Lauryn Williams of USA during the women's 60m first round heats (© Getty Images)
World 100m champion Lauryn Williams will open her European campaign on 28 June at the Spitzenleichtathletik meeting in the swiss town of Luzern.
The Spitzenleichtathletik is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final.
Williams, the Olympic silver medallist, who comes to Europe one week after finishing second at the USA Championships in Indianapolis in 11.16 behind winner Torri Edwards, will run the 200m against The Bahamas' Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, the Olympic bronze medallist in Athens. Ferguson will also run the 100m against young Jamaican Simone Facey.
Two more world champions from Helsinki 2005 will compete in Luzern - javelin thrower Andrus Värnik from Estonia, who upset favourites Andreas Thorkildsen and Tero Pitkämäki to win the world title in stormy conditions two years ago, and Yuriy Krymarenko, the surprising world high jump winner. The Ukrainian will battle with Italy’s Andrea Bettinelli who cleared 2.30m to win at the European Cup First League in Milan.
Apart from Lauryn Williams another star from the recent US Championships on show will be Tiffany Ross-Williams who ran the fastest time in the world in 2007 in the women’s 400m Hurdles - 53.28 - in Indianapolis.
In-form British sprinter Marlon Devonish will line-up in the 200 metres having clocked the fastest time in Europe this year - 20.33 - when winning last weekend’s the European Cup in Munich.
Cuban triple jumpers Osniel Tosca (PB 17.52), Yoandri Betanzos, the World silver medallist in 2003 and 2005, and Alexis Copello will provide a tough test to their former compatriot Alexander Martinez (SB 16.87 in Vaasa last weekend) who now competes for Switzerland.
High hurdler Anwar Moore, winner of the first Golden League race of the season but not qualified for Osaka after finishing fifth in the highly competitive US Champs in Indianapolis, will return to Luzern where he won two years ago.
Double World indoor champion Alleyne Francique will start as the favourite in the 400 metres.
Luzern has always launched new sprint stars. Notably last year 'X-Man' Xavier Carter ran his first-ever European race winning the 100m in 10.11. This year young Jamaican Nesta Carter, who finished third last weekend at the Jamaican Championships in the 100 metres in 10.11, is looking to continue his recent progress on the fast Luzern track.
Donna McFarlane from Australia, second in the 3000m Steeplechase race in Oslo in 9:26.63, leads a good quality field which also features former World Junior champion Gladys Kipkemoi, Gladys Chemweno and Salome Jepchumba (third at the 2006 World Athletics Final in Stuttgart), Fionnuala Britton from Ireland (2006 European U23), and Italian record holder Elena Romagnolo (9:41.11 in Milan last weekend).
European 800 metres bronze medallist Rebecca Lyne from Great Britain will run her first race of the season in the 1500 metres after some injury problems.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
