Australian long jump champion Mitchell Watt will join a green and gold brigade of more than 20 athletes at the Golden Grand Prix in Kawasaki (JAP) this Sunday, May 8.

Taking to the runway in career best form after soaring 8.44m (w: +1.5), a new personal best and the current world leading mark, to win the national crown only three weeks ago, the world and world indoor championships bronze medallist Watt will be joined in the men’s long jump by Robbie Crowther and Henry Frayne.

Crowther also heads to Japan with a new personal best (8.05m, w: +2.4), whilst Frayne, who burst into the Australian All-Time List for triple jump at the Briggs Athletics Classic late February, is set to return from a heel injury that forced his withdrawal from the Australian Athletics Championships.

A trio of Australians also feature on the women’s long jump start list, with Kerrie Perkins, Linda Allen and Jessica Penney all set to soar.

On track, triple 2011 national champion Sally Pearson and national 100m and 200m champion Aaron Rouge-Serret will lead the women’s and men’s 4x100m relay teams respectively.

Clocking 44.05 and 44.02 in Sydney during March, the women’s team is edging unbelievably close to the IAAF world championships qualifier of 44 seconds, with Pearson to start alongside three of Laura Whaler, Crystal Attenborough, Charlotte Van Veenendaal and Melissa Breen.

Already qualified for the IAAF world championships, the men’s team in Kawasaki also includes Daegu-bound athletes Matt Davies, Isaac Ntiamoah and Anthony Alozie. Liam Gander rounds out the travelling squad of five.

In the individual events, national champions Lauren Boden and Brendan Cole will burst out of the blocks in the 400m hurdles, Sean Wroe and Kevin Moore will join Davies in the men’s 200m whilst James Gurr and national 800m champion James Kaan battle it out across two-laps.

Doubling as Round 3 of the IAAF World Challenge, the Golden Grand Prix will also feature Stawell Gift starter Kim Collins (100m), dual world indoor champion Lolo Jones (100m hurdles) and local hero Koji Murofoshi, the 2004 Olympic gold medallist, in the men’s hammer throw.

Athletics Australia