Harrison, Thompson, Allen, Merritt just a few of the notable early entries

By Scott Bush, DyeStat Editor

Over the past few years, the Jamaica International Invitational has become one of the top sprint and hurdle meets on an annual basis.

With the ability to not only draw the top Jamaicans, but also top Americans and athletes from other top powerhouse countries, the event has quickly earned itself "must-see" status among international track and field fans. 

While the event changed dates this year from early May to May 20, many top level athletes are starting to commit to this year's event. The event released a short list of committed athletes Wednesday, which included:

Keni Harrison (USA) - 100m hurdles

Elaine Thompson (JAM) - 200m

Devon Allen (USA) - 110m hurdles

LaShawn Merritt (USA) - 200m

Andre De Grasse (CAN) - 200m

Asafa Powell (JAM) - 100m

Mike Rodgers (USA) - 100m

In addition, The Gleaner reported that the event costs $2 million to stage this year, giving fans both context for the type of money it takes to afford such high profile fields, as well as the type of show organizers attempt to stage.