Marion Jones, unbeaten in 17 races over the distance in three years, meets one of her chief rivals, Christine Arron, in the 200 metres at tonight's Golden League meeting. The Frenchwoman lost to the American in the 100 metres in the same meeting at Charlety a year ago, when Jones won in 10.88 seconds.
Arron then went on to win the European Championship title with a continental record of 10.73 and is emerging as the woman most capable of challenging Jones in the world championships in Seville in August and next year's Olympics in Sydney.
In a strong field, the pair will be running against Jamaicans Debbie Ferguson and Beverly McDonald and American Inger Miller, who have all run faster 200s than Arron this year.
Men's world 100 metres record holder Maurice Greene will be racing the 200 without training partner and chief rival Ato Boldon, who is unwell.
Like Jones, several middle distance runners are still in contention for the $1 million jackpot that goes to anyone winning their event in all seven Golden League meetings.
Romanian Gabriela Szabo should add to her victories in Oslo and Rome where she set the year's two best times as she won the 3,000 metres.
Wilson Kipketer did likewise over 800 metres and he will be looking for one minute 42 seconds in Paris.
Kenya Bernard Barmasai has also set the year's two best times in the 3,000 steeplechase at Oslo and Rome, but both were well short of his world record of 7:55.72 set two years ago.
Russia's double Olympic champion Svetlana Masterkova, who added a 1,000 metres victory in Nice on Saturday to her wins in the 800 at Oslo and Rome, will be looking to stay in the hunt for the prize she narrowly missed last season in the 1,500 metres.
Americans Allen Johnson and Erick Walder, in the high hurdles and long jump respectively, have also notched up two wins each so far. Johnson's biggest threat comes from compatriot Larry Wade, who like him has run a personal best for 1999 of 13.01 and beat the Olympic champion at Eugene early in the season.
A major absentee will be mile world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj. The Moroccan pulled out of the Nice and Paris meetings last week with a minor complaint.
