A strong women’s duel in the 400-meter hurdles event is expected this Saturday of the Félix Sánchez Classic between several competitors whose best times are very similar.
The Americans Cassandra Tate and Kaila Barber and the Turkish-Caiquena Yanique Haye-Smith form a trio of equal quality as reflected in their personal brands.
Tate is a 31-year-old veteran hurdler who came in with a time of 54.01 seconds in Eugene, Oregon in 2015, while Barber, 29, clocked 55.53 in Jacksonville, Florida in 2016.
Haye-Smith, 32, who represented his native Jamaica until 2018, has a record of 55.58 recorded in Montverde, Florida in 2019.
That trio will be joined by the Dominicans Evilin del Carmen (58-10 in the Isaac Ogando) and Franshina Martínez (1:00.39 in the Military Games).
Another attractive confrontation in the women’s sector would be that of the Bahamian Tamara Myers and the American Michele Fokam in the triple jump since their personal bests are barely a centimeter apart.
Myers, 28, reached 14.03 meters in Philadelphia in 2017 while Fokam, 23, managed to clock 14.04 in 2021 in Eugene, Oregon.
In the Clásico Félix Sánchez 2022 they will compete in the 200, 400 and 800 meter dash, 400 meter hurdles and Triple Jump in both sexes. In addition, the men will do it in the 100-meter dash and the women in the high jump.
The professional competition has a bronze level in the WA tests and Sánchez pointed out that the goal is to continue raising the level of the tests each year, as well as the participants and the metallic prizes.