Posted: May 23, 2005

Athletics: Race for the Championship standings rewritten at addias Track Classic

Phenomenal performances by American athletes have rewritten the standings in the Race for the Visa Championship, following the adidas Track Classic Sunday in Los Angeles.

The top eight performances thus far on the men's side of the Visa Championship Series all came at the meet, topped by indoor Visa Champion John Godina's personal-best throw of 22.20m/72-10 in the shot put. It was the 32-year-old, three-time world champion's first personal best since 1999 and is the best toss in the world so far in 2005. The performance gave him 1,253 points using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics.

Rounding out the men's top three are 400-meter hurdler Bershawn Jackson, whose world-leading time of 47.62 seconds gave him 1,241 points; and 110m hurdler Terrence Trammell's time of 13.11 (1,231).

The women's standings got a new top four after equally impressive performances. 2004 Olympic silver medalist Allyson Felix earned 1,219 points thanks to her winning time of 22.14 seconds in the 200 meters. The time is a 2005 world leader and is the best time the 19-year-old has ever run at sea level.

Sanya Richards, the Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist, is in second place with 1,201 points after running 50.00 seconds to win the 400 meters, while Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes earned 1,198 points and a third-place ranking with her world-leading time of 12.64 in the 100-meter hurdles.

During USA Track & Field's 2005 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, American athletes will compete not only for more than $1 million in prize and athlete support money, they will also be racing toward their share of a combined $100,000 jackpot and other prizes for the Visa Championship.

The male and female athlete with the top overall single performances in the 2005 Visa Championship Series will be named Visa Champion and receive a $25,000 bonus to assist them on their journey to achieve their athletic goals. In addition, each Visa Champion will be awarded an invitation to their choice of a premiere Visa-sponsored event.

For complete standings and results, visit www.usatf.org.

Crowning the Visa Champion

The top American male finisher and top American female finisher in each event of the Visa Championship Series, including the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, will have their performances assigned a point total based on the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics. The athlete whose single-best performance has the highest point total at the end of the Visa Championship Series will be named the Visa Champion.

Although the top performance can come at any of the Visa Championship Series meets, an athlete must compete at the USA Outdoor Championships in order to be named Visa Champion. Athletes competing on the high school or college level are not eligible. In addition, athlete performances in the first four meets of the Visa Championship Series must come in events that also are contested at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, or other events that qualify athletes to compete at the Championships, in order to be eligible for Visa Champions point totals and rankings.

Ties will be broken by determining which tied athlete had the best mark at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Fans can win, too!

Fans can be part of the Race for the Championship, and be eligible to win prizes, by logging onto USATF.org to pick who they think will win the titles of male and female Visa Champions. For more information on the Visa Championship Series "Watch. Click. Win." Online Sweepstakes, visit www.usatf.org.

For more information on the 2005 Visa Championship Series, visit www.usatf.org.