DOHA, May 12 - Olympic 100 metres gold medallist Justin Gatlin will face a stiff challenge at the Qatar IAAF Super Grand Prix on Friday from silver medallist Francis Obikwelu and the 200 metre winner in Athens, Shawn Crawford.
Gatlin recorded a season-opening win in Osaka last week, coming home in 10.15 seconds, but faces a much stronger field here, including Portugal’s Nigerian-born Obikwelu and fellow American Crawford.
Olusoji Fasuba, age 20, 175cm and 78kg, is also running in Doha. He won a race in Nairobi, Kenya last weekend and the electronic scoreboard showed 9.47sec. Then later it was listed at 9.87sec electronic. This time was then allocated hand-time status of 9.80sec. He backed up for the final and won in 10.09sec still legless from his fast qualifying run. He is the African Championships winner from Brazzaville last year and a member of Nigeria’s Olympic bronze medal-winning relay. This guy has an excellent 
coach and both young men are very much on the rise. Watch this space kk 
I should improve on my timing from here on,'' Gatlin said. I missed out on training at the beginning of the season, we had to find a new track, and it took us two months, which was disappointing, I had to train on grass.
However, I'm happy that I'm catching up on things. I started my build-up to the Olympics here (Doha) last year, and I consider this year as a build-up to my surge to the world title'' to be decided between August 6 and 14 in Helsinki. I didn’t perform well (in Osaka) and I hope I’ll do my best tomorrow. But it will not be easy as we have many good competitors who are taking part,’’ he said.
Crawford, who won the 100 metres in Doha in 2004 in a wind-assisted 9.86 seconds ahead of training partner Gatlin, was in buoyant mood ahead of the meet in the Qatari capital Doha.
I'm ready to repeat my high performance of last season,'' he said. I’m going to do my best. If I’m ready for the World Championships in Helsinki my aim is to win the gold medal and to break the record (in the 200 metres).’’
The two American speedsters will have to contend with the talent of Obikwelu, who only entered the Olympic 100 metres as a warm-up for the longer sprint, and finished second to Gatlin.
Elsewhere, Saif Saeed Shaheen of Qatar, formerly known as Stephen Cherono of Kenya before switching allegiances, is gunning for the 2,000 metre steeplechase record of 5min 14min 43sec.
That time was set by one of Shaheen’s former colleagues, Julius Kariuki, in 1990, and his only real challanger is another Kenyan, Wesley Kiprotich, who won in Osaka last weekend.
In the flat 3,000 metres, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge faces stiff competition from young compatriot Augustine Choge, the World Junior and Youth 5,000 metres champion who won the World Junior Cross Country title in France last month.
In the women’s events, several performers are making a comeback from injury, notably World Indoor record holder, Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia in the 800 metres.
She faces Olympic medallist Hasna Benhassi of Morocco and her returning colleague, Mina Ait-Hammou, but Diane Cummings of Canada could surprise them all.
Anju Bobby George, India’s World Championships bronze medallist from Paris in 2003, also returns to competition after a six-month break and is bracing herself for a punishing schedule.
Her first event back will see her up against Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia and former world champion Fiona May of Italy.
