Posted: June 7, 2005

Athletics: WR-holder Tirunesh Dibaba added to Reebok Grand Prix

NEW YORK CITY (June 7) – Tirunesh Dibaba, who earlier this year pounded a furious last lap to break the world indoor record for 5000m, will lead a world-class field at the same distance in the Reebok Grand Prix on June 11, organizers announced today.

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 still available but going fast.

Dibaba, 19, is one of the most exciting athletes in the sport and a threat to break records every time she sets foot on a track. The Ethiopian phenom already has won an Olympic medal -- bronze at 5000m at the 2004 Olympic Games -- and is the reigning 5000m World Champion, the youngest athlete ever to win a world title. Rumored to be in astounding shape, Dibaba will toe the line against her sister, Ejegayehu Dibaba, the Athens silver medalist at 10,000m.

In other news, the match-up of 2004 Olympic champion Liu Xiang and Allen Johnson, the 1996 gold medalist, takes on added significance as the first meeting between the two in this country, after Johnson was eliminated from the 110m hurdles at the Prefontaine Classic last Saturday after a false start. In addition, Alan Webb will try to keep up his winning ways after breaking the American record for 2 miles at the same event last weekend. After racing over his usual mile distance there, he will race under it here at 1000m, going up against David Krummenacker. Krummenacker set the US record for 1000m indoors in 2002, the year before he won the indoor World Championship at 800m.

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.