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Williams and Phillips lead
star_studded line-up in
Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico - World
Indoor 60m champion Angela
Williams and 2004 Olympic
Long Jump gold medallist
Dwight Phillips lead the
field of 14 World and
Olympic medallists for the
Ponce Grand Prix, to be held
on Saturday (17) at the
Paquito Montaner Stadium.
The
Ponce Grand Prix
is also one of a select
group of Area meetings at
which points can be acquired
by athletes to qualify for
the
IAAF / VTB Bank World
Athletics Final, to be held
on 13-14 September in
Stuttgart.
Following a successful Ibero
American championships and
the Carolina Classic in
2006, Ponce wants to keep
the athletics fever alive
with this annual event and
the relay results will also
count for the Olympic
qualification.
Williams, fresh from her 60m
World Indoor title in
Valencia, will make her
third early season outing
over 100m. Last weekend, she
ran 11.25 secs in Orlando.
In Ponce, she will meet US
Virgin Islands' LaVerne
Jones-Ferrette, Jamaica's
Relay World Championships
medallists Peta Gaye-Dowdie
and her countrywomen
Wyllesheia Myrick and Ebonie
Floyd.
Three-time World Long Jump
champion Phillips is set for
another duel with compatriot
Brian Johnson. Johnson
prevailed by one centimetre
(8.48w to 8.47w) in Fort de
France, on 8 May. Both
jumpers hope legal wind
conditions will help them
set season's bests in the
pre-Olympic campaign.
Australia's 2006
Commonwealth Games bronze
medallist Fabrice Lapierre
and 2005 World Youth
champion Chris Noffke will
add further rivalry, as well
as Triple Jump specialist
Aarik Wilson of the USA.
Javier Clavelo
Robinson for the IAAF
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