News26 Jun 2009


Obikwelu leads sprint line-up in Madrid - IAAF World Athletics Tour

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Francis Obikwelu wins the 100m by the narrowest of margins (© Getty Images)

With only eight days to the the 28th edition of the Madrid International on the 4 July at the Moratalaz Sports Centre, One of the most thrilling races of the evening will be the men’s 100m with the presence of Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu, Nigerian Olusoji Fasuba and Britain’s Mark Lewis-Francis.

The Madrid International is a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.

At 30, Obikwelu has built a magnificent career in the fastest event of the Olympic programme. His silver medal in the Athens’2004 Olympic Games and his three European gold medals, and in addition, his current European record  of 9.86 make him of the world’s best sprinters.

Likewise, Fasuba dazzled in the winter of 2008 achieving the gold medal in Valencia World Indoor Championships over 60 metres, and despite only managing to reach the Olympic quarterfinals in 2008, it should be remembered that his personal best of 9.85, achieved in 2006, remains the African record.

Along with them, in the starting lane we will see Britain’s Mark Lewis-Francis, with a personal best of 10.04, and he was of course one ofg the British squad that won the 4x100 metres relay in the 2004 Olympics.

Add American Mark Jelks, a man who run under 10 seconds in 2008 (9.99) plus the Spanish record holder Ángel David Rodríguez (10.14) and you have a sprint confrontation to savour.

Ignacio Mansilla for the IAAF

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