Fast stars to challenge Powell
By Scott Gullan
February 2, 2006
THREE of the world’s fastest men have confirmed they will be joining 100m world record holder Asafa Powell in the straight-line sprint at the Commonwealth Games.
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In a boost to the Games’ blue ribbon event, Ghana’s Aziz Zakari and Trinidad and Tobago duo Marc Burns and Darrel Brown have told organisers they are preparing for Melbourne.
They have all broken 10 seconds in the past year and Zakari was second in Powell’s world record run in Athens.
Zakari, whose best is 9.99sec, is a two-time Olympic and world championship finalist. Burns won last year’s IAAF Grand Prix final in 10.00sec. His best is 9.96sec.
Brown emerged when he won the world junior championships in 2002, beating Burns. A year later he just missed being world champion, finishing a close second to Kim Collins in Paris.
After injury problems in 2004, Brown returned last year with a personal best 9.99sec.
The presence of Burns and Brown in Melbourne means Trinidad and Tobago will start a clear favourite for gold in the 4 x 100m relay.
Powell is on track in his recovery from a groin injury, making a successful return to competition in a 400m event in Jamaica at the weekend.
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Meanwhile, Sonia O’Sullivan and Ambrose Ezenwa have both been cleared to represent Australia after the Commonwealth Games Federation in London rubber-stamped their applications yesterday.
The former Republic of Ireland distance great and Nigeria sprinter Ezenwa can now be selected in the Games team should they qualify at the trials starting in Sydney today.
O’Sullivan, who will run in the 5000m, became a citizen on Australia Day while Ezenwa was last week cleared by Nigeria after having lived in Sydney for the past six years.
Ezenwa is a major player in the 100m after clocking an A-standard qualifying time of 10.18sec in Canberra last week.
Shot putter Justin Anlezark has been granted an exemption from the trials after injuring a finger last week.
Herald Sun