Shaheen sits by his World record clock in Brussels (© Getty Images)
Organised by the local club Panellinios GS in Athens’ 2004 Olympic stadium on Monday 3 July 2006, the Athens Super Grand Prix 'Tsiklitiria - OPAP' 2006, which is part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour, has attracted its largest ever participation of Olympic and World Championship medallists.
Obikwelu and Fasuba to headline, as Gatlin withdraws
Traditionally, the 100m race has been one of the most important moments of the Athens meeting, as twice in the past the World record has been broken, for as well as Asafa Powell, who sped to his original outright World 100m record on 14 June last year, Maurice Greene in 1999 clocked 9.79, the previous legally run best.
Following joint World record holder Justin Gatlin's withdraw from the meeting due to a "mild strain" - a decision he communicated to the organisers late last night, click here for news - Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, the Olympic silver medallist on this track, and Nigeria’s Olu Fasuba, the new African record holder, whose 9.85 was set on the heels of Gatlin’s World record equalling run in Doha on 14 May, head the 100m bill.
Williams heads American trios challenge
Reigning World champion Lauryn Williams heads a group of fast athletes from the USA. Williams has a personal best of 10.88 (2005), while her compatriots LaTasha Jenkins (11.02 – 2001) and LaTasha Colander (10.97 – 2004) are also capable of a swift run. The Bahamas will be represented by a pair of veteran aces, 2003 World 100m bronze medallist (10.84 NR – 2005) Chandra Sturrup, 34, and Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, 30, the 2004 Olympic 200m bronze medallist who has a best of 10.91 (2002) for the 100m.
Greece’s Georgia Kokloni and European Under 23 champion Maria Karastamati, are the locals in the race.
World record attempts in both steeplechases
The men’s and the women’s 3000m Steeplechase races have been lined-up to attempt the respective World records of 7:53.63 and 9:01.59.
The World record holder, Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen intends to lower the record he set in Brussels in 2004.
Shaheen, the 2003 and 2005 World champion, is looking for a time around 7:50. “I like to compete in “Tsiklitiria” and in Athens because usually the weather helps me to achieve great performances," said Shaheen. "So, I hope tomorrow the weather conditions will be ideal in my race and everything goes well”.
His closest rival could be Bahrain’s young star, Tareq Mubarak Taher, who ran to a national record of 8:11.36 in Huelva, Spain, this week (20 June), so far the fastest time in the world this year. The Kenyan group in this race consists of former World champion and World record holder Wilson Boit Kipketer, and Brimin Kipruto, the 2005 World bronze and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, Wesley Kiprotich, the Commonwealth Games runner-up, and the 18-year-old Abel Mutai, second at the 2000m Steeplechase at the World Youth championships last year.
In the women’s race, Melissa Rollison from Australia, who ran 9:24.29 to take silver at the Commonwealth Games in March, remains the second fastest in the world this year. In Athens, she will take-on Russia’s World Championship silver medallist Yekaterina Volkova, who set her PB in Helsinki when taking that medal – 9:20.49. Lyubov Ivanova, who ran 9:26.54 to win the Russian title in Tula (12 June), and Poland’s Wioletta Janowska who came second in the Athens meet last year (9:25.09), are also in the race.
Russian middle distance festival
Double World 1500m champion Tatyana Tomashova, who was also second at the Athens Olympics, Olga Yegorova, the former World champion at 5000m who was second at 1500m behind Tomashova last summer, and Yelena Soboleva, the World Indoor record holder, who leads the season’s world list thanks to the 4:00.47 she set when winning the Russian championships, lay down the strongest possible Russian triple challenge in the women’s 1500m.
France’s Bouchra Ghezielle, who took the bronze in Helsinki last year should be their nearest rival in the Olympic Stadium.
The men’s 1500m also has attracted a cracking line-up, which includes World and Olympic bronze medallist Rui Silva of Portugal, World Indoor champion Ivan Heshko of Ukraine, and Kenyans Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, who ran 3:29.72 last year, and Benjamin Limo, the World 5000m champion.
Russia’s Olympic 800m champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy returns to the stadium in which he won those laurels, and over the two laps will take on the Kenyans Wilfred Bungei, the World Indoor champion, and Justus Koech, as well as 23-year-old Youssef Saad Kamel of Bahrain.
