By Gary Smith, World-Track
STOCKHOLM — A handful of match-ups and a host of world beaters are set to highlight Friday’s DN Gala Super Grand Prix meeting at the Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium.
Leading the way in the sprint events are world-leaders Kerron Stewart of Jamaica and American Tyson Gay, who each will be hoping for another dominant performance similar to the ones they slammed down in Rome.
Gay vs Powell in finale before Berlin
Gay, the world-leader at 9.77 seconds, clashes with Jamaican former world record holder Asafa Powell in the men’s 100 metres, an event that also includes Olympic finallists Michael Frater (JAM), Churandy Martina (AHO), and Darvis Patton (USA).
The last time Powell and Gay came face-to-face, the American world champion produced the world-leading performance to beat Powell, who clocked 9.88 for second.
Stewart, Felix and Ferguson-McKenzie set to battle
A red hot Stewart, who is currently above all her competitors this season over the 100m with her stunning year best of 9.75 seconds, is set to race against a solid 200m field that will feature American world champion Allyson Felix.
Bahamian world leader Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, American Marshevet Hooker and U.S. Virgin Islands’ Laverne Jones should make the race pretty interesting.
Another world-class hurdles field
For the second time this week at a super grand prix meeting, another powerhouse women’s 100m hurdles field has been assembled.
The in form Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan, who on Tuesday established a new Australian and Area record in Monaco, will clash with world leader Lolo Jones, Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Shliep, the second quickest this season, in addition to former world champion Perdita Felicien of Canada and Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton.
Robles targerts for sub-13 seconds
Cuban 110m hurdles Olympic champion and world record holder Dayron Robles is set to carry over his undefeated form in Stockholm.
Robles, whose last outing on Tuesday was a smart 13.06secs in a headwind, is well on course to run the first sub-13 seconds this season at the same stadium he ran 12.91 to win at last year’s meeting.
His strongest challenges should come from American Joel Brown and the improving Dwight Thomas of Jamaica.
Kaki looks to complete week’s double
The men’s two-lap race, which involves world leader Abubaker Kaki of Sudan and Russian Yuriy Borzakovskiy, is also expected to get some public attention.
The pair featured in an intense battle at the Herculis 2009 meeting in Monaco with Kaki coming out on top with a superior finish.
And Rest….
In other events on the track, American world champion Jeremy Wariner, desperate to find his running form ahead of the Berlin championships, races over the men’s 400m against 400m hurdlers Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson of USA and Jamaican Ricardo Chambers.
The women’s race will see Jamaicans Shericka Williams, the Olympic silver medallist and Novlene Williams-Mills, the world bronze medal winner, clashing with Russia’s European Indoor champion Antonina Krivoshapka.
Elsewhere, Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway will start strongest in the men’s Javelin, Russians jumpers Ivan Ukhov and Yaroslav Rybako go in the high jump, while the pole vault will see the Australian Steve Hooker starting as the one to beat.
Also in the field, Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski will match his strength with Americans Reese Hoffa and Adam Nelson in the men’s Shot, while a promising field, led by Americans Brittney Reese and Brianna Glenn, and Russia’s Tatyana Lebedeva, is set to square off in the women’s long jump.
