The new tartan track in athletics stadiums is always the most interesting to sprinters, who regularly ask: “Is the track fast?” The answer to the question regarding the track in the renewed Mladost Stadium will be provided by the world’s best sprinters.
Leading the field in the 100m at the 69th Hanžeković Memorial will be the current World Champion Justin Gatlin. Gatlin ran 9.87 in the final at the US Nationals, which is only two hundredths of a second slower than the Zagreb meeting record held by the world record holder Usain Bolt since 2011.
Gatlin will share the field in Zagreb with Divine Oduduru, who is second in the IAAF world rankings with 9.86, Arthur Cissé, fifth in the IAAF rankings with 9.93, and Aaron Brown, who is ninth with 9.96. The start list also includes Zagreb’s last year’s winner Michael Rodgers and – Asafa Powell! The former world record holder is running the 100m in around 10 seconds again, and he is always especially motivated at his favourite meeting.
So it is highly probable that we will see a race under 10 seconds in Zagreb on 3 September again.