Posted: January 17, 2005

Athletics: Women's hurdles, men's vault brings Olympic medalists and U.S. champions to Millrose Games

NEW YORK - The 98th running of the Millrose Games will feature two 2004 Olympic medalists in the women's 60-meter hurdles, while the men's pole vault, long one of the most popular events at the prestigious meet, will include at least one Olympic medalist and the last two Millrose Games and U.S. indoor champions.

The Millrose Games will be held Friday, February 4 at New York City's Madison Square Garden. NBC will broadcast the meet from 2-3:30 p.m. on February 5. The meet is the second stop on USA Track & Field's 2005 Indoor Visa Championship Series, featuring over $1 million in prize and athlete support dollars, including a $50,000 jackpot and prize package going to the Visa Champions. Visa Champions will be the top male and female performers of the Visa Championship series.

Women's hurdles head-to-head

Olympic gold medalist and 2004 Jesse Owens Award winner Joanna Hayes will go head-to-head with two-time Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Morrison in the women's 60-meter hurdles at Millrose. Gail Devers' Millrose Games record, a then-American record of 7.78 seconds set at the 2003 Millrose Games, could be in jeopardy as two of the world's hottest hurdlers hit the track.

The 2003 Pan Am Games gold medalist in the 400 hurdles and 1995 USA Junior and Pan Am Junior champion in the 100 hurdles, Hayes ran a stunning 12.37 seconds in the 2004 Olympic final to break the 16-year-old Olympic record of 12.38, previously held by world record holder Yordanka Donkova, to become only the second American ever to win Olympic gold in the event. Hayes went on to win the World Athletics Final (12.58), and she had three of the six fastest times in the world in 2004, including four clockings of 12.50 or faster. Indoors in 2004, Hayes posted a personal best of 7.83 seconds in the semifinals of the World Indoor Championships.

Morrison is a four-time U.S. indoor champion, winning crowns in 1998-2000 and 2002, who is the only American woman to win two Olympic medals in the sprint hurdles. The 2003 World Indoor bronze medalist and 1997 U.S. outdoor champion was a surprise Olympic bronze medalist in 2000; when she replicated that feat in Athens in 2004 it solidified her place in hurdling history.

Hot men's pole vault on tap

The top two Millrose performers of the last two years will compete in a high-wire competition in the Millrose Games men's pole vault.

Olympic silver medalist and effusive performer Toby Stevenson returns to defend his 2004 Millrose title in the men's vault. His 2004 Millrose title was the first hint Stevenson gave to the U.S. public that even bigger things were to come for the 2003 Pan Am Games gold medalist. Stevenson's astounding 2004 season included winning the USA indoor title in March. Outdoors, he cleared the magical 6-meter barrier at the Modesto Relays (6.0m/19-8.25) in May, then finished second at the U.S. Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games in Athens. His outstanding vaulting, unique showmanship and signature "crash" helmet has made him a fan favorite and a threat to win any competition.

With the United States boasting the deepest and most talented troupe of men's vaulters in the world, Stevenson will encounter competition from his predecessor in 2003 Millrose and U.S. indoor champion, Derek Miles. The seventh-place finisher in Athens and sixth at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships, Miles has consistently cleared 19 feet each year since 2001.

For more information on the 2005 Visa Championship Series and the Visa Champions, as well as full athlete biographies, visit USATF.org.

Source: USATF.org.