If the Nikaia Grand Prix track meet is any indication, African athletes may be leaving Barcelona with a lot of Olympic medals.
Frank Fredericks of Nambia, who competed collegiately at Brigham Young University, took the 100 meters, while several Kenyans put on an amazing display at the distance events on Wednesday.Only Roger Black of Britain in the 400 meters and American Tony Dees in the 110 hurdles were able to beat the Africans, while the Canadian 400-meter relay barely beat out a tough Nigerian squad.
Meanwhile, the American sprint relay team was scheduled to run, but meet promoters couldn't reach a financial agreeement with the Santa Monica track club, which features American Olympians Leroy Burrell, Mark Witherspoon, Mike Marsh and Carl Lewis.
With Ben Johnson running leadoff, Canada took the relay in 38.62 seconds. Nigeria was second in 38.69.
Kenya showed its awesome distance strength by dominating all the races above 800 meters, including a stunning group performance in the 1,500 meters.
With the track events of the Olympics set to begin July 31, the athletes are warming up and produced some of the top performances of the year.
Wilfred Kirochi led Kenyans to the first four places in the "metric mile", winning in the year's best time of 3 minutes, 33.04 seconds. The other Kenyans - Joseph Chesire, David Kibet and William Kemei - were under 3:34, about the equivalent of a 3:51 mile.
Paul Bitok led a Kenyan sweep of the first three spots in the 3,000 meters in 7:35.0., the year's best time.
William Tanui won the 800 meters in 1:44.7, with Kenyans in three of the top six places.
Then Micah Boinett topped the country's performance with a 8:12.69 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, ahead of three other Kenyans.
Another world best was set in the women's 400 when France's world champion, Marie Jose Perec, won in 49.50. American Gwen Torrence was second in 49.64.
Torrence won't be in the Olympic 400, though. She won both sprints at the U.S. Olympic trials and is favored to win the 100 and 200. Double world champion, German Katrin Krabbe, decided to skip the Olympics after the stress involved in fighting her drug suspension.
Torrence was second in both the 100 and 200 behind Krabbe at the world championships last year in Tokyo.
Merlene Ottey of Jamaica, third in both sprints, moved to a top 200 time in 22.11, second best of the year behind Torrence's 22.03.
Fredericks won the 100 with a time of 10.12 seconds. Bruny Surin of Canada was second with Dennis Mitchell, the American Olympic trials winner, third.
The last time Fredericks and Mitchell met in Lille, France on July 6, Fredericks won in a wind aided 9.91 with Mitchell second in 9.94.
Also, Samuel Matete of Zambia won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.15 as Winthrop Graham of Jamaica and Kris Akabusi of Britain followed, duplicating their world championship finish.
Former BYU runner Julie Jenkins finished fifth in the women's 800 in 1:59.67. The winner was Lyubov Gurina of Russia in 1:58.05.