By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com
ROME, Italy: Several world-ranked Caribbean athletes will be competing at the 2007 IAAF Golden Gala, the third meeting of the six Golden League series for the year in Rome, Italy on Friday.
MEN
100m
Leading the pack will be an injury-free Asafa Powell, who signed up for the meeting earlier this week, after discovering that his injured groin has healed faster than expected.
Powell made a return to the track at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday, as a member of the Jamaican 4x100m relay team and he is looking forward to competing in Rome.
Running the anchor leg for the victorious Jamaicans, Powell never looked like burning any calories and he admitted that it was an easy day for him.
“Lausanne was very cold, so we decided to take it easy,” he said during the pre-meeting press conference at the Sheraton Roma on Thursday. “Yes, I was (running) very easy and relaxed. That was just a test run.”
The Jamaican will face an in-form Bahamian Derrick Atkins, who is also eager to race against his fellow islander. Americans Shawn Crawford and Mark Jelks, Netherlands Antilles’ Churandy Martina and Jamaicans Nesta Carter and Michael Frater are the other top runners in the event.
400m
The men’s 400m will see Jamaican champion Sanjay Ayre and Grenadian two-time World Indoor 400m champion Alleyne Francique matching up against American Angelo Taylor and Lashawn Merritt.
Both runners have been busy on the track in Europe this season, but are yet to crack the Americans, who continue to dominant on the circuit, even without Jeremy Wariner, the World and Olympic 400m champion.
Congo’s star quarter-miler Gary Kikaya will also be in the event and will be one to watch, especially after defeating both Ayre and Francique to win in Lausanne, Tuesday.
110m Hurdles
The men’s 110m Hurdles will feature Cuban star Dayron Robles, a man who captured four victories in a seven day cycle last week, before resting up for this meeting in Rome.
Robles pulled out of the meeting in Lausanne because of fatigue but he is confident in getting back to winning again. He will face Americans David Payne, the man he nipped in Paris to win a very close encounter, Dominique Arnold, Allen Johnson and David Oliver for the title. World champion Ladji Doucoure of France is also in the event. However, Chinese World record holder and champion Liu Xiang will not compete.
400m Hurdles
The longer version of the obstacle race will see Dominican Republic’s Felix Sanchez trying to get back to race form as the world championships draws closer.
He has a season’s best of 48.86, achieved at the Athens Grand Prix meeting, but has not been able to keep his return performances on the track consistent. The other Caribbean athlete in the event is Jamaica champion Danny McFarlane, who has a 48.52 best this year.
American champion and world leader James Carter (47.72) and Trinidad-born Kerron Clement (47.80) and world champion Bershawn Jackson (48.13) are the favourites to take the title.
Triple Jump
Former World Youth bronze medallist Osniel Tosca of Cuba tackles a strong line-up in the men’s Triple Jump.
Tosca will be joined by Grenada’s Randy Lewis, as they look to fend off the strong challenges from the European contenders, headed by Olympic champion Christian Olsson (SWE), world champion Walter Davis (USA), Brazil’s Jadel Gregorio and Romanian Marian Oprea.
WOMEN
100m
This event will have Cayman Islands’ top female sprinter Cydonie Mothersille coming up against the likes of Torri Edwards, the 2007 in-form American dash runner, who defeated Jamaica’s Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell to win in Switzerland on Tuesday.
There will be no Campbell in Rome so Edwards should have things her way, despite the presence of MeLisa Barber, one of the three sub-11 seconds runner this season and Allyson Felix, the world 200m champion.
400m
After her commanding run to win in Paris last week, it has been predicted that Jamaican-born Sanya Richards will be untouched in the quarter-mile this season if she continues to race in that vein.
A world-leading 49.52 in Paris against one of the strongest lineups this season saw her keeping her hunt alive in the Golden League series and Richards is hoping to keep up the hard work to prevent her chances of winning a share of the $1 million jackpot prize from slipping.
“The 400 is very competitive, everybody wants to win, so every time I step on the track I try to bring my best performance,” Richards said at the pre-meeting press conference.
“So I think it will be another great race here. The field is really good so I’m looking forward to a really fast time.”
Richards’ biggest challenges are expected to come from Jamaican Novlene Williams (50.06), DeeDee Trotter (49.62), Natasha Hastings (49.84) and Mary Wineberg (50.24). Jamaican Sherika Williams and Bahamian two-time World Indoor medallist, Christine Amertil are also listed to compete.
800m
Following her surprise victory in Lausanne, Jamaica world indoor silver medallist Kenia Sinclair will be full of confidence running the 800m at the Olympic Stadium.
Sinclair, with a best of 1:58.61 this season, will come up against American Hazel Clark, the runner up to Sinclair on Tuesday, Kenya’s record holder Janeth Jepkosgei, Alice Schmidt (USA) and American champion Alysia Johnson.
100m Hurdles
As it was in the chill on Tuesday, Jamaica’s world silver medallist Delloreen Ennis-London will have her hands full against another strong starting list in the women’s 100m Hurdles.
World champion Michelle Perry of USA, Sweden’s Susanna Kallur and Lolo Jones (USA), the three women that defeated her on Tuesday are all back again to test the Jamaican champion.
400m Hurdles
Improving converted 400m hurdles runner Melaine Walker will be gunning for a revenge when taking on the women that defeated her in Lausanne.
The Jamaican champion and former Texas star came close to winning in her last meeting, but unfortunately clipped the final hurdle and was thrown off her rhythm. She, however, managed to bounce back to snatch second and, looking back at her run in the home straight, she will definitely be one of the ones to watch again.
Former world champion Jana Pittman-Rawlinson of Australia, Ukraine’s Anastasiya Rabchenyuk, Sandra Glover and Walker’s team-mate Shevon Stoddart are some of the other athletes in the list of competitors. |
