Athletics stars to appear at the Rabat track: IAAF World Challenge – Athletics news
Asafa Powell and Blanka Vlasic along with other superstar athletes have ensured their participation at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme, which is going to commence in Rabat on June 5.
Powell, who initiated his Samsung Diamond League season for marking an emphatic victory of 9.95 in Shanghai, will be among the top runners to appear on the track for the 100m field at this upcoming IAAF World Challenge meeting, where he is expected to have
a fierce battle against Jamaican team-mate, Michael Frater.
On the women’s side, just like Powell, Vlasic, the 2010 World Athlete of the year, marked her season with a formidable success in Shanghai. Appearing in Rabat, she will look forward to take on Yelena Slesarenko, the Olympic champion of 2004 from Russia,
who is gradually reclaiming her form after having been through an injury in the past years.
Morocco will strive to bag most of the events of the nation’s premier annual athletics event and for which, the country is wisely relying upon their strength, which is the middle and long distance runners. Among local competitors, the pre-favourite is Amine
Laalou, the winner of the 2010 IAAF/VTB Bank 1500m run who had marked 3:29.53 for his memorable success. Appearing in Rabat, he will contest for the 1000m, where he will take on Marcin Lewandowski, the 800m European champion from Poland.
The 1500m run will observe the two-time winner of the event, Abdalaati Iguider, battling against William Tanui and Geoffrey Rono from Kenya.
In the women’s event, local Hasna Benhassi, a multiple medal winner at the World and Olympic 800m events along with Halima Hachlaf, will embark upon Yvonne Hak from Holland and Jenny Meadows, the silver and bronze medal winner at the European Championships.
In the 1500m competitions, it will be Btissam Lakhouad, the finalist of the 2008 Olympics who will encounter Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba and Abeba Arigawe.
In other events, Yahya Berrabah, the long jump star will return back to the scene and attempt to defend his 8.38m record. In the men’s Discus Throw, the event will observe Omar El Ghazali from Egypt facing Erik Cadee from Netherlands, while the former world
and Olympic champion, Olisdeilys Menendez from Cuba will mark the field in the women’s Javelin Throw.
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