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Fab four set for Lausanne
Australia’s big guns Steve Hooker, Sally McLellan, Fabrice Lapierre and Kim Mickle will feature at tonight’s Athletissima meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The star-studded IAAF Super Grand Prix meet will also showcase Usain Bolt in the men’s 200m, Dayron Robles in the men’s 110m Hurdles and Asafa Powell in the men’s 100m.
Steve Hooker kicked off his 2009 season on the best possible note, securing seven wins from as many starts, including three consecutive meets over 6m and a new personal best of 6.06m at the Boston Indoor Games in February.
However the Olympic pole vault champion has not competed since March, a knee injury forcing his withdrawal from the national championships.
Tonight the 26-year-old returns to continue his European assault and will face 22-year-old Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie who recently jumped a world leading 6.01m.
“I am really looking forward to competing against him tomorrow,” said Hooker at the official press conference to preview tonight’s meet.
“I have already met him at the Paris indoor meeting. He has a different technique from the other French vaulters. His approach is more aggressive. I am not surprised about his improvement because I knew what he is capable of.
“It will be a good measure to test my shape against the best vaulters in the world in my first competition. I am a competitive person and I need strong rivals.”
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan will take on a start list which could resemble the world championships final field in six weeks' time.
McLellan launched her European campaign on Sunday with a solid victory in Sotteville, France. Clocking 12.75 (0.8), her second-fastest time of the year, the 22-year-old defeated Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Damu Cherry (USA) who crossed the line in 12.84 seconds.
Tonight McLellan will line up against Olympic champion Dawn Harper (USA) who recently secured her spot in the US team for the world championships with a windy 12.36 and Canadian Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes Schliep who holds the world leading time of 12.52.
Also in the line-up are Jamaicans Delloreen Ennis London and Brigitte Foster Hylton, 2005 and 2007 world champion Michelle Perry (USA), 2003 world champion Perdita Felicien (CAN) and world indoor champion Lolo Jones (USA) who will try to make up for the disappointment of missing selection for Berlin.
Beaming with confidence after his 8.57m monster jump and new personal best of 8.34m in Madrid on Saturday night, Sydney long jumper Fabrice Lapierre will take on world leader Dwight Phillips (USA) who leaped 8.74m at the Prefontaine Classic and Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Mokoena (RSA).
West Australian javelin thrower Kim Mickle faces her biggest test of her career thus far, competing against world leader Christina Obergfoll (GER) and Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova (CZE).
The surprise packet of Australian athletics has not lost a competition this year, with 11 wins from as many starts. To date she has thrown the javelin over the 60m mark on six occasions in 2009 and currently sits in seventh place on the 2009 world list.
Jana Pittman-Rawlinson was scheduled to compete but has hamstring tightness and has pulled out of the meet.
Click here to read the IAAF preview. Start lists and results can be found on the official Athletissima website.
In other news, Beijing Olympic pole vaulter Alana Boyd has withdrawn from the Australian team for the 2009 IAAF World Championships.
The 25-year-old has been battling a knee injury for the last eight months and feels she doesn't have the confidence or form required to be competitive in Berlin.
“I have been managing a knee problem since November last year and as a consequence I haven't been able to train consistently,” said Boyd.
“I don't have the confidence or the physical form I need to jump well in Europe and at the World Champs.
“I am very disappointed about having to withdraw from the team but I know I am not in the shape I can be and don't want to go to the World Champs out of shape and be disappointed.
“Instead, the best thing for me is to head home, get my knee operated on and sorted out once and for all and start a fresh with a good preparation for the 2010 domestic season and Commonwealth Games.”
The Australian team currently stands at 44 members, following the withdrawal of Boyd, Jarrod Bannister (elbow/ankle injury), Sarah Jamieson (calf injury) and reigning world champion Nathan Deakes.
Australian selectors will meet for the final time on July 20 to finalise the Australian team ahead of the world championships which will be staged from August 15 to 23.
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