IAAF Golden League 2006 Jackpot chase begins in Oslo

IAAF Golden League 2006 - Jackpot chase begins in Oslo - PREVIEW Thursday 1 June 2006

Oslo, Norway – With the year’s largest collection of international stars now converging on the Norwegian capital, the season is set to officially get underway at Oslo’s ExxonMobil Bislett Games on Friday (2-June), and with it, the chase for the $1 million IAAF Golden League Jackpot.

Powell next to make move in season’s Gatlin-Powell Saga

	Powell powers to 9.95 in Kingston, Jamaica (Errol Anderson - The Sporting Image)

After Asafa Powell’s 11-month-old World record of 9.77 was equalled by World and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin three weeks ago in Doha, the men’s 100 metres and the race for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Man’ has been the most talked about and written about event in the sport this spring. Their rivalry reached yet another level last Sunday when the pair raced in separate heats of the short dash at the Prefontaine Classic. There, Gatlin was the “winner” in 9.88 to Powell’s wind-assisted 9.93, which was widely reported as a late-race “shutdown” by the Jamaican. While their next meeting is yet to be announced or perhaps even determined, Oslo will provide the opportunity for Powell to make his next move. After Gatlin’s dash into the history books, Powell said that he would “soon” reclaim sole possession of the record. Might Oslo be “soon” enough?

Bislett organisers have assembled some fast company for the 23-year-old who was crowned Commonwealth champion in March. Nigerian Olusoji Fasuba will make his second appearance since his stunning 9.85 African record in Doha two weeks, tying former World record holder Leroy Burrell as the sixth fastest man ever in the process. Powell's training partner and compatriot Michael Frater will compete as well, this year hoping to build on the momentum that carried him to a silver medal performance in Helsinki last summer. In a subplot of the Gatlin-Powell saga, the field also includes Gatlin's training partner, Shawn Crawford, the reigning Olympic 200 metre champion. While widely viewed as better over the half-lap, the 28-year-old American has three career sub-9.90 performances to his credit.

The women’s field is led by World Indoor 60 metre champion Me’lisa Barber. Fifth in Helsinki last summer after winning the U.S. title, the 25-year-old opened her outdoor season with an 11.06 dash in Carson last weekend but didn’t find her rhythm in Ostrava on Tuesday evening where she finished second to Bahamian Debbie Ferguson. On the comeback trail after being sidelined by injury last season, Ferguson is scheduled to race here as well. Sherone Simpson, the Commonwealth 200 champion, returns to action in the 100 after her runner-up finish in Eugene last weekend. Last year, the 21-year-old dashed to personal best 10.97 at the Jamaican National Championships prior to her fifth place finish in Helsinki. In Melbourne, Simpson produced a personal best 22.14 over the half-lap, still the fastest in the world this year. The field also includes two other Helsinki finalists: Bahamian Chandra Sturrup, who was fourth in the Finnish capital; and American Muna Lee, who was seventh.

	Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway qualifies for the Javelin Throw final (Getty Images)

Wariner, Richards headline the full lap dash

In the men’s 400, the man to beat is American Jeremy Wariner. Still just 22, Wariner has been the event's preeminent force since winning the Olympic title in Athens less than two years ago. Since his Athens triumph, Wariner has been virtually unstoppable, capped by a World championship in Helsinki last August in 43.93 when he became the event’s seventh fastest ever. Already the fastest in the world this year after his 44.12 in Waco, Texas, last month, the lanky Texan underscored his early season form with a 20.19 performance in the 200m at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif., his second personal best over the half-lap this spring.

Among the challengers in Oslo are several adversaries well known to Wariner. Canadian Tyler Christopher will aim to pick up where he left off last season, when he ended his breakout season with a bronze medal in Helsinki. Discounting last year’s World Athletics Final where a minor injury forced Wariner to jog through the finish, Briton Tim Benjamin is the last man to have beaten him. Training partner Darold Williamson has bested Wariner as well in the past, and both will be in the Oslo field. Defending champion Gary Kikaya of the Democratic Republic of Congo will return as well, on the heels of a pair of quick recent victories in Vera Cruz and Belem. Lashawn Merritt, the 2004 World Junior champion and still a teenager, is the young season’s second fastest (44.67), and will also make the trip to the Norwegian capital.

