Liu Xiang, Alen Johnson to compete this week
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-05 11:32

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Olympic champion Liu Xiang and quadruple reigning world champion Allen Johnson will have the chance to redeem themselves when the 30th edition of the Athletissima Grand Prix meeting starts this week.

France's Ladji Doucoure (R) takes a hurdle as he goes on to win the men's 110m hurdles against Dominique Arnold (C) of the U.S. and China's Liu Xiang at the Paris Golden League meeting at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, near Paris July 1, 2005.[Reuters]

Neither of them win their last competition after the shock win by France's Ladji Doucoure in the 110 hurdles at the Gaz de France. Doucoure is absent from this meet.

Also competing Tuesday are two-time world triple jump champion Tatyana Lebedeva and No.1-ranked pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele will try and add the 3,000-meter world record to his 5,000-meter mark.

United States' Olympic champion Justin Gatlin headlines the men's 100-meter field, also racing are countryman Shawn Crawford and Portugal's Francis Obikwelu.

World record-holder Asafa Powell is resting for a July 7 Golden League meet in Rome, while Maurice Greene is nursing the injured hamstring that cost him a place on the U.S. team at the world championships in Helsinki.

The top-three finishers _ France's Christine Arron, Bahamas' Chandra Sturrup and American Lauryn Williams _ from the women's 100 meters at last week's Gaz de France meeting will race. As will Ukraine's Zhanna Block.

Kenya's Daniel Komen set the 3,000 world record of 7:20.67 in 1996.

But that time could be in danger.

In last Friday's Golden League meeting, Bekele posted the fourth fastest time in history in cruising to victory in the 5,000. At the 3,000-meter mark, the 23-year-old was almost five seconds faster than when he set the world record last summer in Hengelo.

Bekele's main competition will come from Algeria's Ali Saidi-Sief, who is the only athlete to run under 3:30 over 1,500 in Lausanne.

Isinbayeva, the Olympic pole vault champion and world record holder at 4.92 meters, has smashed the indoor world record in each of her four appearances. The Russian will be challenged by world and Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila of the United States.

Lebedeva, Olympic long jump gold medalist and reigning world triple jump champion, has the world indoor title and record. The 28-year-old Russian could break the triple jump world record, having leapt 15.33 meters in Lausanne last year.

Maryam Jamal of Bahrain _ previously known as the Ethiopian athlete, Zenebech Tola _ set the best time of the season at Athens in the 1,500 with 3:59.13.

Olympic champion Liu Xiang and quadruple reigning world champion Allen Johnson will have the chance to redeem themselves after the shock win by France's Ladji Doucoure in the 110 hurdles at the Gaz de France meet. Doucoure is absent from this meet.

The women's 100 hurdles features Olympic champion Joanna Hayes, Brigitte Foster and Perdita Felicien.

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