The penultimate leg of the IAAF Golden League in Berlin tonight features 20 of the recently crowned European Champions, including Sonia O'Sullivan and bronze medallist Mark Carroll, both of whom race over 5,00 metres, although most of the attention will focus on the four athletes still in contention for the $1 million jackpot for winning their respective events in the six-leg series.
O'Sullivan once again faces Gabriela Szabo of Romania whom she dismissed so effectively in winning the European title but the greater challenge is likely to come from the Morrocan Zohra Ouaziz, the fastest in the world this year with a time of 14 minutes 40.19 seconds. Ouaziz is also unbeaten at the distance this season including the surprise victory over O'Sullivan in Paris in June.
The organisers in Berlin have lined up four pacemakers to set up a world record attempt on the 14:36.45 set three years ago by Fernando Ribeiro of Portugal. Even if that fails to materialise O'Sullivan's Irish record of 14:41.40 could be under threat in what should be one of the highlights of the meeting.
Carroll is out to get his second Irish record of the week after he broke the 3,000 metres record so convincingly in Brussels on Friday with his 7:33.84, nearly four seconds better that Eamonn Coghlan's mark set 18 years ago and making him the seventh fastest European of all-time.
The Irish 5,000 metres record of 13:13.02, now over 10 years old and held by Frank O'Mara, is well within Carroll's capabilities considering his current form and his own personal best is just outside that in 13:13.94.
World record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, one of the four still unbeaten athletes in the League, is certain to create a fast race and with his compatriot Assefa Mezegebu and Kenyans Paul Tergat and Luke Kipkosgei, the other sub-13-minute men this season, also in the field, Carroll has his sights set on coming close to that definitive barrier.
Dieter Baumann of Germany is the only European under the 13 minutes and will be looking for some consolation for his disappointing show at the distance in Budapest. The 50,000 spectators expected in the Olympic Stadium will be spurring him on although neither he nor anybody else is likely to threaten Gebrselassie.
The same goes for American sprinter Marion Jones who goes into Berlin undefeated in 35 outings this season and is sure to keep her hand in the $1 million jackpot with victory over the 100 metres. Fellow American Bryan Bronson has been equally dominant in the 400 metre hurdles although local favourite Ruslan Maschenko could well upset him at the last hurdle.
The last survivor is Hicham El Guerrouj who also goes into the 1,500 metres unbeaten in any race this season and it will be a big surprise if the Moroccan does not defend that. All four athletes then need the final victory at the Grand Prix final in Moscow on Saturday to claim the prize money.
Sinead Delahunty is hoping for further improvement in the 1,500 metres after she ran a lifetime best of 4:04.22 in Brussels although Susan Smith has turned down her invitation to run the 400 metre hurdles and heads back to her base in America next week. James McIlroy had hoped to conclude his season in Berlin but was unable to secure a place in the starting line-up despite another impressive performance with his 1:45.83 also in Brussels.
