World champion awaits Willis

New Zealand runner Nick Willis is poised for a showdown with world 1500m and 5000m champion Bernard Lagat a week after tasting 800m success in America.

Willis took out the 800m race at the Len Paddock Invitational meeting on his home track at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, finishing in a time of 1m 47.01sec - one and a half seconds outside his personal best set in 2004.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist will now show his wares against Kenyan Lagat on his favoured 1500m distance at the adidas track classic in California on Sunday, which will provide a handy testing point in the months leading up to the Beijing Olympics.

Meanwhile, fellow Olympic track and field representative Beatrice Faumuina could only finish fifth in the discus at the IAAF world grand prix meeting in Osaka.

In chilly and wet conditions, the 1997 world champion threw out to 57.61m. Chinese athletes claimed a one-two finish as Aimin Song won with 60.38m - 14cm better than compatriot Taifeng Sun.