As the South African track and field season takes momentum, all eyes will be on the sprint events on Tuesday night, as local stars prepare to take on their international counterparts from around the world at the first leg of the ASA Grand Prix Series, a World Athletics Continental Tour meeting at Tuks Athletics Stadium in Tshwane.
Exciting contests are expected in the men's and women's 100m events.
Local teenager Benjamin Richardson, a two-time medallist in the short dash at the World U20 Championships, will be looking to take a big scalp when he lines up against African record holder and champion Ferdinand Omanyala, with the Kenyan speedster aiming to build on his superb early season form.
Omanyala's countryman, Samwel Imeta, and Gilbert Hainuca of Namibia will also be looking to put up a fight.
In the women's 100m race, SA record holder Carina Horn will be eager to extend her domestic dominance, but she will need to be at her best to hold off a challenge from national junior record holder Viwe Jingqi.
In the 200m sprints, junior athletes will be aiming to stun their senior opponents. Among the women, in-form national champion Miranda Coetzee will enter the blocks as the favourite against a field which also includes 18-year-old prospects Kayla le Grange and Kaylee le Roux.
Fresh off his victory at the ASA Senior Championships, 19-year-old Armand van der Walt will go in search of another win, but he will have to hold off challenges from compatriot Sinesipho Dambile, a former World U20 Championships medallist and experienced Eswatini athlete Sibusiso Matsenjwa, who set a national record of 20.22 in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.
In the men's 400m sprint, 20 year-old rising star Lythe Pillay - who won the global U20 title last year, and African Championships finalist Zakithi Nene, will carry the SA flag in a battle against some of the world's best one-lap athletes.
They will be up against an international contingent that includes the likes of popular athlete Isaac Makwala of Botswana, a former Commonwealth Games champion, and Qatari athlete Abderrahman Samba, a former World Championships bronze medallist in the 400m hurdles.
Hurdles star Zeney van der Walt will be eager to showcase her flat speed in the women's 400m dash.
FOREIGN CONTINGENT LOOKING TO PUT UP A FIGHT
Van der Walt will also not have it all her own way, however, against a line-up which also features 18-year-old prospect Precious Molepo, two-time African Championships relay medallist Lydia Jele of Botswana and Norwegian national champion Line Kloster.
Among the expected highlights in field events, five athletes in the men's long jump line-up have cleared eight metres in their careers, including versatile athlete Cheswill Johnson (who will also run the 100m sprint), as well as junior prospect Asande Mthembu, youth prodigy Temoso Masikane, Karabo Satekge and Zarck Visser.
While the event is expected to be dominated by local stars, the foreign contingent will also be looking to put up a fight, led by Botswana's Thapelo Monaiwa, who set a personal best of 7.95m in Gaborone last year.
Another hard-fought battle is expected in the men's javelin throw. National champion Waldo Smit and former World U20 Championships silver medallist Johann Grobler will lead the local contingent. They face a stiff challenge, however, against a field which includes Chinese athlete Jiajie Xu, who set a personal best of 84.54m last season.
In other contests, SA champion Prudence Sekgodiso will line up as the favourite in the women's 800m race, but she will have to be on her toes to beat Botswana national record holder Oratile Nowe, while Kenyan athlete Elijah Manangoi - a former 1500m world champion - is likely to dominate the men's two-lap contest.
African record holder Antonio Alkana and national champion Marione Fourie are the firm favourites in the men's and women's 110m hurdles, and Olympic finalist Kayle Blignaut will be eager to regain his best form in the men's shot put.
Other events on the programme include the men's and women's 400m hurdles, the women's high jump and the women's discus throw.
“A great night of great performances awaits us all on Wednesday,” says the James Moloi, the President of Athletics South Africa. “We welcome to our shores all international athletes and their coaches for endorsing South Africa as one of their preferred competition destinations.
“We are once again confident that we will present a well-managed and top class track and field meeting that is also available live on TV through our partner, SuperSport."