Allen Johnson (USA) wins the 60m Hurdles World title (© Getty Images)
USA's Allen Johnson, the World's number one ranked sprint hurdler, will return to the Mexican capital to race the 110m Hurdles at second edition of the Banamex Grand Prix Athletic Show, to be held on 22 May 2004.
Johnson, the World indoor and outdoor champion is expected to make one of his first outings of the year in the high hurdles, in a season focused on recovering the Olympic crown he won in Atlanta'96 but lost to Cuba's Anier Garcia in Sydney 2000.
The 33-year old also aims to repeat his win the inaugural Banamex Grand Prix Athletic Show and to break the Estadio Olímpico Universitario's 35-year old stadium record, set by US William Davenport when he cinched the gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games.
Last year, Johnson clocked 13.42 to dominate a close race ahead of her countrymen Duanne Ross (13.43) and Ron Bramlett (13.47). In Mexico, he achieved the first of 10 wins in a successful 2003 season, in which he claimed two world titles: indoors in Birmingham and out in Paris. He also won the World Athletics Final in Monaco and posted the fastest time of the year (12.97).
Since claiming his third World indoor title over 60-metres Hurdles a month ago in Budapest, the Washington-born athlete has competed twice at home to gain speed in preparation for the European circuit.
The first weekend of April saw him anchor to third place in the 4x100 relay (38.71) during a local meeting in Austin, Texas. Shomari Wilson, sprint hurdler Terrence Trammell and Justin Gatlin completed the quartet.
Last weekend, he raced in the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tennesee, where he finished second in the 100m (10.52) and fourth in the 200m (20.96).
Allen Johnson now joins South African high jumper Hestrie Cloete as the first 2003 Paris World Champions to confirm their attendance in the 2004 Banamex Grand Prix Athletic Show.