	Kajsa Bergqvist celebrates her 2.01m victory in Gävle (Hasse Sjögren)

Another young American, Sanya Richards, has quickly emerged as the event’s leading lady. With two of the year’s four fastest performances, including a world-leading 49.89 in Kingston last month, the 21-year-old World championships silver medallist will be the hunted in Oslo. At the Prefontaine Classic, Richards topped a solid field by three-tenths of a second.

Leading the chase will be American Monique Henderson and Amy Mbacke Thiam of Senegal. Henderson, a finalist in Helsinki who joined the sub-50 club last summer, clocked 50.83 earlier this month at the Jamaica International meeting, while Thiam will arrive in Oslo after a strong win in Belem last Month. A strong trio of Russians will also be in the race, led by Svetlana Pospelova, the reigning national champion outdoors and European champion indoors who clocked 60.62 in Sochi last weekend. Natalya Antyukh, last year's European Cup winner, and two-time World Indoor Champion Natalia Nazarova, fill out the Russian contingent.

Will the race to succeed El Guerrounj begin in the Dream Mile?

	Jeremy Wariner wins the 400m in 44.84 - 65th Modesto Relays (Kirby Lee)

With the formal announcement 10 days ago that Hicham El Guerrouj has decided to hang up his spikes, the race to succeed the legendary Moroccan may begin when the gun is fired for the fabled Dream Mile.

Among the favourites is one of last year’s standout metric mile stars, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, who returns to the track ranked No. 1 in the IAAF World Rankings. In 2005, the 21-year-old Kenyan produced five of the season’s eight fastest performances in just his first full international season while collecting Golden League wins in Rome, Brussels and Berlin, the latter with a 3:29.72 personal best.

The favourite at the World Indoor Championships in March, Komen was shocked in the final 100 metres by Ukraine’s Ivan Heshko who will be making his first appearance of the year since his Moscow victory in Oslo. A two-time World Athletics Final winner, the 26-year-old is among the most consistent 1500 metre specialists in the world.

	Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia on his way to gold in the men's 3000m final (Getty Images)

Kenyan Alex Kipchirchir followed up his Commonwealth 800 metre title with a win in Doha in 3:34.29, beating a solid field by nearly two seconds and more recently was a close runner-up to Bernard Lagat in Eugene. With 3:30.46 and 3:30.82 bests in 2004 and 2005, the 21-year-old is on the cusp of the sub-3:30 club.

Others in the chase include Kenyan Augustine Choge, who at 19 is already the Commonwealth Games 5000 metre champion with a 3:33.99 best at 1500; Algeria’s Tarek Boukensa, a Helsinki finalist; Suleiman Simotwo of Kenya, third at ISTAF last year and ranked fifth in the world; and 21-year-old Anter Zerguelaine of Algeria, who last year dipped under 3:32.00.

In the 5000, Bekele and Dibaba lead the chase packs

	Sanya Richards completes her 49.89 sec display in Kingston (Errol Anderson - The Sporting Image)

The young Ethiopian stars Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, just 23 and 20 respectively, have already collectively amassed 18 World titles on the track and in cross country in their short careers, and at the Bislett Games, the pair will begin their pursuit of a slice of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot, one of the few prizes missing from their collections.

As has become customary since emerging on the international scene in 2003, Bekele, also the World record holder at 5000 and 10,000m and Olympic champion in the longer event, will be starting as the man to beat. But there are others in Oslo with Golden League aspirations of their own.

Leading the chase pack is 22-year-old Isaac Songok who beat a strong field in the Doha 3000 in 7:28.97, the fastest in the world thus far this year. At last year’s Golden Gala in Rome, the Kenyan was victorious in the 5000, producing his first sub-13 minute performance with his 12:52.29 clocking.

	Dwight Phillips celebrates winning gold in the men's Long Jump (Getty Images)

Also racing in Oslo will be reigning World champion Ben Limo, who raced to a bronze medal earlier this year at the Commonwealth Games and who most recently beat a strong field over 2 miles in Eugene; 20-year-old Boniface Kiprop of Uganda, the Commonwealth 10,000m champion; and Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist Zersenay Tadesse or Eritrea. Not to be discounted is Bekele’s younger brother Tariku, who arrives in Oslo after a personal best in the 3000 to win in Ostrava on Tuesday.

