22.07.2008

2008 DN Galan Preview

Eight Australian athletes will get a taste of Olympic history tonight, during the DN Galan, IAAF Super Grand Prix in Sweden.  The venue for tonights World Athletics Tour meeting, is that of the 1912 Olympic stadium in Stockholm.

Each of the athletes are finalising their preparations for Beijing and among them, three performed personal bests in their last outings.  

Fresh from recording a lifetime best of 44.99 earlier this month, Australian champion Joel Milburn will again run the 400m.  Milburn, who became only the seventh Australian to break the 45 seconds barrier, will face off against a strong contingent of one lappers in the A race, including reigning World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner.  Sean Wroe and John Steffensen will step out in the B race.

In form Queenslander Sally McLellan is set to contest her favoured event, the 100m hurdles.  Fresh from setting a new Australian record in Switzerland last week, McLellan will line up in good company, against many of the years fastest women, including world leader, Lolo Jones of the USA and local favourite Susanna Kallur.

After being selected to run the 1500m next month in Beijing, 21 year old Jeffrey Riseley will line up in the rarely contested 1000m.  He will be in quality company, with current Olympic 800m champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy and the world’s fastest man over 800m in 2008, Abubaker Kaki taking to the start line in Stockholm.  The extra distance will suit the in form Riseley, having come off a massive 1500m personal best only 11 days ago.  Of extra interest, will be the Australian 1000m record of 2.16.61, set by Grant Cremer on the Stockholm track in 2000.

Dual World Cup winner Craig Mottram will contest the 3000m, in one of his final outings prior to Beijing.  The field includes a plethora of in form Kenyan’s, which should ensure a fast pace and an important hit-out for Buster.

Jarrod Bannister will be looking for another big throw against a strong field of Scandinavian athletes.  His Australian record throw of 89.02m in February is still the longest in the world this year and in Paris last week, he recorded his two best performances ever, outside his record.

Pole vaulter Alana Boyd is also looking to continue her recent form.  After getting within 5cm of her lifetime best of 4.55m on the Gold Coast last month, Boyd will be looking to get a long way off the ground again tonight.  She will be in top class company, with Russian Yelena Isinbaeva, who broke her own world record in Rome this month, looking to finalise her preparations for Beijing.

The Men's Shot Put was held yesterday, for the DN Galan meeting, with Australian Scott Martin placing 7th, thanks to his best effort of 19.93m.

The night will also feature the dual between Jamaican current and former 100m world record holders, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell.