Jaroskav Bába in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia (© Gordon)
The year's most solid men's High Jump field and a pair of strong 5000 clashes are among the highlights for next Thursday's Golden Spike IAAF Super Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Baba, Rybakov and Freitag for a great High Jump clash
Olympic Bronze medallist Jaroslav Baba, who lives and trains in the eastern Czech city, will face Russian Yaroslav Rybakov and reigning World champion Jacques Freitag of South Africa. Baba reached 2.37m indoors this year, while Rybakov and Freitag have each topped 2.38m in 2005, Rybakov indoors, and Freitag, currently the World leader, outdoors.
US Olympic Trials champion Jamie Nieto, who finished fourth in Athens last summer, and Jamaican Germaine Mason, the World indoor bronze medallist last year, are in the line-up as well.
Honouring Czech Olympic legend Emil Zatopek, the longest race on the Ostrava programme is among the meet's chief attractions. In the men's 5000m, not surprisingly, Kenyans figure prominently among them Abraham Chebii, the World's top 5000m runner in the first half of the 2003 season, who recently took runner-up honours to Kenenisa Bekele in the short course race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Sammy Kipketer, the reigning Commonwealth champion is in the field as well along with Kenyan prodigy Moses Masai. Masai, who celebrated his 19th birthday on 1 June, is the national junior record holder in the 10,000m (27:07.29) and last month ran a World junior best in the marathon, clocking 2:10:13.
The women's 5000m features a strong match-up, with Olympic silver medallist Isabella Ochichi of Kenya taking on Ethiopian Berhane Adere, the reigning world 10,000m champion.
Olympic champions to fight for Steeplechase supremacy
Another strong field has been assembled in the men's steeplechase, pitting the most recent Olympic champions: Sydney winner Reuben Kosgei and reigning champion Ezekiel Kemboi. Kemboi won last weekend's Kenyan Armed Forces Championships in the event while Kosgei, signalling a comeback from an injury that sidelined him all last year, was the easy winner in the Milan Grand Prix II event on 1 June.
Another pair of Kenyans, meet record holder Wilson Boit Kipketer (8:06.14, 2002) and Richard Matelong (8:05.96) will toe the line as well, along with European co-record holder Boubdallah "Bob" Tahri of France.
Lalova Vs Simpson in women's 100m
In the women's 100m, a pair of young sprint stars have their sights set on one of the oldest meet records, Jarmila Kratochvilova's 11.16 from 1982. Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria and Jamaican Sherone Simpson, respectively fourth and sixth in last year's Olympic final, are the key entrants.
Lalova opened her season with a wind-aided 11.04 win at last weekend's European Clubs Cup Championships while Simpson clocked a near-personal best 11.03 to win the Jamaica International last month.
The men's Shot Put field includes Olympic gold and bronze medallists Yuriy Bilonog and Joachim Olsen, reigning US indoor champion Reese Hoffa, and 2003 World indoor champion Manuel Martinez. In the javelin, local hero Jan Zelezny will face reigning World champion Sergey Makarov of Russia.
Asafa and Jeremy headline sprint races
Previously announced were Jamaican Asafa Powell, currently the World leader in the 100m, and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner, competing in their specialties.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
