One week until IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007

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One week to go - IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007
Thursday 22 February 2007
Monte-Carlo - The Telstra Melbourne Track Classic – IAAF Grand Prix – takes place a week from tomorrow (Friday 2 March) at Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia, the opening meeting of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007.

On the same day that many of the best of athletes in Europe begin their three-day European Indoor Championships, tucked away from the winter cold in front of a packed crowd at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, UK, down in the warmer climes of the southern hemisphere the IAAF World Athletics Tour (WAT), which encompasses the world’s best outdoor one-day, blasts out of the blocks for its second year.

The 2007 WAT will conclude at the 5th IAAF World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany, on 22-23 September 2007.

Leading the international entries in Melbourne are many top names from the USA, who without a global indoor title to aim at this winter have opted for the warm air of the southern summer. Olympic Games 200m champion Shawn Crawford, World Cup 400m winner LaShawn Merritt, and women’s World 100m Hurdles title holder Michelle Perry, are the major sprinters, while performing on the infield will be 2004 World Indoor Shot champion Christian Cantwell, and Olympic Long Jump silver medallist John Moffitt.

However, the best field event battle is likely to take place in the men’s Pole Vault where two of the USA’s best exponents, Olympic silver medallist Toby Stevenson (Personal Best 6.00m) and World Indoor champion Brad Walker (PB 6.00m), take on Australian duo, World Cup winner Steve Hooker (PB 5.96m) and Paul Burgess (PB 6.00m).

Nor should we overlook the distance running events, with Australian stars Craig Mottram, the World bronze medallist, and Benita Johnson, the former World Cross Country champion, respectively running the men’s and women’s 5000m.

IAAF