Athletics: Nick Willis back on track

Nick Willis. Photo / Greg Bowker

Nick Willis returns to the track at Melbourne tomorrow night for the first time since winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal there in 2006.

And the race has an added element of deja vu now that Beijing Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop has joined a high-quality field for tomorrow night's 1500 metres race.

Kenyan Kiprop was a late addition to the blue riband event at the Melbourne Track Classic, meaning two of the medallists in China will line up at Melbourne Olympic Park at 11.20pm (NZT).

Kiprop, 20, was belatedly awarded the gold and Willis was upgraded from bronze to silver after Rashid Ramiz of Bahrain was stripped of his winner's medal last November after failing a dope test.

Kiprop, who placed fourth in the 1500m at the 2007 and 2009 world championships, looms as Willis' greatest threat as the New Zealander continues his return from a hip injury.

Willis, 26, is in good form having last month set a new national 1500m indoor record (3min 35.8sec) at Birmingham, England to erase Sir John Walker from the record books.

Earlier, he also won his specialist event at the Boston Indoor Games in the US.

His first major run outdoors this year doubles as a preview to the 2010 Commonwealth Games 1500m at New Delhi in October with a strong Australian contingent comprising Jeff Riseley, Jeremy Roff and Mitch Kealey also entered.

Other New Zealanders in action include Olympic, world and Commonwealth shot put champion Valerie Vili, who is destined to dominate a weak field, while Stuart Farquhar (javelin), Brent Newdick (long jump), Monique Williams (100m) and Adrian Blincoe (5000m) also feature in finals.

- NZPA