Hurdles ace Liu Xiang and Allen Johnson head up a star-studded roster of athletics champions gathering in Shanghai this weekend for the Golden Grand Prix.

Liu, the 110-meter hurdles world record holder and Olympic champion, will be joined in Saturday's competition by Olympic and world 400-meter champion Jeremy Wariner of the United States. Long jumper Dwight Philips of the United States and distance runner Meseret Defar of Ethiopia will also be on hand to wow the crowd at Shanghai Stadium.

Although the regular season ended after the World Athletics Final in Stuggart earlier this month, a short Asian leg of one day meets is traditionally held after the end of formal competition.

Shanghai will host fourteen events in all, with men competing in the 100-, 400-, and 1,500-meter events, along with the 110-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump and shot put.

Women will compete in the 100-, 400-, and 5,000-meter races, along with 100- and 400-meter hurdles, pole vault and 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The men's hurdles will be a highlight, with Liu - a national hero since his Olympic win in Athens - renewing his rivalry with former world and Olympic champion Johnson, who won the event in the World Cup in Athens last week. Terrance Trammell and Dominique Arnold have withdrawn from the Shanghai meet due to injuries.

American Shawn Crawford, the 200m champion at the 2004 Olympics Games in Athens, will headline the 100 meter event, while Jeremy Wariner is expected to continue his dominance in the 400m.

Ukraine's Olympic champion Yuriy Bilonoh and world championship silver medalist Rutger Smith of the Netherlands feature in the shot put, while Olympic and world champion Philips will seek to defend his title in the long jump.

In the women's competition, American world champion Lauryn Williams and compatriot Allyson Felix headline the straight sprint.

World and Olympic 400-meter champion Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas will headline the one-lap race. Olympic champion and world record holder Defar looks set to defend her title here.

China is fielding 28 athletes for the competition. Along with Liu Xiang, contenders include Asian women's pole vault title holder Gao Shuying and Huang Xiaoxiao in the 400-meter hurdles. 

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2006)