T&T’s field specialist Cleopatra Borel is in Brussels, Belgium, to compete at the Memorial Van Damme, the final meet of the IAAF Diamond League series, which starts today and runs until tomorrow.
The Women’s Shot Put is set to take place at the central square of Brussels (Grand Place), on a scene surrounded by impressive medieval buildings, including the famous City Hall.
She was quoted in a Facebook post saying “Excited to be in Brussels to compete! One of the coolest things about #MemorialVanDamme #DiamondLeague in #Belgium this year is that they have a track that literally runs through the city.”
Borel will challenge the likes of Olympic champion American Michelle Carter and silver medallist Valerie Adams of New Zealand in the women’s shot put event, which this morning at 11 am (T&T time). Carter and Adams are two of the 41 Rio Olympic medal winners that will be competing in the star-studded affair.
Borel, who said that the recently concluded Olympic Games would be her last, finished seventh in the final of the women’s shot put event with a best heave of 18.37 metres. Her season’s best is 18.78m but the five-time “Sportswoman of the Year” will have to come better than that to take down Carter and Adams, who have season-bests of 20.63 and 20.42m, respectively.
Tomorrow on the track, local quartermiler Renny Quow will face the starter in the final event of the meet, the men’s 400m sprint. He will race against the Borlee brother’s of Kevin, Jonathan and Dylan in front of their home crowd.
Earlier, the Women’s 100m newly-crowned Olympic champion Elaine Thompson will line up against Dafne Schippers.