Aregawi, Martinez and Montano looking for fast 800m in Stockholm

The current world’s No.1 over 1500m, Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi (Ethiopian-born), who runs for the Stockholm-based club Hammarby IF, will compete over 800m at DN Galan meeting at 22 August.

In her hunt for another Swedish record, at the IAAF Diamond League meeting she will face good quality opposition from two tough US rivals who both qualified for the USA team competing at the forthcoming IAAF World Championships: Brenda Martinez and London 2012 Olympic Games finalist Alysia Montano.

At Stockholm’s famous Olympic Stadium, just four days after the end of the World Championships in Moscow, Aregawi will meet the 25-year-old Martinez who impressed at the IAAF Diamond League in London at the end of July by winning the 800m in 1:58.19.

Also in the race will be the 2013 US champion over two laps of the track Montano, who is third on this year’s world list with her time of 1:57.75 from the IAAF Diamond League race in Paris just over a one month ago.

Aregawi herself will be bidding to improve her own Swedish record of 1:59.20 which she set at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Hengelo on 8 June.

“After a successful summer, I’m really looking forward to DN Galan and I can’t wait to run in front of a home crowd at Stockholm Stadium,” was Aregawi’s message to the Stockholm public.

Many of the world’s elite athletes will compete at this year’s DN Galan and, as the event approaches, more top names will be announced.

Source: IAAF.org