September 28, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 15, 1428

SHANGHAI, Sept 27: Some of the world’s top athletes wind down their seasons in a swing through Asia in the coming week, with China’s Liu Xiang making his first appearance on home soil since the world championships.

A host of star names will appear at the IAAF-sanctioned Golden Grand Prix here on Friday before heading to Japan for the Seiko Super Track and Field meet in Yokohama on Sunday before ending up at Daegu in South Korea on Wednesday.

World champions Tyson Gay, Jeremy Wariner and Kenenisa Bekele will all compete in Shanghai, as will pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva and sprint queen Veronica Campbell.

The fastest man on earth, Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, also runs, but has opted to compete in the 200m and so will miss a showdown with American Gay, who beat him to the 100m world title in Osaka last month.

The top draw for fans in China is superstar Shanghai native Liu, the world and Olympic 110m hurdles champion who is sure to receive a rapturous reception.

But he warned a home victory was not guaranteed.

“It is getting very competitive because a younger generation is starting to come through and challenge us,” he said.

His main threats here will be veteran American Allen Johnson, Cuba’s Dayron Robles and Chinese team-mate Shi Dongpeng in a race sure to draw big crowds to the Shanghai University Town Stadium.

Ethiopia’s Bekele, the 10,000m world champion and world record holder, runs the 1,500m here where he will be up against a host of Kenyans, including Brimin Kipruto and Daniel Kipchirchir Komen.—AFP