After dominating the domestic season, sprint star Joshua Ross has a golden opportunity to make a mark on Saturday at the venue for the upcoming world athletics championships.
Ross is one of the favourites for the 100 metres at the World Athletics Tour meet in Osaka.
The toughest challenges are likely to come from local stars Shingo Suetsugu and Nobuharu Asahara and Americans Marcus Brunson and Jason Smoots.
But the 100m has been thrown wide open by the withdrawal of multiple world and Olympic champion Maurice Greene, who failed to recover in time from a dental operation.
It will be Ross’ first competitive hit-out since he won a fourth national 100m title in Brisbane in March, with his time of 10.08 seconds making him the fastest-ever Australian on home soil.
The 26-year-old NSW runner headlines a 20-strong Australian team in Osaka, nine of whom have already secured their spots in the team for the world championships starting in the central Japanese city on August 25.
Adam Miller has earned a start in the 200m, and he and Ross are also set to run in the 4x100m relay.
Australia’s hopes of bettering the world championships qualifying time of 43.90s in the women’s 4x100m relay took a hit with the withdrawal of Melanie Kleeberg due to injury.
Her place in the squad has been taken by youngster Melissa Kay, who will join Sally McLellan, Fiona Cullen and Crystal Attenborough.
In other action, Australian 400m title-holder Sean Wroe faces the daunting task of taking on reigning world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner of the United States in the one-lap race.
McLellan, the new national record holder, and fellow Queenslander Cullen - fresh from a personal best of 13.08 last weekend in Hiroshima - square off against Americans Lolo Jones and Danielle Carruthers in the 100m hurdles.
There will also be a strong Australian presence in the men’s long jump with Tim Parravicini, Chris Noffke and reigning world junior champion Robbie Crowther.
The meet is an official test event for the August 25-September 2 world championships.
AAP
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