Mexico City, Mexico - World 400m champion Ana Gabriela Guevara will again be the main attraction at the second edition of the Banamex Grand Prix in Mexico City’s 1968 Olympic stadium on 22 May 2004.

Guevara was the star of the inaugural Grand Prix 3 May 2003, when she set a new world best over the rarely contested 300 metres distance (35.30), defeating Australia's Olympic champion Cathy Freeman in front a 50,000 crowd, whose frenzied support brought about faint echoes of the scenes surrounding the latter’s own Olympic title win in Sydney 2000.

Last year’s race was Guevara’s seasonal debut, the prelude to a second undefeated year, which saw her win the World title in Paris, the Pan American gold in Santo Domingo and the World Athletics Final in Monaco, as well as improving her Area record to 48.89, the first sub 49-second time since 1996.

”My preparation is focused on the Olympic Games and I want to win in Athens,” said the 26 year-old, confirming that she would battle against Jamaica's World and Olympic silver medallist Lorraine Fenton in what will be her last race on home soil before the Olympic Games in Athens.

Compared to 2000 when she finished fifth at the Olympics, Guevara confirmed that "my body is more mature now. My coach (Raul Barreda) has guided me wisely, going progressively, taking solid steps and setting very objective goals. I have improved in every aspect and more psychologically.”

Apart from the 300-metre world best, Guevara has good memories of the Olympic Stadium, where she clocked the first of her 15 sub 50-second times (49.70) on 1 July 2000.

As last year, 13 events will be contested at the Banamex Grand Prix and organizers hope to confirm other top names soon.

The Mexican competition aims to join the IAAF Grand Prix calendar in the near future. So far, only two Latin American cities (Brazil's Belem and Rio de Janeiro) are part of the IAAF circuit.

Located in the southern part of Mexico City and a facility of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Olympic Stadium has seen 30 World record equalled or broken, including a record 24 new marks in the 1968 Olympics. It has also played host to the 1954 and 1990 Central American and Caribbean, the 1955 and 1975 Pan American Games, the 1979 World University Games and the 1988 Iberoamerican Championships.