By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
CARSON, USA: Young Antiguan sprinter Daniel Bailey will test his abilities against a strong field in the men's 100m dash as Veronica Campbell looks to run the first sub-11 seconds in the women’s race when they compete at the 2007 adidas Track Classic at the Home Depot Center in Carson on Sunday.
The forecast here in Carson is expected to be somewhat partly cloudy for the entire weekend, which could definitely see fast times running on this track, especially in the shorter events.
Looking for his best this year
Bailey, who trains at the High Performance Center in Kingston, Jamaica, will run his second 100m this season, following his opener at the Jamaica International Invitational earlier this month.
Although he was some distance away from his personal best of 10.19, accomplished at the World Junior Championships in Grosseto almost three years ago, Bailey will be hoping to improve on the 10.28 he ran in Kingston, and according to a Caribbean Net News source, the sprinter is in line to improve his own personal best this year.
The former Carifta Games sprint double champion, who twice missed out a winning a medal at the IAAF junior level, will race against the likes of former World record holder Maurice Greene, the in-form Tyson Gay, defending champion Marcus Brunson and 2006 World Indoor champion Leonard Scott.
More Caribbean presence
Also included in the star-studded field are Jamaicans Dwight Thomas, a finallist at the last two World Championships and holds a personal best of 10.00, and Steve Mullings, along with Trinidadians Marc Burns, the 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist who is still searching form that consistent form this season, and Aaron Armstrong.
Joining the line-up are Americans Bernard Williams, Jason Smoots and JJ Johnson, three individuals who are capable of coming good on any given day.
A total of 17 sprinters have been entered in the event. The organisers will split the group into two heats with the fastest runner from the straight final event becoming the overall winner.
Campbell going for three in a row
In the women’s race defending champion Veronica Campbell will start favourite to repeat her title-winning performance for the third time in succession.
The Olympic 200m champion holds the meet record with a time of 10.96, set in 2005. She also won the title over a strong field last year when she again dipped under the 11.00 seconds barrier with what then was a world leading time of 10.99.
The question now is can Campbell repeat her winning performance and makes it a treble and can she again be the first to run under 11 seconds this year?
The Jamaican will be challenged by the fast-starting Lisa Barber, the 2006 World Indoor champion, Marshevet Hooker, who will be seeking revenge following her defeat to Campbell at the Jamaican Invitational, as well as Torri Edwards and Jamaica’s Aleen Bailey.
The excitement starts
The events on the card, however, that will be drawing most attention here in Carson on Sunday are the men’s and women’s 200m and the men’s 400m dashes.
In a race where American World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner seeks to become the fastest man ever over the distance, the crowd in Carson can expect a threat when he comes up against the likes of countrymen Andrew Rock and Darold Williamson.
The star-studded line up will also include Bahamian world championships fourth place finisher Chris Brown, Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medalists John Steffensen (AUS) and Jermaine Gonzales (JAM), Olympic bronze medallist Derrick Brew, in addition to Caribbean runners Sanjay Ayre and Michael Blackwood of Jamaica and Cristopher Lloyd (DOM).
In the women’s race, Jamaicans Novlene Williams and World Junior silver medallist Sonita Sutherland will battle with race favourite Ana Guevara of Mexico and American DeeDee Trotter, who won this event at the Jamaica Invitational.
Half-laps at the very best
The half-laps will see Americans Xavier Carter, the second fastest man ever of the distance and world silver medallist Allyson Felix starting hot favourites for the titles.
However, these events will not be handed down to them as they can expect to get serious challenges from every lane on the track.
On the men’s side, Carter will come up against the consistent Wallace Spearmon and growth of Lashawn Merritt, who along with Gay are seen as the corner stone of American 200m sprinting.
Olympic champion Shawn Crawford and Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games champion Omar Brown will round out the field in a quest for top honours.
Felix, who won the women’s 100m and returned to take the 400m minutes later at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Qatar last Friday will come up against the in-form Cayman Island’s seasoned sprinter Cydonie Mothersill and Bahamian Olympic bronze medal winner Debbie Ferguson.
McFarlane vs. the Americans
Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane, who missed the Kingston meet with a slight injury, comes to Carson with the intentions of improving his fourth place finish from last year and bettering his time from 49.85.
The field is also there to help him achieve this feat, as it will include the trio from the Jamaica invitational in Trinidad – born favourite Kerron Clement and fellow Americans Derrick Williams and Michael Tinsley. Another American, James Carter is also entered in the event.
Meanwhile, other Caribbean athletes down to compete at the meeting are Vonette Dixon (JAM) in the women’s 100m Hurdles and Kenia Sinclair, who has decided to get out of the comfort zone of the 800m and run the 1500m.
Fellow Jamaicans Mardrea Hyman and Korene Hinds will be the pacemakers for the women’s 1500m race in which Ethiopian World record holder in the 5000m and indoor 3000m runs, Meseret Defar, will be going for the world mark. |
