Williams wants to add Paris to national championships success

The in-form Stacey-Ann Williams will be hoping for more success when she leads four Jamaicans into today's Paris Diamond League, the eighth stop on the Wanda Diamond League circuit, to be held inside the Charlety Stadium.

Fresh off her first national senior 400m title a week ago in Kingston, Williams followed up that good form with an impressive win two days ago in Zagreb at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet, where she raced to a new personal best and meet record, 49.48 seconds.

The second-fastest Jamaican female in the one-lap event this season and fifth in the world, Williams, who will take to the track at 11:39 a.m. Jamaica time, will face the likes of Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic and Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic, who have both gone sub-50 this season. Paulino, the Paris Olympic 400m champion, opened her season recently with 48.93 seconds, the second-fastest time in the world behind world leader Dejanea Oakley of Jamaica with 48.79. Manuel has a season's best of 49.74.

Another newly minted national senior champion, Demisha Roswell, along with Megan Simmonds, will be involved in a very hot women's 100m hurdles, which is scheduled to take place at 12:08 p.m. Jamaican time. Roswell stormed to a personal best 12.40 seconds to win at the National Senior and Junior Championships, relegating Simmonds to second. Simmonds has a season's best of 12.47 seconds.

World record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, with a season's best of 12.28 seconds, the United States duo of Alysha Johnson and Rayniah Jones, both with bests of 12.43 seconds, Bahamian Devynne Charlton with a best of 12.37 seconds, World champion Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland with 12.62, and home girl Cyrena Samba-Mayela with a best of 12.50 seconds, all look set to make this the most competitive event on the track.

Shot putter Danniel Thomas-Dodd will be the other Jamaican in action today and she will compete in the women's shot put at 10:15 a.m.