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Outstanding men's 200m field set for Lausanne
A gathering of the world's finest men's 200 meter runners will headline the 2007 Athletissima meet in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday. As part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007, the Athletissima is designated as a Super Grand Prix event.
Tyson Gay headlines the men's 200m lineup after posting the second fastest time in history of 19.62 seconds in capturing the U.S. Outdoor title last month in Indianapolis. Only Michael Johnson's world record of 19.32 seconds from the 1996 Olympics is faster in the history of the event.
Gay will be challenged by fellow American and reigning World Cup champion Wallace Spearmon, who won the silver medal at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships and owns a personal best of 19.65 seconds. Also look for Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who recently set the Jamaican record of 19.75, and reigning World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, who will look to improve upon his personal best of 20.19. Other Americans to watch include 2004 World Junior champion LaShawn Merritt and Rodney Martin, who secured a spot on the Team USA roster for the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, with his third place finish at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships.
The 200 meters at last year's Athletissima was one of the history's most memorable as Xavier Carter won in a blistering 19.63 seconds, followed by Gay (19.70), Bolt (19.88) and Spearmon (19.90).
The women's 100 meters also should prove entertaining as reigning USA champion and 2003 World champion Torri Edwards faces off against reigning world 100m champion Lauryn Williams and 2005 World Outdoor 200m gold medalist Allyson Felix. The Americans will be challenged by Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, who owns the fastest women's 100m time in the world this year of 10.89 seconds. Edwards owns the second-fastest time globally this season of 10.90 seconds from her May 20 win at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif.
Reigning world champion Bershawn Jackson will lead a stellar field in the men's 400m hurdles that includes 2007 USA national champion and current world leader (47.72 seconds) James Carter. 2000 Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor is in the field, along with Kerron Clement, who posted the second fastest time in the world this year of 47.80 seconds, in finishing as the runner-up to Carter at the U.S. Championships.
The women's 400m hurdles features Tiffany Ross Williams, who posted the fastest time in the world this year with her clocking of 53.28 seconds in winning the U.S. national title last month. She'll be challenged by 2007 USA Outdoor runner-up up Sheena Johnson, who was the runner-up to Ross Williams in Indy in the second fastest time in the world this season of 53.29 seconds.
2005 world champion Michelle Perry, who recently scored Golden League Jackpot wins in Oslo and Paris, posted last year's fastest women's 100m hurdles time in the world with her clocking of 12.43 seconds in Lausanne. Also look for USA Nationals third-place finisher LoLo Jones in the field on Tuesday.
The men's pole vault will have a U.S. flavor headed by 2006 World Indoor champion and 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist Brad Walker, who last month won his second U.S. Outdoor title. Also look for American record holder Jeff Hartwig, who with his runner-up finish in Indy last month, qualified for his third U.S. World Outdoor Championships team.
For more information on the 2007 Athletissima in Lausanne, visit .
O'Connor sets masters world record
All-time masters track and field great Nadine O'Connor set a world record over the weekend at the USC Trojan Masters Meet in Los Angeles. O'Connor set the W65 world record in the 200 meters with her time of 29.37 seconds. Her effort bettered the previous world record of 30.46 seconds set by Irene Obera by more than a full second.
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