Steffensen to race Crawford in Norman memorial race

SYDNEY, Mar 1 (Reuters) Australia's Commonwealth 400 metres champion John Steffensen will race American Shawn Crawford over 200 metres in the Melbourne leg of the World Athletics Tour tomorrow.

Steffensen will run against the Olympic 200 metres champion in a memorial race for Australian sprinter Peter Norman, who died last year.

Norman finished second in the 200 metres at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and is best remembered for supporting the civil rights protest of Americans Tommy Smith and John Carlos at the medals ceremony.

''It will be a very, very nice race to win,'' Steffensen told reporters.

''Peter was a special man and it's going to be a special night and a special race. I plan to do him proud.'' Steffensen is preparing for a tilt at the world championships 400 metres in Osaka, Japan this year.

Other highlights of the Melbourne meeting include Australian Craig Mottram taking on Kenyan Boniface Songok over 5,000 metres.

Australian Dmitri Markov, the 2001 world pole vault champion, marks his final competitive appearance against a top-class field featuring last year's world number one 1 Steve Hooker.

REUTERS SSC RAI1131