Halkia returns to the Olympic Stadium
USA’s Lashinda Demus who posted a season's world leading 53.07 seconds, the 13th fastest of all-time, for the women’s 400m Hurdles at the USATF Nationals on 25 June, will face Greek heroine Fani Halkia. The Greek, on her way back from a 2005 season sidelined by injury, will be returning to the arena for the first time since 25 August 2004 when she won the Olympic gold medal.
Europe’s second quickest of the current season, Vania Stambolova from Bulgaria (54.55), along with USATF nationals runner-up Sheena Johnson (53.90), and another American, Tiffany Ross-Williams (54.49), will also be contenders in Athens.
Two months after their competition in Osaka, Japan, USA’s World champion Bershawn Jackson and Greek record holder Periklis Iakovakis will meet again. In Osaka the American was the winner, but the Greek set an impressive national record of 47.82 in second on that occasion. World silver medallist James Carter of the USA, and France’s Naman Keita, the Olympic bronze medallist will also compete.
Phillips competes against rising star
Olympic Games gold medallist and double World Long Jump champion, Dwight Phillips of the USA, faces the new star of the event, Panama’s Irving Saladino who leads the world season list with 8.56m. Ghana’s Ignasius Gaisah, the World Indoor champion, and the outdoor silver medallist behind Phillips in Helsinki last summer, Greece’s Luis Tsatoumas, Cuba’s Luiz Meliz and Ibrahim Camejo, and America’s Brian Johnson and Miguel Pate, will be the other protagonists.
Helsinki final in the women’s triple
In the women’s Triple Jump, the top-five finishers from last summer’s World Championships final in Helsinki, Finland, will be competing. Jamaica’s Trecia Smith who launched to a fifth round 15.11m to win that title, will once again compete with Cuba’s silver medallist Yargelis Savigne, and Anna Pyatykh of Russia who secured the final podium position in Helsinki.
Greece's Olympic silver medallist Hrisopiyi Devetzi, who was fifth in the Helsinki final, Sudan’s experienced Yamile Aldama, who was fourth, are also on the Athens entry list. Add one more finalist of Helsinki, Italy’s 2003 World bronze medallist, Magdelin Martinez, and you have quite a triple jumping party!
But ready to spoil it is the pre-eminent force in this event, Russia’s 2001 and 2003 World champion Tatyana Lebedeva who hold’s the season’s best mark of 15.00m, but could compete in Helsinki last summer due to injury.
Bergqvist takes on Veneva and Vlasic
The women's High Jump will be graced by appearance of the current World champion, Sweden’s Kajsa Bergqvist, who later this summer will be attempting to retain the European crown which she won four years ago in Munich. The Swede jumped to the World Indoor record this winter, and despite suffering an injury later in the indoor season, is already back jumping this summer. In Athens, Bergqvist will take on Bulgarian Venelina Veneva, who with 2.03m holds this year's best performance, and Blanka Vlasic from Croatia, who with 2.02m is second on the world list this summer, and is the World Indoor silver medallist.
Menendez verses Germans
World and Olympic champion and World record holder for the women’s Javelin Throw, Cuba’s Osleidys Menendez in this event meets Germany’s top duo, World silver and bronze medallists, Christina Obergföll and Steffi Nerius. Czech Barbora Spotakova, the best of 2006 so far (65.28m), and the Greeks Angeliki Tsiolakoudi, who was 8th in the Helsinki World championship, and Savva Lyka, also compete.
Three more Helsinki winners on show
In the men’s Discus Throw, Lithuanian’s double World and Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna will take on Germany’s ‘Mr. Discus’ Lars Riedel, who was Olympic champion in 1996 and has his own collection of five World championship gold medals. Alekna is 34 and Riedel is 39 years of age both men still stand at the very top of their sport, and are currently the third and fourth longest throwers of the 2006 season respectively, with 67.73m and 69.38m bests.
The Pole Vault is also honoured by the presence of the reigning World champion, the Netherlands’ Rens Blom, and four athletes who have cleared the 6m in their careers – USA’s Toby Stevenson, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist, German Tim Lobinger, Australia's Paul Burgess and his compatriot, the Russian born, Dmitri Markov, the 2001 World champion.
Michelle Perry of the USA is yet another of the Helsinki winner’s to participate in Athens. The 27-year-old American who has a personal best of 12.43 for the women’s 100m Hurdles, competes against Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London, the World silver medallist who was second in Helsinki last year, and Germany’s Kirsten Bolm, the Helsinki 2005 fourth placer.
Michalis Nikitaridis for the IAAF
