A shower of stars and record prospects in the hurdles

The men’s 110m hurdles is billed as an almighty generational duel. Competing on home soil, Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, 22, the season’s best in the world (13’’12, personal best, on 11 June in Oslo), will be up against the reigning world champion, David Oliver, some ten years his senior. The American has had a less thundering start to the season (13’’21 in Eugene on 31 May), but he has relished the Paris meeting since his victory there in 2010, when he set his personal best (12’’89) on the Stade de France track. Their duel could be refereed by the young Jamaican, Hansle Parchment, author of a 13’’14 time in late April in Des Moines. Also worth keeping an eye on is Cuban Dayron Robles, Olympic champion in Beijing, who still holds the MEETING AREVA record (12’’88 in 2008).

The men’s 400m hurdles will offer a unique melting pot of performances and discoveries, prestige and the unexpected. Taking the start line will be two of the best performers in the world this season, Puerto Rican Javier Culson (48’’03 on 14 June in New York) and American Michel Tinsley, Olympic and World No.2 (48’’56). Another major attraction of the race is that the audience will get the chance to pay tribute to the hardwearing Dominican Felix Sanchez (34 this August), Olympic champion in 2012 in London. There will also be an opportunity to discover American Ashton Eaton, the World No.1 of the combined events, who has switched to the low hurdles this season. In the space of just two months, he has managed to improve on his personal best by two seconds, bringing his time to 49’’07 on 8 June in Hengelo. “My philosophy is as follows: the more changes you make, the fresher you stay. I needed to freshen up my body and my mind”, explains the world record decathlete, who hopes to make the most of the MEETING AREVA competition to secure a sub-49-second time.

In the women’s competition, the 100m hurdles is shaping up to be reminiscent of an Olympic or World final. On the start list are the seven best performers in the world this season: Americans Brianna Rollins (12’’53), Dawn Harper Nelson (12’’54), Queen Harrison (12’’56), Kristi Castlin (12’’58) and Kellie Wells (12’’68), Australian Sally Pearson, the Olympic champion (12’’59), and French athlete Cindy Billaud (12’’69). As an added bonus, the ever popular Lolo Jones will be returning to her first love after a foray into the bobsleigh over the winter. Such a line-up would be hard to beat! The best performance in the world this season (12’’53) will really be under threat, as will the old French record (12’’56 by Monique Ewanje-Epée in 1990).