Asafa Powell, VCB, Richards-Ross, Alekna at inaugural Gyulai Memorial
Phenomenal Jamaican sprinters, Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown, two-time World Athlete of the Year, Sanya Richards-Ross, and discus throwing legend, Virgilijus Alekna will be the top stars of the inaugural István Gyulai Memorial - Hungarian Athletics GP.
The event, which will take place on 30 July in the Ferenc Puskás Stadium, in Budapest, is named after one of the most recognised and most popular Hungarian sports diplomats, the former General Secretary of both the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), who passed away five years ago.
Organizers have also announced the participation of South-Africa's multiple Paralympic champion, Oscar Pistorius, who will compete against rising young Hungarian 400m runner, the World junior silver medallist Marcell Deák Nagy, who has recently improved his national junior record to 45.74 sec.
Alekna will compete against Hungarian Olympic silver medallist Zoltán Kővágó and former European Champion Róbert Fazekas. Other top Hungarian athletes, like Krisztián Pars, who is leading the All-Athletics.com World Hammer throw Ranking, and European 110m Hurdles bronze medallist, Dániel Kiss will also compete in Budapest.
The women's 100m Hurdles features no less than three world champions. Reigning world champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica will face former world champion Perdita Felician of Canada and former word indoor champion, two-time European silver medallist Derval O'Rourke of Ireland.
A top star-clash is expected in the women's 200m where Jamaica's Veronica Campbell, winner of the event in the last two Olympic Games will race against two-time Athlete of the Year, reigining world 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross of the USA.
The men's 100m is expected as the main attraction of the Gyulai Memorial, as the organizers have just announced the participation of Asafa Powell, world's fastest man this year (9.78).
Powell has broken the 10 seconds barrier 76 times so far (69 times with legal wind), which is the most in the world. Asafa is expected to become the first man to run below 10 seconds in Hungary where the fastest 100m so far has been produced by Linford Christie (10.03), back in 1987.
Other contenders to break the 10 seconds limit are Jamaican Michel Frater and American Darvis Patton. Both have shown excellent form lately and will offer good competition for top-star Asafa Powell.
Sports Director of the event Attila Spiriev, Managing Director of All-Athletics.com, is negotiating with further top athletes to make the inaugural István Gyulai Memorial a memorable sporting event in Hungary.
(Photo by Bálint Igaz)
