Jamaica sprint star Yohan Blake leads star line-up at Morton Games

The stage is set for a top class evening of athletics at the Morton Games in Morton Stadium, Santry this evening headlined by the second fastest man in history, Yohan Blake, and World Universities 400m hurdles champion Thomas Barr.

Some of the best athletes in the world will be competing in Santry including the second fastest (tied) man on the planet ‘The Beast’, Yohan Blake of Jamaica. Also competing will be Ireland’s World Universities champion Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) who will get the international programme underway in the 400m hurdles at 7.10pm.

Barr will face stiff opposition despite the withdrawal of former world champion Dai Greene. The Waterford man kicked the event off to the perfect start last year when he beat defending Jehue Gordon and he will be looking to replicate that performance again. His main contenders include Michal Broz (Czech Republic), Seb Rodgers (GBR) and Quincy Downing (USA).

Kelly Proper (Ferrybank) will be looking for a fast race in the Aon Women’s International 200 as she eyes the world qualifying standard of 23.15 seconds. The iconic Morton Mile brings together some of the world’s best milers including Jeff Riseley (AUS) who has the fastest mile time in the field. Also competing, from Australia, will be Ryan Gregson, a trio of New Zealand athletes, Hamish Carson, Julian Oakley and Julian Matthews. Canadians Thomas Riva and Jeremy Rae and a host of US athletes including 2011 Morton Mile winner Jordan McNamara.

Other races to look forward to on the night will include an action-packed men’s 3000m which will feature Andy Vernon (GBR) and up-and-coming US star Will Geoghegan. Also on the cards are two exciting 800 metre races. The women’s race will feature the World Universities 800m champion New Zealand’s Angie Petty, the current US 1000m indoor champion Lauren Wallace and a number of athletes who are chasing world and Olympic qualifying times including UCD’s Ciara Everard. The man to watch in the men’s 800 will be Robby Andrews (USA) while in the women’s mile UCD’s Ciara Mageean will look to the home support for inspiration as she works her way back to full full fitness.

Meanwhile Usain Bolt has revealed his anger at drug cheats who drag the reputation of his sport through the mud – and warned Justin Gatlin that he is in no mood to let a two-time drug cheat take his world 100 metres title.

The Jamaican, who has been hampered by a pelvic injury this summer, races for the first time in almost six weeks at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium in London night. The race is likely to prove a very good indication of his fitness one month out from the World Championships in Beijing.

The world’s fastest man has looked anything but that this season. He is 62nd in the world rankings in the 100m with a best of 10.12 seconds, set in April in what was little more than an early-season race designed to blow away the cobwebs.

Gatlin, in contrast, has run under 9.8secs four times this year, extending his unbeaten run to 23 races and establishing himself as the strong favourite for the world title.

But the six-time Olympic champion, who insisted he had no concerns about his fitness. “I know he’s been doing good this season, but I’m not worried.

“When the championship comes, anyone who knows anything about me knows I always show up. As long as I’m in great shape they’ll be no worries.

Gatlin is not in London – given his past he did not receive an invitation – but Bolt admits he gets angry that the actions of a minority put the whole sport under a cloud.

He said: “Yes, definitely, especially throughout the years when you work hard and the sport’s getting back a good reputation and then it slides back when other athletes decide they want to do the wrong thing.