PONCE, Puerto Rico — Several of the top athletes are starting to roll in for the start of the 2022 Puerto Rico International Athletics Classic on a very windy day at the Francisco Montaner Stadium in Ponce on Thursday (12).
Among the highlighted stars already checked in for the 2022 World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting is home favorite and Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who will be looking to extend her positive start to the new season.
READ MORE: How to watch the 2022 Puerto Rico Athletics Classic in Ponce?
Camacho-Quinn, the Tokyo Olympic 100m hurdles champion leads the world with a very fast 12.39 seconds and the Puerto Rican star has already picked up her bib to take part in today’s meeting.
Ahead of the meeting today, the 25-year-old sprinter/hurdler said: “I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity to race in front of my people.
“Victor Lopez and the American Track League have put together an Olympic calibre field right here in Puerto Rico and I can’t wait to put on a show for the home crowd.”
American star Tonea Marshall, who owns a season’s best and the world No.2 fastest time in the world this season, with 12.46, as well as Jamaica’s 2015 world champion Danielle Williams and USA’s two-time champion Sharika Nelvis, will be lining up against Camacho-Quinn on her home turf.
Meanwhile, USA’s Devon Allen, the second quickest in the world this season over the 110m hurdles, has also checked in for the meeting today and he too is looking forward to the Ponce meeting as he braces to take on Jamaican duo Hansle Parchment and Omar McLeod.
Allen, who has a season’s best of 13.11 seconds is aiming to get the better of Parchment, the Tokyo Olympic champion in 2021, as well as his fellow Jamaican McLeod, the 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalist.
Two-time Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is also here and she will be seeking to put down a fast time in the women’s 100m against a very strong field that also includes USA’s Cambrea Sturgis, who recently clocked a new personal best of 10.87 seconds and Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye, who clocked 10.94 in San Juan Capistrano, last weekend.
