Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
POWELL
DOUBLE WINNERS at last year's International Association Athletics Federations' (IAAF) World Athletics Final, Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell, head a list of five Jamaicans who have all but booked their lanes for the two-day meet in Monaco on September 9-10.
For a third year running, the prestigious World Athletics Final will close the outdoor season in impressive style as the 'best of the best' will compete for a first prize in each event of US$30,000 and with anyone surpassing a world record receiving a US$100,000 bonus.
According to the IAAF website, the start-list of the World Athletics Final is decided according to the IAAF World Rankings, with athletes who are in the top seven positions (11 positions for the races of 1500m and over) in each event automatically qualifying.
BOOKED LANE FOR 100M
So far, apart from the world's fastest man, Powell, who booked his lane for the 100m and Campbell, the Olympic 200m champion, who has secured spots in both sprints, World Championships 100m hurdles bronze medallist Brigitte Foster-Hylton, quarter-miler Brandon Simpson and world triple jumper champion Trecia Smith also look safe to book tickets to the principality.
At last year's meet, Powell won the 100m in 9.98 seconds, his ninth time under 10 seconds in 2004 and returned to take the 200m in a personal best 20.06 seconds. Campbell, on the other hand, raced the second fastest time of 2004 when she won the 100m in 10.91 and took the 200m in 22.64.
There are now only a few remaining major competitions, in Brussels (tomorrow), Berlin (September 4), the Asian Championships (August 30 to September 4), Rieti (August 28), Banska Bystrica (August 28), Dubnica and Vahom (August 29) and Rovereto (August 31) at which athletes still have a chance of qualifying for the World Athletics Final.
Apart from the five Jamaicans listed earlier, who are virtually assured of their places, the others in close contention but must now try not to be overtaken include 100m sprinter Michael Frater who is at seventh, World Junior 200m record holder Usain Bolt at sixth, fifth-placed Michael Blackwood in the 400m, Maurice Wignall at sixth in the men's 110m hurdles, Kemel Thompson at fifth on the men's 400m hurdles list and James Beckford at ninth on the long jump list.
On the women's side they are: sixth-placed Sherone Simpson and seventh-placed Aleen Bailey in the 100m, Delloreen Ennis-London at fourth in the 100m hurdles, Koreen Hinds and Mardrea Hyman at fifth and sixth in the steeplechase respectively and Elva
The date upon which the IAAF World Rankings are calculated with respect to the World Athletics Final is after the final TDK Golden League meeting of 2005 which takes place this year in Berlin on Sunday, September 4.