Like Bekele, Dibaba is clearly the woman to beat. Last year she produced a season that even outdid Bekele’s, beginning with her double victory at the World Cross Country Championships and ending with a historic double in Helsinki where she became the first athlete, male or female, to win both the 5000 and 10,000 at a World Championship.

In Oslo, she will be chased by her older sister Ejegayehu, who produced a double bronze performance behind Tirunesh’s double gold in Helsinki last summer. A seasoned veteran at 24, Ejegayehu has solid credentials on the Golden League circuit, including her thrilling win in Rome in 2004.

Leading the Kenyan charge is Prisca Jepleting, on the heels of her win in Ostrava with an early season world leader and personal best in the 3000. Another outsider is 22-year-old Zakio Mrisho of Tanzania, who made a huge leap into the world class ranks last year after her notable sixth place showing in the event in Helsinki.

Medallists galore in the women’s 100m Hurdles

The top-nine ranked sprint hurdlers in the world will begin their Jackpot chase in Oslo, led by Michelle Perry, the reigning World champion who is ranked No. 1 in the world. The 27-year-old American, who made a spectacularly successful switch the to sprint hurdles from the Heptathlon in Helsinki last year, clocked a notable, if slightly wind-aided 12.61 (w +2.3) to win at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, California, last month and last weekend beat the season’s strongest field at the Prefontaine Classic where she clocked 12.63.

In Oslo, she'll face Jamaicans Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Delloreen Ennis-London, respectively ranked No. 2 and 3 in the world. Ennis-London edged her compatriot for silver in Helsinki last summer by the narrowest of margins, with each stopping the clock at 12.76. Foster-Hylton returned the favour in March at the Commonwealth Games where she struck gold while Ennis-London had to settle for bronze. Foster-Hylton has a 12.65 to her credit this year, while Ennis-London clocked 12.74 to win in Doha earlier this month.

The field also includes Germany's Kirsten Bolm who produced a stellar campaign in 2005, capped by a near-PB 12.59 in London and a fourth place finish in Helsinki, while Olympic champion Joanna Hayes will be looking to bounce back from her Helsinki disqualification. American Lolo Jones carries a bit of momentum to Oslo, arriving after her win in Ostrava.

Saladino-Phillips clash in the Long Jump

Undoubtedly, the hottest Long Jumper thus far this spring has been the 23-year-old Panamanian Irving Saladino. After a silver medal with an Area Indoor Record at the World Indoor Championships, Saladino debuted outdoors with an 8.56 outdoor South American record in Rio de Janeiro on 14 May to thrust himself to the doorstep of the event’s all-time Top-10. With 8.47 follow-up efforts in both Fortaleza and Belém, and another strong performance at the IberoAmerican Championships last weekend, Saladino, who began the year with a wind-legal 8.29 personal best, showed his Rio leap was anything but a fluke.

Oslo will provide the first clash between the young upstart and the dominant force in the event in recent years, World and Olympic champion Dwight Phillips of the U.S. Phillips, who successfully defended his world title in Helsinki last summer, has kept busy with the sprints this spring, but does have an 8.30 win from Xalapa to his credit.

Phillips will also have to contend with Ignisious Gaisah, the 22-year-old Ghanaian who has this year already collected gold medals at the World Indoor Championships and the Commonwealth Games. The field also includes World indoor and outdoor Triple Jump champion Walter Davis who has improved to 8.36 this spring in his second event; Frenchman Salim Sdiri, ranked No. 5 in the IAAF World Rankings; and American Brian Johnson, who has 8.33 and 8.29 leaps to his credit this year.

Event’s ‘Who’s Who’ in the Women’s High Jump

Another event laden with talent will be the women’s High Jump. Indeed, with three of the top four finishers from the recent World Indoor Championships, the top four from last summer’s World Championships, and the Olympic gold and bronze medallists, it’s a veritable Who’s Who of the event.

