ZAGREB (CRO) - US sprint record holder Tyson Gay arrived on Sunday evening to Zagreb, Croatia. „I want to attack my personal best in Zagreb," said Gay what would mean to come close to his US record 9.69. The sprinting star will compete on Wednesday at Zagreb Meeting (IAAF World Challenge) and had the official press conference today. But he will not have it easy as Jamaican Nesta Carter who improved in Rieti to 9.78 and equalled Gay´s world lead will also be running.

 

 

Co-world leader at 100 m US Tyson Gay was the star of a press conference two days before the IAAF World Challenge Zagreb 2010 to be held on Wednesday in Sports Park Mladost. He recieved a special gift from city mayor.

"I think it is very possible that I will run faster than 9.69 seconds if it will be good conditions. It will be very balanced and very fast race." His main rival will be the other world leader Nesta Carter of Jamaica. Also from Rieti 100 m Michael Frater, Mike Rodgers and Jaisuma Saidy Ndure are scheduled to run. Home stars Blanka Vlasic in high jump and Sandra Perkovic in discus, both European Champions from Barcelona are the other headliners.

World champions competing will be Yargelis Savigne in triple jump, Dwight Phillips in long jump. Great competition is expected in shot put, where all top three from recent Samsung Diamond League finals will fight (Hoffa, Cantwell, Majewski). Lolo Jones is the star of 100 m Hurdles, sub 11 runner Mershevet Myers in the 200 m and US Champion Debbie Dunn in the 400 m. Kaliese Spencer can make for the fall in Rieti with another win at 400 m hurdles, US Nick Symmonds is the 800 m top name. Belgian record holder Jonathan Borlee has the fastest 400 m time. Hanzekovic Memorial at 110 m hurdles will have Jamaican record holder Dwight Thomas, European Champion Andy Turner and European leader Petr Svoboda running.

In men´s hammer the winner of inaugural IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge will be decided. Tajikistan´s Dilshod Nazarov is still leading, but Libor Charfreitag needs a 78 metres to get over him, but Nazarov can also improve. And waiting behind for his third performance to count is world Koji Murofushi, another 80+ would secure the win for him most probably. In men´s discus home top athlete Roland Varga will compete with Asian record holder Ehsan Hadadi of Iran.

Coach Santiago Antunez confirmed that world record holder Dayron Robles will not compete any more this season. After cancelling Rieti and Zagreb he was expected to compete for Americas in Split at IAAF Continental Cup this weekend. "Dayron is competing only when he is in top shape. And that is not currently the case," Antunez was explaining. That means he will end the season with five wins and two losses and 13.01 best.

Picture of Tyson Gay by Ales Graf, www.graf.cz