One-lap wonder seeks sub-45 in Melbourne – Jeremy Wariner in Australia

The party, headlined by athletes from 21 nations including reigning world and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner (USA), will feature some of the world’s best athletes in what promises to be an action-packed night of top-shelf sport and entertainment.

World 100m record holder Asafa Powell (JAM), who was sidelined from the Sydney Grand Prix due to a cut on his right knee from falling in his Jamaican home, had his stitches removed on Saturday night and completed his first training session at Olympic Park on Monday morning.

Powell hit the track again this morning, however, pulled up sore. At this stage, his chances of competing are less than 50 percent but he will train tomorrow before a final decision is made.

"Yesterday (at training) I went pretty well, but today it (the knee) is pretty sore. Hopefully it will get better because I would love to run here," explained Powell in front of a packed house at the John Landy Lunch Club on Tuesday afternoon.

"I won’t know for sure how it is until training tomorrow."

Wariner will be hoping to redeem himself in Melbourne after a surprise loss to Australian Daniel Batman in the 200m in Sydney on the weekend.

The Texan will step up to his favoured 400m in Melbourne and line up alongside training partner Darold Williamson (USA), young Australian star Sean Wroe and silver bullet Clinton Hill.

In 2006 and 2007, Wariner broke 45 seconds in both his opening encounters. The 45-second barrier has only been cracked once at Olympic Park with Robert Stone clocking 44.98 at the 1988 Victorian Championships.

"Every time I’m on the track I want to run fast," he said. "Hopefully on Thursday I’ll be able to break 45 seconds and open up with a 44-second run for the third year in a row.

"Every day I wake up and go to practice so I can try and get my time down. I want the world record and want to be the first man to run 42 seconds."

Preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Powell and Wariner will be joined by Australian stars Craig Mottram (5000m) and Steve Hooker (pole vault).

After breaking his own national record and producing the fastest-ever indoor 3000m run on US soil in Boston three weeks ago, Mottram returned to continue his intense training program at Falls Creek.

Winning on Thursday night will be no easy feat for Buster, with a challenging field including Abreham Cherkos Feleke, the world’s second fastest junior over 5000m in 2007, and a quality contingent from Kenya and Tanzania all taking to the start line.

Previously announced world junior 5000m champion Tariku Bekele has withdrawn, after the Ethiopian Federation determined that he should remain in Europe to prepare for the World Indoor Championships.

Hooker, who soared into the esteemed six-metre club in Perth last month, will be hoping to continue his impressive form this Thursday before he attempts to claim his second national title at the Australian Championships and Olympic selection trials next weekend.

"It’s been an interesting couple of weeks just competing by myself," he said. "My goal at the moment is just to get in as many good jumps as I can. I’d be happy with anything over 5.80m on Thursday night."

Mottram and Hooker have both been selected to represent Australia at next month’s IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain.

Event: World Athletics Tour – Melbourne
Day: Thursday, February 21, 2008
Time: Action kicks off at 7:30pm
Where: Melbourne Olympic Park, Olympic Boulevard
Tickets: Available from Ticketek on 13 28 49 or here

Source: Athletics Australia