It's more than 20 years since Britain's major Grand Prix meeting was spread over two days instead of a single Friday night, but last week's announcement of the British squad for Beijing plus a spectacular 100m head-to-head between Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay should ensure full stands at the shamefully tatty Crystal Palace. Back in 1985, a rematch between Mary Slaney and Zola Budd saw the meet extended; sadly, the 3,000m showdown, a year after the pair had clashed at the LA Games, proved an anti-climax. Gay v Powell promises better, with the former scorching to the fastest ever 100m – a wind-assisted 9.68 – last month. However, the reigning world champion has only beaten Powell once in six previous races. Plenty of records have been set in SE19, not least by Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva who became the first woman to clear 5m three years ago. With British Olympic medal hopes Kelly Sotherton, Phillips Idowu and Christine Ohuruogu also in action, the sport should at last be able to use the word 'positive' without referring to a drug test. Andrew Shields
