Posted: June 1, 2005

Athletics: Johnson-Liu hurdle match-up on tap for Reebok Grand Prix

NEW YORK CITY (June 1) – Allen Johnson, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist and seven-time World Champion, will face 2004 Olympic champion Liu Xiang in the 110m hurdles in a marquee match-up at the Reebok Grand Prix on June 11, organizers announced today. Joanna Hayes, the 2004 Olympic champion in the 100m hurdles, and American prodigy LaShawn Merritt have also been added to the star-studded roster.

The Reebok Grand Prix will be the first international competition ever held in the new Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, and marks the return of world-class outdoor track and field to the East Coast. Tickets, at $30 and $20, are now on sale.

Between the two, Liu and Johnson posted 10 of the 12 fastest times in the world last year, and were headed for what promised to be a riveting showdown in Athens before a fall cut short Johnson’s quest in the early rounds. Despite an age difference of 13 years – Johnson is 34 while Liu is just 21 – the rivals enjoy a deep kinship and respect for one another’s accomplishments. In their three head-to-head meetings in 2004, Liu defeated Johnson in Osaka (13.06 to 13.13), while Johnson edged Liu in a photo-finish in Rome (both timed in 13.11) and won the World Indoor Championships, where Liu was runner-up. At the Olympics, Liu equaled the World Record with his winning time of 12.91.

Hayes, 28, set an Olympic record (12.37) on her way to victory in Athens, and holds the fastest time in the world (12.64) so far this year. Merritt, just 18, is the 2004 World Junior Champion at 400m and USA Track & Field’s Youth Athlete of the Year. He will compete in the 200m in NYC.

The Reebok Grand Prix on June 11 is the fifth stop of USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series, and will be televised live on NBC from 4-5:30 p.m. ET. Information and tickets for the Reebok Grand Prix are available at /www.ReebokGrandPrix.com or by calling 1-877-RBK-GP05.