An explosive atmospere beckons in the sprint

Suspended from competition for 18 months after testing positive for a stimulant, the Jamaican wasn’t supposed to be able to run again before this coming December. However, he appealed against his suspension when he appeared before the court of arbitration for sport and has just learned that he’ll be able to participate in official competitions again until the CAS reconvenes on 7 and 8 July.

It was a tempting opportunity for the organisers of the MEETING AREVA to showcase one of the greatest sprinters of his day, a man nominated Athlete of the Year in 2006 by IAAF. They snapped it up. On the bill at the Jamaican championships in Kingston, from 26 to 29 June, Asafa Powell will also be strutting his stuff in the Stade de France in what will be his first international competition in the 100m over the past year. How will he perform? How are his fitness levels and how motivated is he? Seeing the answers in the flesh is sure to be worth a seat and will doubtless give the parisian meeting an even more resounding appeal.

However, Asafa Powell certainly won’t be the only attraction in the sprinting events at the MEETING AREVA 2014. The men’s 100m promises to be an explosive cocktail with the presence on the track of seven athletes who have each already achieved a sub-10-second time at least once before. Heading the list is Richard Thompson. The sprinter from Trinidad-and-Tobago created a stir on Saturday 21 June by securing the best performance in the world this year with a time of 9’’82 (+ 1.7m/sec) in the national championships in the Port of Spain. Olympic number two in 2008 in Beijing, he’s at the peak of fitness at 29. In the absence of Usain Bolt, Nesta Carter will be defending Jamaican tradition together with Asafa Powell. He ran 9’’78 in 2010 in Rieti (Italy). Christophe Lemaitre (9’’92 in 2011) will be fighting over French supremacy from a distance. This season the advantage is clearly going to Jimmy Vicaut who had to withdraw due to a thigh injury. American Michael Rodgers (9’’85 in 2011) and the hardwearing Kim Collins (38) will complete the line-up. With regards to the latter, the return to the Stade de France is set to be a very emotional experience some eleven years after securing the world title in the 100m.

The women’s 200m is also likely to serve up a volatile concoction to spectators. Topping the bill is American Allyson Felix, triple world champion (2005, 2007 and 2009) and Olympic gold medallist (2012) over the distance. This season she has run 22’’44, a time she could well improve on at the MEETING AREVA where she will benefit from being pitted against top-flight competition. The race’s star attraction will go by the name of Tori Bowie. Studying at the University of Mississippi, she has long been famed for her qualities as a long jumper (6.95m indoors back in the winter). This season she has opted for the 200m with spectacular results: 22’’18 on 31 May in Eugene and best performance of the world this year.

Competing at the MEETING AREVA for the first time last year, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is returning to the Stade de France to run the 200m, a distance in which she ran 22’’53 in early May in Kingston. Also worth keeping an eye on is one of the season’s sensations, Nigerian Blessing Okagbare, who is currently progressing in leaps and bounds and was credited with a new personal best of 22’’23 on 31 May at the IAAF Diamond League Meeting in Eugene. Finally, Myriam Soumaré is likely to confirm that she is at the peak of fitness right now after racking up a third place in Ostrava with a time of 22’’85.