A number of top Jamaican athletes are set to invade Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday for the Istvan Gyulai Memorial World Continental Tour Gold meet, as preparations intensify for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Leading the 21-member group is Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, the current world leader in the men’s 100 metres. Thompson will face stiff competition from compatriots Akeem Blake and Rohan Watson, alongside South Africa’s Akani Simbine and American sprinter Ronnie Baker.

The women’s 100 metres promises to be equally thrilling. National champion Tina Clayton will renew rivalries with two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson and sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished second and third respectively at the 2023 World Championships—held at the same venue. Rising talent Krystal Sloley joins the line-up, which also features veteran Marie-Josée Ta Lou Smith of the Ivory Coast.

In the women’s 200 metres, the in-form Ashanti Moore will go head-to-head with Nigeria’s Favour Ofili and Great Britain’s Daryll Neita. The women’s 100m hurdles will see Ackera Nugent and Amoi Brown taking on Dutch star Nadine Visser, while in the women’s 400m hurdles, Shiann Salmon faces the formidable unbeaten Femke Bol.

On the men’s side, national 400m champion Rusheen McDonald—still chasing the automatic qualifying mark for Tokyo—will line up alongside Sean Bailey. In the men’s 110m hurdles, Orlando Bennett and Olympic champion Hansle Parchment will carry Jamaica’s hopes. Bryan Levell and Adrian Kerr are set for the men’s 200 metres.

In the field events, Ackelia Smith will feature in the women’s long jump, while Carey McLeod and Tajay Gayle contest the men’s long jump. Rajindra Campbell will represent in the men’s shot put, and Raymond Richards will take on the men’s high jump.