Ana Guevara in action in the 400m final (© Getty Images)
Track and field stars from 29 countries have confirmed their attendance in the 2004 Grand Prix Athletic Show, to be held at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario on May 22.
More than 20 World and Olympic medallists are set to provide a true athletic show as it was last year. Many of those athletes are expected to star three months later during the Olympic Games in Athens.
Frantic scenes of jubilation
Mexico's World 400m champion Ana Guevara, considered the hostess of the event, is the main attraction taking her only outing on home soil before aiming for her Olympic dream in Athens.
Last year a packed stadium of 50,000 plus spectators screamed 'Ana, Ana, Ana' for the best part of 15 minutes, before, during and after her 300m world best victory over Australia's Cathy Freeman, and again there are sure to be the same fanatical scenes of jubilation on 22 May this year.
Freeman to be honoured
It is thus appropriate that the 2004 Banamex Grand Prix Athletic Show will also honour Freeman, the 1997 and 1999 World champion and the 2000 Sydney champion in the 400m, who put an end to her successful career last July.
Solid international line-up
Other 2003 Paris World champions are USA´s John Capel (200m) Jerome Young (400m & 4x400m), Tyree Washington (4x400m), Allen Johnson (110m hurdles), Dwight Phillips (Long Jump), Bernard Williams and Joshua J. Johnson (4x100m), Kelly White (100-200m), Dominican Republic´s Félix Sánchez (400m Hurdles) and South Africa´s Hestrie Cloete (High Jump).
The deep field also features 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medallists in the shape of the Cubans Anier Garcia (110m hurdles) and Iván Pedroso (Long Jump), Germany´s Heike Drechsler (long Jump) and the Bahamas' Debbie Ferguson (4x100m).
As last year, 13 events will be contested: 100, 200, 400 metres and long jump for both men and women. Men will also compete in 800, 3000m and 110m Hurdles, while women will run 1500m and High Jump as well.
Of the 13 meet winners from 2003, five will attempt to defend their titles: Canada´s Nicholas Macrozonaris (100m), South Africa´s Hestrie Cloete (High Jump), the Bahamas' Jackie Edwards (Long Jump), USA´s Chrystie Gaines (100m) and Allen Johnson (110m hurdes). Allyson Felix, the 200m winner, will run the 100m and 400m this time.
The Mexicans - it's not just Guevara!
Apart from Guevara, Mexican athletics will be represented by other decorated athletes. Alejandro Cardenas, bronze medallist in the 1999 World Championships, will try to reach the Olympic standard (45.55) in the 400m to participate in Athens. This is also the aim of Juan Pedro Toledo in the 200m.
Romary Rifka recently improved the Mexican High Jump record with a world leading mark of 1.97m, and Teodoro Vega, a 2003 Pan American Games gold medallist, will try to better his second place finish from last year over 3000m.
The Mexican competition is aiming to join the IAAF Grand Prix calendar in the near future. So far, only two Latin American cities (Brazil's Belem and Rio de Janeiro) are part of the IAAF circuit.
Located in the southern part of Mexico City and a facility of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Olympic Stadium has seen 30 World record equalled or broken, including a record 24 global marks in the 1968 Olympics.
It has also played host to the 1954 and 1990 Central American and Caribbean, the 1955 and 1975 Pan American Games, the 1979 World University Games and the 1988 Iberoamerican Championships.
