Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia on her way to victory in the Pole Vault Final (© Getty Images)
After their successful World title defences in Osaka, Pole Vault Queen Yelena Isinbayeva and American 100m hurdler Michelle Perry resume their chase for the $1 million IAAF Golden League Jackpot when the six-meeting series resumes at Zurich's Weltklasse on Friday, 7 September.
In Osaka, Isinbayeva clearly illustrated two things: the first, that remains for the moment without peer in her event, and the second, that she is once again threatening her own World record of 5.01 set two years ago in Helsinki. In Zurich, she'll face Osaka silver and bronze medallists Katerina Badurova of the Czech Republic and Russian compatriot Svetlana Feofanova, who each cleared 4.75. For the Czech, it was a national record.
Perry will take on Swede Susanna Kallur, who finished out of the medals in Osaka despite lowering her national record to 12.51. Kallur, the European champion, is however the only woman to have defeated Perry this season with her victory in Stockholm early last month. Jamaica's Delloreen Ennis-London, the bronze medallist in Osaka, will also take to the line.
The Jackpot chase has taken on special meaning for Sanya Richards after the American star first failed to qualify for the Osaka team in her premiere event, and then left Osaka without an individual medal after finishing fifth. She didn't leave empty-handed though, anchoring the victorious American 4x400m Relay squad to gold. In Zurich, she'll face Briton Nicola Sanders, who finished second in Osaka, bronze medallist Novlene Williams of Jamaica, and U.S. champion Dee Dee Trotter.
One of the most memorable performances in Osaka came in the women's 800m, where Kenyan Janeth Kipkosgei overwhelmed the field with a gun-to-tape victory in a world-leadin 1:56:04. The Kenyan returns to action in Zurich, taking on among others Osaka bronze medallist Mayte Martinez of Spain and Russia's European champion Olga Kotlyarova who missed a medal in Osaka.
Capped by her victory in the High Jump on Sunday, Croatia's Blanka Vlasic has been on an incredible ride in 2007, one that will continue this weekend in Zurich. The 23-year-old has won all but one of her 14 contests to date this season, and after 15 tries at a would-be World record of 2.10, she is edging closer and closer to the 2.09 mark which has stood for two decades. Zurich will reunite the entire Osaka podium, with Russian Anna Chicherova and Italy's Antonietta DiMartino competing as well.
Another thrilling Osaka rematch comes in the 1500m, where champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal will again face Russia's world leader Yelena Soboleva, the Osaka runner-up, and Ukraine's Iryna Lishchinska, the World bronze medallist. The women's 100m field includes Americans Lauryn Williams and Carmelita Jeter, the silver and bronze medallists in Osaka.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
