Prefontaine Classic – NO. 1 MUTOLA RETURNS FOR LAST PRE CLASSIC – There has never been another competitor like her,” says meet director Tom Jordan

Eugene, Oregon (5/19/08) Through 15 consecutive victories dating back to when she was a student at local Springfield (Oregon) High School, Maria Mutola has been No. 1 both on the track and in the hearts of Prefontaine Classic fans. Now, at age 35, Maria returns from her current residence of Johannesburg, South Africa to seek a 16th victory on June 8th at Hayward Field in her specialty, the 800 meters.

    “There has never been another competitor like her,” says meet director Tom Jordan. “An Olympic gold, three World Championship golds, seven World Indoor gold medals—she has dominated her event like no other athlete.” Indeed, Mutola has been ranked in the top 10 in the world by Track & Field News magazine for seventeen consecutive years, an unprecedented streak in the 800. When Mutola competes for Mozambique in Beijing this summer, it will mark her 6th appearance at an Olympic Games, dating back to Seoul in 1988.    

Maria’s final race at Hayward Field will be no walk-in-park valedictory. Returning from last year is world No. 6 Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica, who pushed Maria all the way to the line in 2007, losing by less than 3-tenths, 1:58.33 to 1:58.61. She'll be joined by 2008 U.S. indoor champion Nicole Teter, who now lives and trains in Eugene, much as Mutola did during the ’90s. Also in the field are the No. 2 & 3 U.S. runners last year, Hazel Clark-Riley and Alice Schmidt, and 2007 Pan Am gold medalist Diane Cummins of Canada.    

In honor of Mutola's accomplishments at the Prefontaine Classic, the meet will retire the No. 1 bib she has worn for the past 10 years. Instead of being issued to future athletes, the "1" bib will be the centerpiece of the Maria Mutola Outstanding Athlete Award, which will be presented for the first time immediately upon conclusion of the 2008 meet.
    

Tickets for the 34th annual Prefontaine Classic are on sale from 1-800-WEBFOOT, online at www.goducks.com, and in person at the Casanova Center ticket office.

800 METERS (WOMEN)
Maria Mutola (Mozambique)
Kenia Sinclair (Jamaica)
Nicole Teter
Hazel Clark-Riley
Alice Schmidt
Miho Sato (Japan)
Diane Cummins (Canada)