Monaco’s last stop on road to Beijing draws world elite – IAAF World Athletics Tour

Monte-Carlo, Monaco – Herculis 2008, the last major international competition of the season prior to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing, China (Athletics 15 – 14 Aug), has attracted a spectacular array of talent.

The fourth of five Super Grand Prix meetings which compose part of the 25 strong fixture calendar of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2008, takes place in the Mediterranean principality on Tuesday 29 July 2008.

Never accuse Athletics of not being the most equal of sports. Last year we were shocked when the partially exposed buttock of a female athlete was used as the centre piece of the meeting poster. This year it’s the men’s turn with the lycra glad posterior of a male sprinter taking up most of the promotional space as this year’s meeting emblem.

But to be honest no such hype is necessary as in pure sporting terms Herculis 2008 has all the attractiveness any meeting could wish.

The annual Herculis meeting which is held in the Stade Louis II in the Fontvieille district of Monaco has attracted much of the international athletics caravan to stop-off on their way to China. Though at this stage before a major championships we should caution that the plans of athletes can suddenly change, for example the junior phenomenon of this year Abubaker Kaki of Sudan has today pulled out of the 800m, as he wants to rest up prior to the Olympics.

So ahead of our main preview story on Monday (28), by which time the start list will be a lot firmer, let’s just jog through some of the star names set to compete.

Powell, Robles, Borzakovskiy, Lagat, Lebedeva, Isinbayeva…

Asafa Powell is slated to race the 100m along with a slew of talent that includes two reigning global silver medallists, Derrick Atkins and Francis Obikwelu.

In the 110m Hurdles, battle will be rejoined between the two fastest men of the year Dayron Robles and David Oliver.

Mention just the names Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Bernard Lagat, and with the presence respectively of the reigning Olympic champion at 800m, and the World 1500m and 5000m gold medallist we are assured the highest middle distance running quality.

Practically the entire Kenyan steeplechase hierarchy will be on show, with non-Beijing bound Paul Kipsiele Koech having the most to run for after his fall at the final water jump at the Kenyan trials which left him off the Olympic squad. Reigning World champion Brimin Kipruto is just one of many great names Koech will be wanting to over turn in Monaco.

The Bahamas’ World champion Donald Thomas, still struggling to recapture the form that took him to the global title in Osaka, takes on the best of USA and Russia in the men’s High Jump.

World Indoor champion Christian Cantwell is the standout of a weighty field of putting brilliance in the Shot, while Portugal’s Nelson Evora, the Osaka gold medallist, goes in the men’s Triple Jump.

Another Portuguese Naide Gomes who flew over 7m twice in Stockholm comes up against Russia’s reigning Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva in the women’s Long Jump.

France’s Christine Arron and USA’s Torri Edwards are listed to meet in the women’s dash, along with European champion Kim Gevaert. Yelena Soboleva goes in the 1500m.

But the highlight of the women’s programme should be the Pole Vault where Russia’s superlative Yelena Isinbayeva faces USA’s Jenn Stuczynski…well in reality its virtually the entire Olympic final that is present in Monaco.

Chris Turner – IAAF