Fasuba battles Obikwelu in Athens

Printable Version (03/07/2006)

By Yomi Omogbeja

African 100m record holder Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria will lead the 100m charge at the Athens Super Grand Prix 'Tsiklitiria, OPAP' 2006 - a part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.

Fasuba, 21, who sprinted to the 9.85 seconds continental record on the heels of American Justin Gatlin’s World record equalling run in Doha last May, heads the bill featuring many Olympic and World Championship medallists.

Due to the late withdrawal of joint World record holder Justin Gatlin from the meet because of a "mild" leg injury a few days ago, Fasuba and his erstwhile Nigerian colleague, Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, the Olympic silver medallist would battle it out for the 100m crown on the fast Athens track.

The track has witnessed two 100m world record setting races in the past by Asafa Powell (9.77 secs in 2005) and Maurice Greene (9.79 secs in 1999).

The IAAF reported that Jamaican joint world record holder Asafa Powell, who set the original 9.77 second World record mark in Athens on June 14, last year was approached by the organisers to replace Gatlin but turned them down because of a hamstring strain.

Other African athletes to watch out for at the event include Ghana’s Ignasius Gaisah, the World Indoor long jump champion, and the outdoor silver medallist, Sudan’s Yamile Aldama and South Africans Geraldine Pillay, Louis Van Zyl and Alwyn Myburgh.

Former World 3000 SC champion and World record holder Wilson Boit Kipketer, Brimin Kipruto, the 2005 World bronze and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, Wesley Kiprotich, the Commonwealth Games runner-up, and 18-year-old Abel Mutai, second at the 2000m Steeplechase at the World Youth championships last year, all from Kenya.