By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
PARIS, France: The stage is all set for some of the Caribbean's best athletes, who assembled in small groups all this week, to take part in the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis - the second meeting of the IAAF Golden League series in Paris, France, on Friday.
With the withdrawal of world record holder Asafa Powell, who has not fully recovered from the groin injury he sustained at the Jamaican championships last month, Bahamian in-form sprinter Derrick Atkins, Cuban Dayron Robles and Jamaicans Delloreen Ennis-London and Novlene Williams will lead the contingent down to compete in the Stade.
Another fast dash in the making
Like many of the grand prix meetings on the circuit this season, the men's 100m field will be stocked with talents gunning for the prize possession. Spearheading the lineup is Bahamas' new national record holder Atkins, who established his mark in Athens on Monday with an excellent 9.95 seconds win.
The in-form sprinter again will come up against European sprint champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, who finished third to him in Athens. The Netherlands Antilles' Churandy Martina, who started the season impressively before falling short of his best in the last two meetings, as well as Australian Joshua Ross, and Americans Mark Jelks and Shawn Crawford, will also challenge for the places in the dash.
Stewart up against the big guns
The women's equivalent is not short of talent either, as it will bring forward some of the world's fastest female sprinters in the 2007 season.
A runner up in both sprint events at the Jamaica championships, Kerron Stewart (11.03) will test her sprinting abilities against the Americans, champion Torri Edwards (10.90), Me'Lisa Barber (10.95) and Allyson Felix (11.01).
Edwards arrived in Paris in sharp shape after dominating the women's 100m at the US trials and will start favourite. Christine Arron of France, the winner here last season, has not been as active as she was at this time last year, but she will always be considered as a threat.
Another sprinter to watch out for is reigning world champion Lauryn Williams, while Bahamian Debbie Ferguson, Felix and fast starting Barber are all in with a chance.
Richards faces strong test
A year ago, Jamaican-born Sanya Richards went all the way to six wins and earn a share of the $1 million dollar jackpot. When she starts on Friday, she will be hoping to find that same form again.
Richards suffered a shocking defeat at the US trials last month and the three women that defeated her are again in the lineup for what is expected to be a thriller. DeeDee Trotter and Natasha Hastings both had sizzling runs in the 400m in Indianapolis - going sub 50 seconds on their way to first and second and they will be the ones standing in Richards' way of going two-in-two in the six race series.
Also entered in the event is Jamaica's champion Novlene Williams, who defeated Trotter in Carson at the adidas meeting, and with a 50.06 under her belt she too is expected to be up front with the leading contenders.
However, Richards, who had been out of competition with the flu, knows what it takes to win these races and come Friday evening, she will definitely bring her 'A' race to the line.
Fast finishers come together in the quarter
The men's race, which seems to be a wide open affair may get a bit more complicated when the athletes hit the top of the home stretch.
The one lapper may very well come down to who can finish the strongest, but with four of the world's best finishers, including Jamaica's Sanjay Ayre in the setup it is difficult to make a clear pick.
Ayre, a man running well into race form, LaShawn Merritt (USA), Garry Kikaya (CON) and Tyler Christopher (CAN) are the top contestants for the gold medal.
Merritt, however, with a best of 44.06, accomplished this season, is the quarter-miler to beat, though Kikaya (44.60) and Christopher (44.93) both registered victories over him this season.
Grenadian Commonwealth Games silver medallist Alleyne Francique has not been having his best season this term and will need to improve on his year's best significantly if he intends to take home this one.
Robles goes up against Liu
Despite all the top sprinters and distant runners in Paris, the race of the meeting could very well be the men's 110m Hurdles.
The organisers have setup a clash between Cuban rising star Robles (13.11) and Xiang Liu (12.92), the Olympic champion, world record holder and 2007 world leader. The two hurdlers are expecting to give a small preview of what is to come at the World Championships, which start in Osaka, Japan, next month and with the form they have generated so far this year, a fast time is in the making.
With three solid wins, including the 12.92 mark in New York City, already in this young term, Liu starts with a slight advantage over the field, but world indoor 60m hurdles silver medallist Robles has also been active on the circuit - in search of the perfect race form before the worlds.
He has been running with confidence all year and will be a big test whereever he lines up. The Cuban won in Athens on Monday under a slight pressure, before an unchallenged victory in Zagreb two days ago and he said he is ready to make it number three in Paris.
The starting list is completed by a confident world champion, Ladji Doucouré of France, Americans Ryan Wilson, the third fastest this season, Dominique Arnold, David Oliver, Anwar Moore, the winner in Oslo and Aries Merritt.
Jamaica's Delloreen Ennis-London will start from lane 3 in the women's race against world champion Michele Perry and world-leader Virginia Powell.
Ennis-London is coming off a cruising win in midweek, but things will be a lot more challenging this time round. She takes with her countrywoman Vonette Dixon, who races from lane 9.
Elsewhere, Melanie Walker will look to shake off her mishaps from Paris when she challenges a similar field in the women's 400m hurdles, while Cuba's Osniel Tosca (17.52m) starts as one of contenders, along with Jadel Gregório (BRA), Christian Olsson (SWE) and Walter Davis for the men's Triple Jump crown. |
