Newly crowned 100m hurdles world champion Liu Xiang will face a
stiff challenge from Caribbean flash Dayron Robles at Friday's
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.
The rapidly emerging Cuban dominated the men's 110m hurdles at
the Stuttgart IAAF World Athletics final with a near world record
run of 12.92 seconds last Sunday.
It was a championship, national and continental record and makes
him now equal with the likes of Olympic champions Roger Kingdom and
Allen Johnson as the fourth fastest ever sprint hurdler.
Only World record holder Liu (twice), Colin Jackson and
Dominique Arnold has run faster.
Even in the absence of Liu, who set an exceptional competition
record of 12.93 on the same track last year, the star-studded
line-up in Stuttgart included 2003 and 2005 World champions Allen
Johnson and Ladji Doucoure and Osaka Worlds silver and bronze
medalists Terrence Trammell and David Payne.
But a relaxed Liu shrugged off the surging menace, saying he was
focused on finishing the year in a positive manner without over
exerting himself.
"I am not concerned. I will see my remaining matches this year
as game of play. Just take it easily," said Liu, who will wrap up
the year at the Daegu Athletics Meeting in Korea after
Shanghai.
The Shanghai-born icon, who overpowered Robles at the Osaka
World Championships last month to win his first world title, will
also fight it out with archrival and hurdles legend Allen Johnson
and fellow teammate Shi Dongpeng.
Liu's coach Sun Haiping also played down the fancied Cuban
charge in Shanghai.
"He will fly to Shanghai from Europe. He will not have enough
time to adjust himself to the time difference," Sun said.
"I do not think he will have a good result this time in
Shanghai."
Sun noted that Liu's absence in Stuttgart gave Robles the best
chance to make a breakthrough.
"Liu did not compete so he was relieved and had no pressure.
That's the main reason for such a good run," he said.
An under-pressure Robles failed to live up to expectations at
the world championships where he finished outside the medals in
fourth.
But Sun is still cautious, considering Liu is still recovering
from a fever he picked up upon returning from Osaka.
"It's a high fever and we still need time to recover. He is
shaping up very well but not fully fit yet," he said.
"It will not have big effect on him and I think Liu will run
around 13.10 seconds."
Chinese fans will have the chance to see the who's who of track
and field in Shanghai.
World champions Tyson Gay, Jeremy Wariner, Kenenisa Bekele head
the strong field of first-class competitors.
Others signed up for the event include pole vault world record
holder Yelena Isinbayeva and sprint queen Veronica Campbell,
according to the official website.
The fastest man on earth, Jamaica's Asafa Powell, will also
compete but has opted to run the 200m and so will miss a showdown
with American Gay, who beat him to the 100m world title in Osaka
last month.
Gay also won the 200m in Japan but will not run it in
Shanghai.
American Kerron Clement, who stormed to a surprise gold in the
men's 400m hurdles at the world championships, will be compatriot
Wariner's chief threat in the 400m dash.
Ethiopia's Bekele, the 10,000m world champion and world record
holder, will run the 1,500m up against a host of Kenyans, including
Brimin Kipruto and Daniel Kipchirchir Komen.
Isinbayeva, who shared the US$1million Golden League jackpot
with American 400m runner Sanya Richards this month, is up against
her Russian teammate Tatiana Polnova.
Campbell's chief threat in the women's 100m will be American
pair Lauryn Williams and Carmelita Jeter.
Other athletes scheduled to appear at the Shanghai University
Town Stadium include women's world 400m hurdles champion Jana
Rawlinson of Australia and men's long jump world title holder
Irving Saladino from Panama.
China aims to well use the chance to compete against the world's
elite on home soil.
"The Beijing Olympics is not far away. It is a very good chance
for our athletes to test themselves," Track and Field
Administrative Center boss Feng Shuyong said.
"The meeting is better organized and attracts more of the
world's top athletes year by year. It is of great help to improve
the sport in China."
Local hopefuls like women's pole vault Gao Shuying and women's
400m hurdles Wang Xiaoxiao are among those expected to impress.
Since beginning in 2005, China's first ever IAAF one-day
tournament has gained popularity.
This year's GP has officially been integrated into the IAAF
World Athletics Tour while all the credit the athletes earn in the
competition will for the first time be added to their world
rankings points system.
(China Daily September 27, 2007)