By Gary Smith, World-Track
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Tuesday’s Athletissima 2009 IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in
Barring there are no withdrawals, fans will get to see an early head-to-head clash between sprint champions from
Jeters and Fraser clash early
After ending the impressive undefeated run of
Fraser, the stunning Olympic champion from
According to experts, a reverse in the wind could have seeing Fraser’s time being somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10.6seconds.
Jeters in the meantime has also been impressive this year and top that off with a victory at the American trials. She has run a series of fast sub-11 seconds this year, including the 10.78sec to win in
Knowing the type of coach Steve Francis is something buzzing around suggests he has other plans for Fraser, just like he did after she finished second at the
The must see race in the sprints on Tuesday, however, is definitely the men’s 200m which will feature Olympic champion and World record holder Usain Bolt, who promised to lay down something fast to see where he is before Berlin.
Bolt, who easily sprinted to the 100m and 200m double at the Jamaica trials last month, will line up against American half-lap champion Shawn Crawford, who after his 19.73sec (+3.3) performance to win in Eugene, said he is in the sort of shape that could produce something big as the season progresses.
Crawford’s time is significantly quicker than the to 20.25sec Bolt ran in Kingston, but one also has to take into consideration that the time was almost accomplished in last 100m trot and going into a slight headwind.
Another man to lookout for in the race is Olympic Games and American 400m champion LaShawn Merritt, who has run 20.07 this year and looked comfortable in doing so as well.
Merritt and Crawford will push Bolt to something promising indeed as the
American Tyson Gay has the fastest time of year, at 19.58sec, the third quickest ever and although he is not in that kind of shape, Bolt says he wants to go quick.
The men’s 100m will see a host of sub-10 seconds runner, including American rising star and national champion Mike Rogers, former world record holder Asafa Powell and his Jamaican training team-mate Michael Frater competing.
The American got the better of Powell twice on his home turf last month and will be buzzing with confidence to extend that unbeaten run against the Jamaican overseas.
Things, however, will not be as simple with Powell slowly rounding into form and gradually recovering from an ankle injury that has been affecting him for quite sometime now.
After his poor showing overseas, Powell ran a season’s best of 9.97sec to finish second behind Bolt at the
Also needing mention are former world silver medalist and Olympic finalist Frater, in addition to his fellow countryman Steve Mullings, who on Saturday clocked a solid 10.11, running into a -1.9m/s headwind to win in
Good field here as well
A classic women’s 200m field that includes three Jamaicans and three Americans has also been assembled.
American Muna Lee and Kerron Stewart of