The top six placed athletes are all competing. It could be seen as a rerun and an opportunity for athletes to settle old scores.
Neil Cornelius, who is coaching Luvo Manyonga (TuksAthletics), arguably the hottest prospect in international long jumping at the moment, sees it as a good dress rehearsal for the World Championships in London.
“I think in Shanghai the athletes might just be vying to get a psychological upper hand. One good jump for any athlete could get the others to start worrying.”
According to Cornelius, it is not often that you get a competition in which seven athletes can boast a personal best of 8.40 metres and better. Three of them are South Africans: Manyonga, Khotso Mokoena (8.50m) and Rushwal Samaai (8.49m)
