Saif Saeed Shaheen, the two-time world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, has joined the field for the 5000m at the Golden Spike Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic on June 27, organizers announced today.

In 2003, Shaheen, then running as Kenyan Stephen Cherono, made waves when he upset Hicham El Guerrouj in the Emil Zatopek Memorial 5000m, clocking a meeting record of 12:48.81, and still a personal best for the 24-year-old who now competes internationally for Qatar. The race, the second for Shaheen following an outing over 2 miles at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on June 10, adds to a quality field which already includes double Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse, the reigning world cross country and road running champion, and Australia's Craig Mottram, the two-time World Cup winner and reigning world championships bronze medallist over the distance.

"Shaheen is really looking forward to coming back to Ostrava," the athlete's manager, Ricky Simms, told organizers. "He has fond memories of running 12:48 and beating Hicham El Guerrouj on his visit there. It would be great if he could set a new PB in Ostrava 2007".

While remaining unbeaten in his specialty last year, Shaheen contested a pair of 5000 races as well, finishing a close second to Kenenisa Bekele at Rome's Golden Gala, where he clocked an Asian record 12:51.98, and again at the World Cup, where captured a unique 5000/3000m steeplechase double win.

Wilfred Bungei of Kenya, the World indoor 800m champion, returns to Ostrava where he notched wins in 2003 and 2006. His 1:43.24 from 2003 is still the meet record, and after his world-leading 1:44.13 opener at the Qatar Super Grand Prix in Doha last weekend, a challenge to his meet record could be in the cards.

"Given how my training is going and that I ran 1:44:14 in my first outdoor race of the year, I'm very confident that I can run a 1:43 by end of June, if all the conditions, meaning the pace and weather, are good," said Bungei, perennially among the quickest two-lap specialists in the world. "Maybe even a low 1:43. My aim in Ostrava is to run as fast as possible."

An attack on the meet record of 2.31 in the men's high jump could be in the cards as well. The Swedish duo of Stefan Holm and Linus Thornblad will square off against the tough domestic trio of Tomas Janku, Svatoslav Ton and Jaroslav Baba. For Holm, the reigning Olympic and European indoor champion, Ostrava will provide his first major international test of the 2007 season.

The meet, this year celebrating its 46th edition and annually the finest athletics gathering in eastern Europe, will be broadcast live by Eurosport and on by wcsn.com on the internet.

(c) 2007 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved