SHANGHAI, Sept 11: Yelena Isinbayeva and Dayron Robles will lead a star cast of 10 Olympic champions at the IAAF Shanghai Golden Grand Prix this month.

Russia’s Isinbayeva, who put in another masterful display of high-class pole vaulting to better her own world record on the way to defending Olympic gold in Beijing, will be a big drawcard on September 20.

She vowed to challenge her 5.5 metres world mark once again. “China brought me my Olympic gold medal and a world record, so I am looking forward to coming to Shanghai on September 20 to hopefully break the world record again. I love the Chinese audience,” she said.

Cuba’s Robles, the 110m hurdles champion and world record holder, will not be running against arch-rival and Chinese hero Liu Xiang who sensationally pulled out of his home Olympics injured last month.

Liu, a Shanghai native, will need six months to a year to recover from his foot injury.

Among others confirmed for the event are Jamaican Veronica Campbell, the two-time Olympic 200m champion, and men’s 400m hurdles gold medallist Angelo Taylor of the United States.

Also in the field are Olympic gold winners Wilfred Bungei of Kenya (men’s 800m), Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu (women’s 400m) and Nancy Lagat of Kenya (women’s 1,500m).—AFP