Bolt headlines Zagreb Memorial meet
CMC
Thursday, August 31, 2006
ZAGREB, Croatia (CMC) - Jamaican 200-metre sprint ace Usain Bolt is one of the headliners at the 56th edition of the Hanzekovic Memorial track and field meeting today.
BOLT… competes in men’s 200-metres
Bolt, the World Junior record holder, will contest the men’s half-lap sprint that is one of the main attractions at the IAAF World Athletics Tour event in the Croatian capital.
As the third quickest in the world this year over the distance with a season’s best 19.98 seconds at last month’s Lausanne Super Grand Prix, Bolt - who turned 20 last Monday - is a hot favourite for the 200 metres.
His rivals are expected to include fellow Jamaican and Commonwealth champion Usain Bolt, and the American Rod Martin.
Only Xavier Carter (19.63) and Tyson Gay (19.70) have gone faster than Bolt this year over the distance.
Both the 100-metre fields feature the double European champions - Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu and Kim Gevaert of Belgium.
Gevaert will have to contend with Bahamian Debbie Ferguson and American Stephanie Durst in her race and both Ferguson and Durst are entered in the 200 as well.
Young Cuban sprint hurdles star Dayron Robles, at only 19 years, is one of the favourites for the men’s 110-metre hurdles with former Olympic champion Allen Johnson, of the USA, and Jamaican Commonwealth champion Maurice Wignall also in the field.
The women’s 400 will provide local star and new World Junior champion Danijela Grgic with a platform to show her worth among the seniors.
In Beijing two weeks ago, Grgic, still just 17, beat a strong field en route to her 50.78 clocking, breaking the Croatian national senior record of 50.98, which had stood since 1974.
Her rivals this evening will include improving Jamaican Novlene Williams, and Bulgarian European champion Vanya Stambolova.
In the men’s 400, Jamaica-born Brandon Simpson, now competing for Bahrain, faces Grenada’s two-time World Indoor champion Alleyne Francique.
Olympic silver medallist Derrick Brew, of the USA, and Bahamian Chris Brown are also on the start list.
Fresh from his win in Rieti on Sunday, Jamaican Kemel Thompson races in the men’s 400 hurdles against his Jamaican colleague and Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane, and American James Carter