Stars align in NYC for adidas Grand Prix – US Track & Field – News

INDIANAPOLIS – More than 75 Olympians, including 33 Olympic or World champions, are headed to Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island on Saturday, June 12, for the 2010 adidas Grand Prix

The adidas Grand Prix is the second event of the 2010 USATF Outdoor Visa Championship Series. It is also the fifth stop on the inaugural IAAF Diamond League, the newly formed, global track & field competition circuit. The meet will be broadcast LIVE on June 12 on NBC from 4-6 p.m. Eastern Time. Universal Sports will rebroadcast the two-hour NBC show at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The IAAF Diamond League encompasses 32 individual event disciplines, with a points scoring 'Diamond Race' which runs throughout the 14 meeting series. Winners of each Diamond Race will get a Diamond Trophy and a cash prize. For complete rules and regulations, CLICK HERE.

Whose turn is it to shine?

It's Felix vs. Campbell-Brown in the Visa women's 200m.  A three-time World Outdoor champion, there's only one thing Felix craves and Campbell-Brown has two of them, Olympic gold medals. Felix has won three consecutive world titles ('05, '07, '09), while Campbell-Brown won Olympic gold in 2004 and 2008. Felix took silver in both those finals. This is Felix's first 200m of the year, while Campbell-Brown is the current world leader with 22.32.

1,500m fieldrun deep

Straight off his American record in the men's 5,000m, Bernard Lagat leads the field in the Visa men's 1,500m. 2009 World Outdoor silver medalist Deresse Mekonnen (ETH), 2007 World Outdoor bronze medalist Shedrack Korir and 2008 Olympians Leo Manzano and Lopez Lomong will all try to take Lagat down.

Five of the top seven women in the world are entered in the women's 1,500m. 2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist Shannon Rowbury (#3), two-time World Indoor medalist Gelete Burka (ETH – #4), Christin Wurth-Thomas (#5), Anna Willard (#6), and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Nancy Lagat (#7) will square off this weekend. Taking on the top women in the 1,500m world will be two-time Olympic and three-time World Outdoor 5,000m medalist Meseret Defar, American steeplechase record holder Jenny Barringer and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan.

Clement vs Jackson and Jones vs everyone else in hurdles

Two-time World Outdoor champion Kerron Clement and 2005 World Outdoor champion Bershawn Jackson are entered in the adidas men's 400m hurdles. With one victory a piece so far in the Diamond League, Clement in Oslo and Jackson in Doha, it's anybody's race. 2009 World Outdoor silver medalist Javier Culson (PUR) and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Felix Sanchez (DOM) are also entered.

Two-time World Indoor champion Lolo Jones has the fastest time in the women's 100m hurdles so far this year, but the hurdles is a fickle race and anything can happen. There to challenge Jones is 2009 World Outdoor silver medalist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (CAN), three-time World Outdoor medalist Delloreen Ennis-London (JAM), 2008 Olympic silver medalist Sally Pearson (AUS) and two-time USA Outdoor champion Ginnie Crawford.

In the notable absence of the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt (JAM), Ivory Williams has the fastest time in the Western Union men's 100m field so far this season with 9.95. Last year's champion and 2009 USA Outdoor champion Mike Rodgers and 2007 Pan Am Games champion Churandy Martina (AHO) are also entered.

High-flying field event action

It's silver vs. silver as 2008 Olympic silver medalist Jenn Suhr challenges 2009 World Outdoor silver medalist Chelsea Johnson in the women's pole vault. This will be Suhr's first competition since the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships. 2010 USA Indoor champion Lacy Janson, along with newly-minted Israeli athlete Jillian Scwartz, will also be vying for the top clearance on Saturday.

Reigning Olympic and World Outdoor champion and Diamond League Ambassador Steve Hooker (AUS) and 2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) will compete in the men's pole vault. Last week in Oslo, Lavillenie won with a clearance of 5.80m/19-0.25 while Hooker failed to clear his opening height. 2004 Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack and 2008 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Derek Miles will also compete. Reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion Jessica Ennis (GBR) and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Hyleas Fountain will go head-to-head in the adidas three event challenge. Events included in the challenge are the shot put, long jump and 100m hurdles.

2008 Olympians Andra Manson, Dusty Jonas and Jesse Williams along with 2007 World Outdoor champion Donald Thomas (BAH) top the field in the men's high jump. Manson and Jonas each earned a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships, Manson's came in 2008 and Jonas' this year in Doha, Qatar. Tied for the current world lead (2.33m/7-7.75), Jonas will be the man to beat.

2008 Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton, four-time USA Outdoor champion Aretha Hill Thurmond, and 2005 USA Outdoor champion Becky Breisch will battle for top honors in the women's discus. Also watch for 2009 European Athletics Junior champion Sandra Perkovic (CRO).  2008 Olympian Funmi Jimoh and 2009 World Outdoor finalist Olga Kucherenko (RUS) and Brianna Glenn are the top entrants in the women's long jump. With a personal best of 7.13m set earlier this season, Kucherenko is the favorite to win.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Valerie Vili (NZL) and silver medalist Natalia Mikhnevich (BLR) are the top entrants in the women's shot put. Challenging them will be three-time USA Outdoor champion Kristin Heaston, six-time USA Indoor champion Jillian Camarena-Williams and two-time USA Outdoor champion Michelle Carter.

Other events to watch

Two-time NCAA Outdoor champion Geena Gall and 2010 World Indoor Team USA member Sarah Bowman are the top entrants in the women's 800m. Fresh off her win in Oslo, Amantle Montsho (BOT) is looking for her second Diamond League win in the JetBlue women's 400m. There to keep that from happening are 2004 Olympic 4x400m gold medalist Dee Dee Trotter and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Shericka Williams (JAM).

Two-time USA Outdoor champion Nick Symmonds and four-time USA Outdoor champion Khadevis Robinson will take on 2008 Olympic bronze and two-time World Outdoor medalist Alfred Yego (KEN) in the adidas men's 800m. Also watch for 2008 Olympic 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop (KEN).

Two-time Olymic champion and three-time World Outdoor medalist Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) and 2007 World Outdoor champion Tero Pitkamaki (FIN) are the ones to beat in the men's javelin. Top American challengers include Corey White, Sean Furey, and Chris Hill.

World Indoor record holder Teddy Tamgho (FRA) is the new man, and favorite, on the scene in the men's triple jump. Reigning World Outdoor champion Philips Idowu (GBR) and 2004 Olympic champion Christian Olsson (SWE), back after a three-year layoff due to injury, will try to unseat Tamgho. Also entered are two-time Olympian Kenta Bell and reigning USA Indoor and Outdoor champion Brandon Roulhac.

The fastest man in the men's steeplechase field is Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN), he's run 8:06.69 so far this year. Just behind him is Patrick Langat (KEN), the pace-setter who changed his mind and finished the race in Doha, winding up third in 8:09.21.

The NYRR women's 5,000m is the Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) show. The "baby faced destroyer" is the world record holder over 5,000m and the reigning Olympic 5,000 and 10,000m gold medalist. If she's on, no one can touch her. This will be her first 5,000m race in 2010. For more information on the 2010 adidas Grand Prix and USATF's Visa Championship Series, visit www.visachampionshipseries.com. For more information and complete results from the IAAF's Diamond League, visit https://www.diamondleague.com/Home/.
 
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USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
 
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Vicky Oddi
USA Track & Field
Communications Coordinator

Vicky.Oddi@usatf.org