David Oliver of the US dominated the 110m hurdles in Split (© Getty Images)
David Oliver, the world's dominant high hurdler in 2010, will square off against Former World and Olympic champion Liu Xiang in the 60m Hurdles at the BW Bank Meeting, the fifth meeting in the IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting 2011 series, in Karlsruhe, Germany, on 13 February.
Oliver, who won the Inaugural Samsung Diamond Race in the 110m Hurdles last summer, was on a tear outdoors in 2010, winning each of his 15 competitions while producing the five fastest times in the world (and 12 of the top 15), which included his 12.89 US national record clocking from his win in Paris on 16 July. Oliver’s performance was the fourth-fastest time ever, and made him the third-fastest 110m hurdler of all-time trailing only World record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba and former World record holder Liu Xiang of China.
Liu Xiang, who took Olympic Gold in 2004, the World title in 2007 and the World indoor 60m Hurdles title in 2008, has been dogged by injury since his dramatic departure from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but signalled a strong return to form at the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November where he triumphed in 13.09 to end his short season as the year's third fastest hurdler.
Liu Xiang is no stranger to Karlsruhe's Europahalle, the setting of his 7.42 Asian indoor record in the 60m Hurdles in 2007. Oliver, who opened his 2011 season with a 7.51 victory in Glasgow last Saturday, has a personal best of 7.44 was set last winter in Doha when he captured World indoor bronze.
The pair join a slew of previously announced stars, including European 100m champions Christoph Lemaitre of France and Germany's Verena Sailer who'll contest the 60m, reigning World indoor 60m Hurdles champion Lolo Jones in her specialty, and German Christian Reif, the European champion in the Long Jump.
Organisers for the IAAF
