RAYMOND GRAHAM, STAR Writer

Fans were looking forward to today's 400m hurdles women's clash between Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer and the Czech Republic's Zuzana Hejnova at the Stockholm Diamond League, but this is not to be.

Spencer, the Diamond League leader, unbeaten in the event this season, has withdrawn from the race.

The athletes have met twice this season, with Spencer finishing in front on both occasions.

Hejnova, the defending World Champion, started out very slowly after missing all of last season due to injury.

In her first three races this year, she failed to go below 55 seconds, clocking 55.14, 55.11 and 55.00 seconds, respectively.

However, she won the Paris Diamond League with a season-best 53.76, the second-fastest time this year.

Only Shamier Little of the United States with 53.74 has gone faster.

Unfavourable conditions

In London last weekend, Hejnova showed that she is peaking at the right time.

After running in unfavourable conditions, she recorded her second-fastest time of the season, winning in 53.99 seconds.

She appears to be nearing her best, and looks set for another victory today.

The American duo of Cassandra Tate, with a season-best 54.01, and the vastly improved Georgina Moline, who was second in London with a season-best 54.24, pose no threat to Hejnova.

In a recent interview, Spencer's coach, Stephen Francis, said the athlete would run very fast in Beijing, and it would have been interesting to see her matching up once again with the in-form Hejnova right before the World Championships.

Despite dominating the event at Diamond League meets, the Jamaican is yet to prove her form at a major championship, and this meet would have definitely been a good yardstick to measure her progress.