Hemmings to meet Batten

Hemmings

ATHENS, CANA:

JAMAICA'S 1996 Olympic champion Deon Hemmings faces world record holder Kim Batten in the 400 metres hurdles at the Athens Grand Prix next month.

The showdown is one of the most anticipated races on the star-studded June 11 programme which has attracted eight reigning Olympic champions, four world record holders, and 20 Sydney Olympic medallists.

Hemmings, a Sydney silver-medallist and ranked No. 1 in the world in the women's 400 hurdles, is the fifth fastest all-time over the distance with her 52.82 second clocking at the Atlanta Olympics.

She is coming off a surprise loss to 18-year-old Jamaican Melaine Walker at the Barbados Classic earlier this month.

Batten, whose world mark 52.61 has stood for six years, has three of the 10 fastest times ever recorded for the event.

Cuban stars Javier Sotomayor, the world high jump record holder, and Ivan Pedrosa, Olympic and triple world champion, are also listed to compete, as well as Olympic sprint champions Maurice Greene (100 metres) and local star Konstantin Kenteris (200).

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