by Alfonz Juck
Kenni Harrison, photo by PhotoRun.net
Time for Kenni Harrison
KARLSRUHE (GER): The highlight of the Indoor Meeting in Karlsruhe (3rd leg of IAAF World Indoor Tour) on Saturday will be the women’s 60m hurdles featuring world 100m hurdles record-holder Kendra Harrison. She opened her season with a fast 7.75 and could challenge the world record of 7.68 set in Karlsruhe in 2008. The all-star field also includes former world and Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, USA’s Sharika Nelvis, European champion outdoors and indoors Cindy Roleder with Alina Talay. World-leader Orlando Ortega will be looking for back-to-back wins on German soil in the men’s hurdles but will be challenged by Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Andy Pozzi, who have run 7.53 and 7.56 respectively in 2017. Another track highlight is the 3000m featuring in-form Laura Muir and Hellen Obiri who could both challenge the meeting record of 8:35.28 while world indoor champion Barbara Pierre faces Olympic finalists Dina Asher-Smith and Marie-Jose Ta Lou as well as European-leader Rebekka Haase in a strong 60m. Dusseldorf winner Joanna Jozwik is the favourite for the 800m ahead of world champion Marina Arzamasava and European indoor champion Selina Buchel while Eric Sowinski and Elijah Manangoi are the top names in the men’s 800m and 1500m respectively. Anita Marton and Christina Schwanitz will go head-to-head in the shot put again, Godfrey Mokoena faces world-leader Jean-Pierre Bertrand in the long jump while Wilma Murto and Donald Thomas are the top names in the pole vault and high jump.
