Nesta Carter,


Yohan Blake

Two of the country's hottest sprinters at the moment, Nesta Carter and Yohan Blake, will come face to face tomorrow as the final Diamond League meet, the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme, will take place in Brussels.

With all the Diamond League winners being decided already in the respective events, the men's 100 metres will take centre stage as world leader Tyson Gay, of the United States, will be aiming for a sub 9.7-second clocking. Blake and Carter will be joined by countrymen Mario Forsythe and World Junior champion Dexter Lee. The duo of Blake and Carter though will be battling for bragging rights in a race to see who is the nation's number three in the event behind Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt and World Championships bronze medallist Asafa Powell.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Gay stated that he will be going for a fast time as he wants to go close or even better than his personal best and American record of 9.69 seconds.

For Jamaican fans however, it is the meeting of Carter and Blake, which will attract most attention locally as both athletes are in the best form of their career. Whoever finishes ahead could have a big psychological advantage going into next year, which is a very important one.

The last time both athletes met, at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) meet in May, Blake was disqualified for false starting as Carter went on to win the event. Since then, both athletes have moved from strength to strength, but it is Carter who has the slight edge following two recent sub-10 clockings, which include a personal best of 9.86 seconds at the Nottwil meet.

Blake also has a fast personal best of 9.89 seconds done at the London Grand Prix meet and will be hoping to better that time. Blake, who is normally a slow starter, cannot afford to get left in the blocks as Carter, a quick starter, could use this to his advantage.

Four more Jamaicans will be involved in the meet as Allodin Fothergill will compete in the men's 400 metres, Dorian Scott will do battle in the men's shot put and Korene Hinds will be hoping to do well in the women's 3,000 metres steeple chase, where Madrea Hyman will once again be the rabbit.

The meet will also see the new 800 metres men's world-record holder David Rudisha of Kenya in action following his impressive 1:41.09 run in Berlin on Sunday. South Africa's Caster Semenya will be aiming for her second win following victory at the recent Berlin meet.