Topping the fields – literally and figuratively - are reigning World champion Kajsa Bergqvist of Sweden and Russian Yelena Slesarenko, the World indoor and Olympic champion. The Swede, who raised the World Indoor Record to 2.08 last February, was sidelined from Moscow with a slight injury preventing a match-up with the Russian in Moscow. There, Slesarenko successfully defended her global indoor title, besting Croatian record holder Blanka Vlasic who, now fully recovered from injuries that shadowed her for the previous two seasons, improved to 2.05 indoors this year.

In difficult conditions on Tuesday, Vlasic became the season’s second two-metre jumper, equalling Helsinki silver medallist Chaunte Howard. The young American is also in the field, along with Vita Styopina, the Olympic bronze medallist and Swede Emma Green, the surprise bronze medallist last summer in Helsinki.

Clash of Giants in the men’s Javelin

Perhaps of most interest to the locals will be the men’s Javelin Throw, pitting Norway’s Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen, Estonia’s World champion Andrus Värnik, and No. 1 ranked Tero Pitkamaki of Finland.

The 24-year-old Thorkildsen prepped for his biggest domestic appearance with a 90.13 national record in Doha earlier this month, thus far the only 90 metre throw of the season. For his part, Pitkamaki, last year’s World Athletics Final champion and the winner of three Golden League contests in 2005, opened his campaign with a notable 88.41m effort in Seinäjoki, Finland, last weekend.

Unlike his chief rivals, Värnik is not yet a member of the 90 metre club, but armed with his Helsinki gold and silver from Paris 2003, he is always a threat. The field also includes Russian Sergey Makarov, the Helsinki and Athens Olympic bronze medallist, and compatriot Aleksandr Ivanov, currently ranked No. 6 in the World. Makarov opened his season with an 88.49 win in Ostrava on Tuesday, while Olympic silver medallist Vadims Vasilevskis of Latvia reached 90.43 on Tuesday at a home competition in Riga.

Men's Discus highlights rest of programme

There will be plenty of compelling action on the non-Golden League portion of the programme.

In the men’s Discus Throw, several of the young season’s top throwers will face-off for the first time. Estonian Aleksander Tammert has produced to year’s only 70 metre-plus throw, a 70.82 from mid-April, but Virgilijus Alekna has been the most consistent. Undefeated in five competitions this spring, the two-time World and Olympic champion carries momentum that his competitors will find hard to snap. Along with Tammert, Hungary’s Zoltan Kovago (69.95 this season), American Ian Waltz (67.85) and Gerd Kanter, another Estonian, will provide a difficult test for Alekna.

Leading the field in the women’s Long Jump is World and Olympic Heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft. The popular Swede, who last weekend claimed her fourth consecutive Heptathlon win in Gotzis, has indicated that she’ll make plenty of starts in her “back-up” event before deciding whether she will double at August’s European Championships.

After her surprise win in the Ostrava 100 on Tuesday, Olympic bronze medallist Debbie Ferguson said she was looking forward to her Oslo appearance in the 200, eager to find her race rhythm after being sidelined from the track all last year. Rachelle Smith, the Helsinki silver medallist, European champion Kim Gevaert of Belgium, and American Stephanie Durst should provide plenty of competition for the Bahamian.

With few athletes strongly tested this season, the men’s 800 on paper appears as a wide-open contest. Mohammad Al Azzimi of Kuwait is the early season world leader, and will make his first major start since his 1:44.80 in Doha. Dmitrijs Milkevics of Latvia, fourth at the World Indoor Championships, arrives in Oslo on the heels of a 1:45.73 performance in the chill of Ostrava. The field also includes Majid Saeed Sultan of Qatar, who won the World junior title as Kenyan Elijah Kosgei

The women’s two lapper includes Kenya’s Commonwealth champion Janet Jepkosgei whose 1:57.88 from Melbourne is still the fastest performance of the year. Jamaican Kenia Sinclair, who finished behind the Kenyan in Melbourne just a few weeks after her runner-up finish at the World Indoor Championships, will be eager to make amends. Most recently, the Jamaican record holder finished finished a close second to Maria Mutola in Eugene.

The programmed also includes a men’s 1500, that features Bahrain’s Al Belal Mansoor and Ireland’s James Nolan, along with several top Norwegian metric milers.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF