Christine Ohuruogu, Olympic 400m champion (© Getty Images)
A host of Olympians will be welcomed to Gateshead for the Aviva British Grand Prix - a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2008 - on Sunday (31 Aug) including home favourite, Christine Ohuruogu, Jamaican Olympic 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser, and Ethiopian distance star Tirunesh Dibaba as well as World champion, Tyson Gay and former 100m World record holder, Asafa Powell.
The men’s 100m is headed by Powell, backed up by his colleague on the victorious Beijing sprint relay quartet, Nesta Carter.
Pitting themselves against the all-conquering Jamaicans are the British duo of Olympic semi-finalist, Tyrone Edgar and Craig Pickering.
Beijing finalist, Marc Burns from Trinidad completes the line-up accompanied by 2003 World champion, Kim Collins (SKN).
The women’s short sprint features the Beijing gold and silver medallists, Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser and Sherone Simpson as well as European champion, Kim Gevaert (BEL) and former World champion, Lauryn Williams (USA).
Jeannette Kwakye, World indoor silver and first British Olympic 100m finalist for 24 years, once again measures herself against the Jamaicans together with British record holder, Montell Douglas.
American Tyson Gay will be the man to beat in the 200m. After an injury-affected preparation to his Olympic campaign he will be looking to get back on the winning trail. Standing in his way will be team-mate Wallace Spearmon, eager to make up for his disqualification in Beijing after thinking he had clinched bronze. Olympic fourth placer, Brian Dzingai (ZIM) and British finalist Christian Malcolm also compete.
In the women’s 200m, Olympic finalists Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (BAH) and Cydonie Mothersill (CAY) contend with Britons, Emily Freeman and Kwakye who doubles up.
After a superb Olympics where he improved to a world class 44.60 sec, Britain’s Martin Rooney will want to continue the upward trend with a win in the 400m, while the women’s race sees Britain’s sole Olympic athletics champion Christine Ohuruogu go through her paces accompanied by team-mate, Nicola Sanders. Foreign interest will be provided by the USA’s Mary Wineberg and Christine Amertil (BAH).
Oslo Dream Mile winner, Andy Baddeley (GBR), will have his work cut out in the 1000m to hold off Olympic 1500m bronze Nick Willis (NZ) and World 1500m champion, Bernard Lagat (USA). American 800m champion, Nick Symmonds, who had a disappointing Olympics, will be looking to re-establish his reputation.
The women’s 800m pits Olympic semi-finalists, Marilyn Okoro (GBR) and Poland’s Anna Rostkowska against each other.
The 1500m involves World Indoor bronze medallist, Gelete Burka (ETH), up against British number one, Lisa Dobriskey, and World junior champion, Stephanie Twell. American Olympic trials winner, Shannon Rowbury, fifth fastest in the world this year, will provide tough opposition.
A squad of Britons led by Mo Farah takes on Kenyans Isaac and Boniface Songok in the 3000m, backed up by Mike Kigen who was second in the London Grand Prix earlier in the season.
The women’s event brings together many of the Beijing 5000m finalists including Dibaba whose historic distance double was one of the highlights of the Games.
The men’s hurdles features Britain’s one-two Andy Turner and Allan Scott against Olympic semi-finalist Marcel van der Westen (NED), while in the women’s race the USA’s Lolo Jones, will be hoping to take up where she left off before hitting the ninth hurdle of the Olympic final. Australia’s Olympic silver Sally McLellan will be no pushover, though. Both first race in Zurich on Friday (29).
The 400m hurdles boasts Olympic bronze Bershawn Jackson (USA) up against finalists, Marek Plawgo (POL) and Markino Buckley (JAM). Richard Yates, second in the London Grand Prix and unlucky not to be picked for Beijing, provides local interest.
Gold and bronze in the women’s Olympic one-lap hurdles final face off once more with Melaine Walker (JAM), fresh from her Olympic and Commonwealth record of 52.64, while bronze medallist Tasha Danvers look to topple the champion.
Britain’s surprise High Jump silver, Germaine Mason, joins battle with World champion, Donald Thomas (BAH) who failed to qualify for the Olympic final.
Silver and bronze in the Olympic Pole Vault final, Yevgeniy Lukyanenko (RUS) and Denys Yurchenko (UKR) clash once again, but they had better watch out because World champion and season lead Brad Walker (USA), 6.04, will be looking to make up for failing to qualify for that dramatic final in Beijing.
Olympic silver, Phillips Idowu meets Gateshead-based Brazilian and World silver medallist, Jadel Gregorio (BRA), in the Triple Jump, while in the Long Jump, 8.24 performer Miguel Pate (USA) confronts rising British star, Greg Rutherford.
Closing off the field events for the women, ever-improving Briton Goldie Sayers has Bird’s Nest finalists Kathrina Molitor (GER) and Barbara Madejczyk (POL) to fend off in the Javelin Throw.
Michael Butcher for the IAAF
