By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com

HENGELO, The Netherlands: After completing his early season background work with a couple of 400-metre runs to build on his endurance in preparation for a long season in 2007, Netherlands Antilles’ sprinter Churandy Martina will continue his impressive start to the season when he takes on a strong field for the 100m dash title at the 25th edition of the Thales FBK Games in the eastern Dutch town of Hengelo on Saturday 26.

Strong field in the dash

Martina, who turned professional a year ago, following a number of successes at the collegiate level, will start as one of the favourites to will the men’s 100m, which also includes Olympic 200m champion Shawn Crawford and his American countryman Xavier Carter, the season's fastest man to run a 200m. He has a personal best time of 10.09.

Martina opened his season with a fast 10.09 winning performance at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, last month and apart from Crawford’s 10.16 season’s best, no other sprinter has gone close to his opening mark.

However, the field is blessed with talent, especially with the likes of Carter, who has a personal best of 10.09, Uchenna Emedolu of Nigeria, with a lifetime best of 9.97 and Crawford, who himself has gone under the 10-seconds barrier a number of times in his career.

Sturrup searching for best form

The women’s race will see Bahamian 2000 Olympic relay gold medallist Chandra Sturrup trying to make a return to her best when she recorded a personal best of 10.84 in 2005.

Sturrup, a former Commonwealth Games champion, who finished fourth in the 100m at the World Championships two years ago, has not been at her best because of injuries, which saw her only running a best time of 11.48 in the last two seasons.

Making life difficult for the Bahamian in Hengelo on Saturday will be European sprint double champion Kim Gevaert and American World Indoor 60m champion Me'Lisa Barber, who sizzled to a new personal best of 10.95 in finishing third to Torri Edwards and Veronica Campbell at the Adidas Classics in Carson on Sunday.

Griffiths, Dixon and Bliss tackle the hurdles

Jamaica’s Dean Griffiths will face an in-form Angelo Taylor and Kenneth Ferguson in the men’s 400m hurdles.

Ferguson, who surprised the field to win in Carson on Sunday, has the second fastest time in the world this year with a personal best of 48.15, while Taylor, building on the back of a sizzling 44.35 open 400m best this season, has record a time of 48.68 this term.

Griffiths won in Belem last weekend, but his time of 49.49 would have to improve significantly if he’s to stand a chance of breaking apart the favourites for the crown. Another athlete to watch in the field is American LaBronze Garrett.

In the faster version of the event, Jamaica’s Vonette Dixon came close to her personal best in the women’s 100m hurdles in Carson on Sunday and will be hoping to transfer that form in the coming meet.

Dixon will be joined by fellow Jamaican hurdler Andrea Bliss as they take on the likes of Jenny Kallur (Swe), Nichole Denby, Anjanette Kirkland and Danielle Carruthers, all of whom have dipped under 13-seconds in their career.

Scott brings PR in Shot Put

Dorian Scott, who recorded a personal best of 20.60m in Gainesville, FL, this season will be looking to build on his recent performance when he take on a relatively strong field in the men’s Shot Put competition.

Apart from the Jamaican, the field includes American Christian Cantwell (21.96m), Daniel Taylor (USA, 21.18m) Andrey Mikhnevich (BLR, 20.17m) and home favourite, Dutchman Rutger Smith (20.41m), all of whom have been throwing well in the early season, thus far.