European sprint kings face rivals in Zurich

European 100-metre gold medallist Dwain Chambers will lead a band of newly crowned regional champions at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich on Friday.

They will measure themselves against a field that includes world record holder Maurice Greene.

Following a series of regional competitions – the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and continental championships in Africa, Asia and Europe – many athletes, Americans in particular, return to the European circuit for the first time after a three-week hiatus.

Five athletes – Americans Marion Jones and Gail Devers, Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic and Mexican Ana Guevara – remain in contention for the Golden League Jackpot after four events. None of them has competed since the last Golden League meeting in Monaco on July 19.

Chambers, who collected his first major international title in Munich last week after winning the Commonwealths, will attempt to prove he has what it takes against an even stronger field.

His opposition includes Greene, the Olympic and world champion, his teammates Jon Drummond and Tim Montgomery, European bronze medallist Darren Campbell and European 100 and 200 silver medallist Francis Obikwelu.

But the Briton is confident, having twice beaten Greene, a three-time world champion – once in June in Oslo in 10.05 seconds, and two days later in Sheffield in 9.95.

Another Jones victory?

Jones will likely encounter little difficulty defending her share of the Golden League jackpot, in the absence of European champion Ekaterina Thanou of Greece and eternal rival Zhanna Pintusevich of Ukraine.

Instead, the American, making her sixth appearance in Zurich, will test her form against teammates Torri Edwards and Chryste Gaines, Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas and European 200-meter champion Muriel Hurtis of France.

The 26-year-old American has only been beaten once at the Letzigrund Stadium, losing by a wafer-thin .01 to Marlene Ottey, who won the race in 10.96 in 1997.

Sanchez will likely have the toughest time defending his share of 50-kilogram golden pie split between athletes who win all seven events of the meeting series, facing the new European champion Stephane Diagana of France, who posted a season’s world best of 47.48 in Munich.

In the women’s 800 meters, European champion Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia will be seeking to prevent Mozambique’s Maria Mutola from becoming the first person to win 10 straight races in the 74-year-old history of the
Weltklasse.

Mutola will also have to fight off Zulia Calatayud of Cuba, who defeated Mutola at the last Golden League meeting in Monaco.

Guevara will lead the field in the women’s 400 meters in the absence of stars such as Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, Katharine Merry and Amy Mbacke Thiam, all either injured or off form.

The Mexican, who has posted four progressively faster runs in Oslo, Paris, Rome and Monaco – including the season’s fastest time of 49.25 – will face the entire European championship podium in Zurich.

swissinfo with agencies