce at the 2012 London Olympic Games and a bronze in the 200m behind fellow American Allyson Felix.

Meanwhile, Olympic long jump champion Brittney Reese of USA has confirmed with World-Track.org that she is scheduled to compete in the women’s 100m.

Reese, who recently won the women’s long jump crown at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland – her third crown at the world indoors – is not known for her speed, having posted her personal best of 11.66 secs almost seven-years-ago.

The 29-year-old will be up against Octavious Freeman, a member of the 2013 U.S. World Outdoor 4x100m silver medallist team, Mandy White, as well as Jamaican and Florida State’s Shauna Helps.

Former World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker of Jamaica will also race in the women’s 100m.

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On the men’s side, Olympic triple jump bronze medal winner Will Claye of USA will run the first heat of the men’s 100m against Bahamian Jamial Rolle and USA’s Joe Morris.

Jamaica’s Raheem Robinson of Florida State is also schedule to race in the event.

Elsewhere, American 2013 IAAF World Championships bronze medallist, Brenda Martinez will lead the entries in the women’s 800m, with fellow Americans Molly Ludlow and Lashinda Demus, a 400m hurdles speciallist, also in the field.

Boris Berian, the World Indoor 800m champion from Portland 2016, leads the men’s entrants, with fellow American Brandon Johnson also entered in the same heat.

Action at the UCLA Drake Stadium gets underway at 9:00 am (Pacific) with the men’s hammer throw, with the women’s long jump going off at 9:30.

Track battles will begin at 12:25 pm with women’s 3,000m Steeplechase, which will be followed by the men.

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