Shawn Crawford answering questions at the 2003 Engen Series Press Conference (© Mark Ouma)
Johannesburg, South AfricaFormer World Indoor 200m champion Shawn Crawford (USA) says the Engen Summer Series in South Africa marks the start of his build up to the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, which take place in Paris, this August.
The three leg Engen series gets underway at the Rumsig Stadium in Roodepoort on Friday. In contrast to previous years, when some events took centre stage at each meeting, Athletics South Africa has endeavoured to have potentially thrilling match-ups in almost all events.
Brimming with confidence, Crawford says he has got over his disqualification (ran out of his lane) at the recent World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, and has now set his sights on clinching the gold medal in Paris.
“My opponents should know that I am coming to take over the show both in the 100 and the 200 metres. Although Friday’s meeting marks the start of my outdoor season, I am deadly serious about posting a fast 100m time early in the season.”
“A fast time on Friday will gear me up for an even faster time in the 200m. I have not given up my dream of running the 200m in a world record of 18.99 seconds,” said Crawford. His career best of 19.85 in the 200m achieved in Pretoria was the fastest time in the event last year.
“I learnt from my mistake (in Birmingham). From now on I will focus more on sprinting in the middle of my lane. I have adjusted my tactics a little.“ said Crawford.
He will face stiff competition in the Engen series from Stephan Buckland (Mauritius) a World Championships 200m finalist, veteran Frank Fredericks (Namibia), Idrissa Sanou (Burkina Faso), and the South Africans, Morne Nagel and the in-form Sherwin Vries.
The men’s Discus will feature a quality field with 2000 Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna facing a challenge from bronze medallist Frantz Kruger (South Africa). Aleksander Tammert (Estonia), Roland Varga (Hungary) and Sergy Lyakhov (Russia) are among those expected to give the Olympic heroes a run for their money.
A fierce contest is expected in the men’s 800 metres, where two Commonwealth Games medallists renew acquaintance. Gold medallist, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa), faces the Kenyans Joseph Mutua (silver) and William Yampoi.
Fourth at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Andrea Blackett (BAR) will make a return to competition in the women’s 400 metres Hurdles, after a spate of injuries over the past two years. She is in for a tough challenge from Yvonne Harrison (Puerto Rico), Surita Febbraio (South Africa) and Senegal’s Tacko Diouf.
World Championships 200m silver medallists Debbie Ferguson (Bahamas) will clash with Nigeria’s All Africa Games 100m silver medallist Endurance Ojokolo. They will be challenged in the sprints by a crop of up-and-coming Africans, Makaridja Sanganoko (Ivory Coast), Winnet Dube (Zimbabwe), and the South Africans Geraldine Pillay and Janice Josephs.
Eleswhere, African Pole Vault record holder Okkert Brits, faces World Indoor champion Tim Lobinger (Germany), and Lauren Looijie (Holland). While the World Indoor 60m Hurldles finalists Shaun Bownes (SouthAfrica) and Stanislav Olijars (Latvia) clash in the 110m Hurdles.
South Africa’s Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Llewellyn Herbert will have to be at his best. He has a tall order to live up to, containing the youthful challenge from Ter de Villiers and Ockert Cilliers, the silver and bronze medallists at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
