Seiko Golden Grand Prix Preview
Published Thu 17 May 2018
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Yanmar Stadium will play host on Sunday to the second leg of the nine-leg IAAF World Challenge tour, as the Seiko Golden Grand Prix takes place in Osaka.
10 Australians travel to Osaka to compete across seven different events, with track and field disciplines well represented, featuring high jumper Brandon Starc, Anneliese Rubie (400m), Brittany McGowan (800m), Damien
Commonwealth Games champion Brandon Starc will use Osaka as his second competitive outing in Japan, following a second-place finish in Shizuoka, clearing 2.25m behind Japanese national team member, Naoto Tobe, who cleared 2.28m successfully. Starc and Tobe will face off again in Osaka, joined by 2.33m jumper Yu Wang (CHN).
Starc has an exciting season ahead of him, “The competitions I’m going to be doing are enough to keep me motivated. At this
“My goals for the remainder of the season would be to keep it consistent, push for the 2.30s and really make my mark in the high jumping world.â€
Following a well-timed 51.51sec personal best in the Commonwealth Games semi-final progressing Rubie to her first international final, the 26-year old sprinter faces strong competition from six-time All-American, University of Arkansas graduate Daina Harper (USA), who leads the 400m field at 50.64sec. The one-lap sprint field is further buoyed by World Championship 4x400m relay bronze medallist Justyna Święty-Ersetic (POL, 51.15sec) and European Under-23 champion Gunta Latiševa-Čudare (LAT, 51.37sec).
In what shapes up as a strong middle-distance meet, Australia’s third fastest 800-metre runner returns to his favoured two-lap distance, as Riseley looks to improve upon a seasons best of 1:46.35 in a field containing 2012 Olympic silver medalist Timothy Kitum (KEN), Diamond League meeting winner Abraham Rotich (BHR, 1:43.13), World Indoor finalist Mostafa Smaili (MAR, 1:45.05) and Japanese record-holder Sho Kawamoto (1:45.75).
LaCaze and Buckman will both race outside of their preferred events, seeded fourth and sixth respectively in a modest field including, top-seeded Japan-based Kenyan athlete Ann Karindi Mwangi top-seeded, an 8:43.54 performer, previously having placed seventh at the 2009 World Cross Country Championships. Former World Youth champion Shuru Bolo (ETH, 8:51.04) and in-form Romanian Claudia Mihaela Bobocea (8:51.58i) may keep the early pace healthy, as LaCaze and Buckman look to improve upon personal bests of 8:51.04 and 8:56.29 respectively.
Training partners Gregson and
McGowan races three sub-two minute 800m competitors, as Commonwealth Games finalist Emily Cherotich
Otherwise notable contests in Osaka include a super fast 100m involving Justin Gatlin (
For further information visit the Seiko Grand Prix website.
Sean Whipp for Athletics Australia.