Athletics: Powell all set to return

Rome, July 12: World 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell is due to return from injury at the third Golden League meeting of the season in Rome tomorrow.

The 24-year-old has not run an individual race since picking up a groin strain winning the 100 at the Jamaican national championships on June 23.

But having anchored the Jamaican sprint relay team to victory in Lausanne on Tuesday, Powell was given the all-clear to resume his preparations for the world championships, which start in Osaka, Japan on August 25.

Powell, who was unbeaten over 100 last season, is third quickest in the world this year, thanks to his 9.94 seconds win at the first Golden League meeting in Oslo in June.

His main challenger in the Italian capital promises to be his second cousin Derrick Atkins, who won at the second Golden League meeting in Paris last week and earlier this month set a personal best of 9.95 seconds in Athens.

The 400 hurdles should also produce a fast time. The field boasts five of the fastest six runners over the distance this year, including world leader James Carter.

Only one male athlete javelin thrower Tero Pitkamaki is still in the hunt for the million dollar jackpot for anyone who wins his or her event at all six Golden League meetings.

In Rome, the Finn will face tough competition from Olympic and European champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway and Breaux Greer, who became the only man to break the 90m barrier this season when he threw 91.29 at the US Championships in June.

Among the women, 400 runner Sanya Richards and sprint hurdler Michelle Perry are also vying for the jackpot with pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, whose duel with American Jennifer Stuczynski should be a highlight of the meet.

Until she cleared 4.91m in Paris last Friday, Russian Isinbayeva found herself in the unfamiliar position of being only second in the season's standings.

Stuczynski, who finished last season with a personal best of 4.68m, has made a huge improvement this year, culminating in a clearance of 4.88m in New York last month.

That leap forced Isinbayeva to settle for second in the season's world rankings until last Friday, when her vault won the French Golden League meeting.

The last time they met at the Millrose Games in February, the Russian won easily with a leap of 4.82 to Stuczynski's 4.53. This time it should be much closer.

''It's good that Jen jumped 4.88 because that motivated me, that got me angry. It has given me a challenge,'' Isinbayeva was quoted as saying on the IAAF's website (www.iaaf.org).

''I love to win, of course, but when you win every time you lose your appetite. I now have got that hunger again.''

Reuters
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