Posted: May 18, 2005

Athletics:Guevara, Williams-Darling To Headline New Meet In Sonora

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

© 2005 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

400 meter stars Tonique Williams-Darling and Ana Guevara will headline the premiere edition of the Galatlética Banamex Sonora on Saturday, May 21 in Hermosillo, Mexico.

But Williams-Darling, the Olympic champion who claimed half of last year’s million dollar TDK IAAF Golden League jackpot, and Guevara, the reigning world champion, will not meet on the track. Williams-Darling will contest the 200, while Guevara will make her first 400 appearance of the year. The two are scheduled to meet over the full lap at the Galatlética Banamex in Monterrey on June 11.

The two competitions are organized by the Netherlands-based Global Sports Communication (GSC), the management firm that also represents Guevara.

“Ana Guevara is a big star in Mexico,” said Jos Hermens, director of GSC. “She has individual dreams as an athlete but also intends to contribute to the development of athletics in Mexico. This is the reason that we first started to organize the Grand Prix Banamex in Mexico City in 2003.” That event was moved to Monterrey this year, Hermens said, adding, “by organizing the Galatlética Banamex Sonora in Hermosillo, we want to offer the Mexican athletes another opportunity to compete on a world class level in Mexico.”

In Hermosillo, Guevara will face Jamaican Sandie Richards, Kaltouma Nadjina from Chad and American Crystal Cox.

Highlighting the men’s fields are Olympic long jump champion Dwight Phillips and reigning 110 meter hurdles world champion Allen Johnson. Phillips, who also leapt to the word title in 2003, opened his outdoor season in the event with a 8.18m (26-10) winning leap in Martinique on May 1. Johnson will face fellow American Duane Ross, Dawane Wallace and Anwar Moore, who lowered his personal best to 13.24 with his win at the Modest Relays earlier this month. Dudley Dorival of Haiti is also in the field.

Copyright © Bob Ramsak and Track Profile. All rights reserved TrackProfile.com

© 1996 - 2005 RunnersWeb.com - All rights reserved.