Starting tonight, Jamaica's best track and field stars will be going head to head to make the national team for the Beijing Olympics from August 15-24.  The national championships, in itself, may prove to be a preview of what will happen at the Olympics later this year.  As such, there is intense media interest from all over the world with camera crews from the US and Europe covering the event. 

The event most looked forward to is the 100m men's clash between the two fastest men in history - Usain Bolt, the current record holder and Asafa Powell, the previous record holder.  It will be perhaps the biggest track and field clash ever on Jamaica soil.  However, both sprinters have denied that there will be a clash.  They have repeatedly stated that they will be trying to finish in the top three to get an automatic berth on the team.

"I will be running just to make sure I finish in the top three," Powell, who has a 2008 best of 9.96, said yesterday.

However, they both might have to run faster than expected as the battle for third place could result in some other sub-10 times.  Powell's coach, Stephen Francis, has predicted that two of his other charges, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater will be running sub-10 at the meet.

"Unavoidably, I think both Michael Frater and Nesta Carter are going to run extremely fast. They are going to run under 10 seconds this weekend. So, of course, that means that if Asafa (Powell) wants to make the team he has to run fast, faster than he would normally like. His goal will be to beat Frater and Carter and not necessarily anybody else," Francis said.

The women's 100m will also feature a high-class field. Leading the way is world leader and 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown. Campbell-Brown, who is seeking to win the sprint double at the Beijing Games, said yesterday that she was in excellent shape for the meet.

"I am really looking forward to this championships as part of my preparation towards the big picture - this summer in Beijing. I am just coming here to have fun and run some really good races," Campbell-Brown said.

She will be pushed by Sherone Simpson who is fast approaching her 2006 form when she was the fastest woman in the world over both 100m and 200m with times of 10.82 and 22.00. Also expected to run well are Kerron Stewart with a 2008 best of 10.96, Simone Facey, 10.95 at high altitude, and Sheri-Ann Brooks, 11.14.