18 Olympic, world champions added to New York IAAF Diamond League

Eighteen Olympic and world champions including recently crowned world indoor champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and American sprinter Allyson Felix added to the line-up of athletes slated to compete in the Adidas Grand Prix at New York on June 12.

The Adidas Grand Prix, held at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, will be the fifth stop on the inaugural 14-meet, international IAAF Diamond League circuit.

In addition to Felix in the women's 200 meters, other IAAF Diamond League Ambassadors added to the field include Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen and Finland's Tero Pikamaki in the men's javelin throw and Valerie Vili of New Zealand in the women's shot put.

The other two ambassadors already announced for the New York meeting are Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt and Australian pole vault king Steve Hooker. A total of 32 Olympians from 16 different countries have been announced.

Campbell-Brown and Felix will meet at 200m for the first time in the United States. The two have raced eight times at the distance with Felix holding the 6-2 advantage. However, both of Campbell-Brown's victories came in the Olympic finals.

"New York is one of those cities you just love to compete in," Campbell-Brown said. "I especially love the world-renowned Jamaican track fans that are always in attendance."

Campbell-Brown, 27, made headlines recently with her victory in the women's 60m dash at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha in early March. It was her first world indoor title and her first major championship title since earning gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Campbell-Brown is a four-time Olympic medallist, including two individual golds in the 200m and a seven-time World Championship medallist.

Intriguing match-ups are expected for each event in this year's edition of the Adidas Grand Prix:

The men's javelin throw will pit Thorkildsen vs Pitkamaki, two-time Olympic champion and 2009 World champion vs Olympic bronze medallist and 2007 World champion, as both compete for the first time in the United States.

Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson, 24, of Trinidad and Tobago, will face off against Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder, and his previously announced Caribbean training partners Yohan Blake of Jamaica and Daniel Bailey of Antigua and Barbuda in the 100m, the marquee men's event. Thompson, who competed for Louisiana State University, was the 2008 NCAA 100m champion.

Source:Xinhua