Gebrselassie
and El Guerrouj to compete in Nice Grand Prix
The
1999 Nikaïa Grand Prix, part of the IAAF Grand Prix circuit presented yesterday in Paris
the main athletes who will be competing in Nice on 17 July.
The press conference was given by Meeting Director Robert Bertojo accompanied by Christine
Arron, testimonial of the meeting, accompanied by M. Hermann and M. Masséna representing
the city of Nice, Philippe Lamblin, President of the French Federation and Patrick Chene
head of sports of France Television.
The organisers announced the presence of 6 reigning world champions: Haile Gebrselassie,
Hicham El Guerrouj, Allen Johnson (110m hurdles), Wilson B. Kipketer (3000 SC), Stéphane
Diagana and Nezha Bidouane (400m hurdles).
1998 Golden League co-winners Gebrselassie and El Guerrouj will enter respectively the
3000m and the mile while France's Stéphane Diagana will compete in the 400m facing
strong opposition from Antonio Pettigrew and world record holder Harry Butch Reynolds.
Two world record
holders in the women’s events were announced. American Kim Batten eternally duelling
with Moroccan counterpart in the 400m hurdles and Australian Emma George, who will give an
extra boost to the women’s pole vault contest, scheduled in Nice for the first time
ever.
The
men’s pole vault contest should reach high levels with Olympic champions Jean
Galfione and Maxim Tarasov heading the field and American Jeff Hartwig, world indoor
silver medallist in Maebashi ready to take his revenge on Galfione.
The sprint events will count on two big names of the track. Multi world and Olympic
medallist Frank Fredericks should double 100m/200m while European 100m champion and record
holder Christine Arron has yet to decide which distance she will compete at.
The 1999 edition of the Nikaïa will be scheduled for the late afternoon, with the first
race beginning at 5 PM, after an agreement concluded with the French national television
guaranteeing live broadcasting of the event in order to promote athletics in France.
