Top American 400m hurdler Johnny Dutch has firmly laid down a challenge to his big two rivals, new Irish record holder Thomas Barr from Waterford’s Ferrybank club and current world leader Javier Culson from Puerto Rico who ran 48.10 secs in winning the event at the recent New York Diamond League Meeting.

Both the leading duo have run faster in the past former World Junior Champion Dutch 47.63 sec and Olympic medallist Culson 47.72 sec last season and their confrontation at the Cork City Sports on 8th July will be riveting to put it mildly. In their slip stream young Barr will hope to set new figures and perhaps even claim a much vaunted scalp.

Reggie Wyatt (USA), Mahau Suguima (Brazil) and Jamaica’s  Roxroy Cato who have each run quicker than Barr this year are unlikely to play the role as passive spectators.

Two world class Japanese hurdlers have now been added to the field to replace European champion Rhys Williams who has had to pull out.