Posted: June 8, 2005

Athletics: Top names to compete at inaugural Reebok Grand Prix

INDIANAPOLIS -Allen Johnson, Joanna Hayes, Shawn Crawford, Maurice Greene, and John Godina are just a few of the U.S. stars who'll compete against many of the world's best athletes June 11 at the inaugural Reebok Grand Prix at the new Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York City, as world-class outdoor track and field returns to the East Coast. International luminaries set to compete include Liu Xiang of China, Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, and Ethiopian heroes Tirunesh Dibaba and Werknesh Kidane.

The fifth stop of USA Track & Field's Visa Championship Series, the Reebok Grand Prix will be televised live Saturday on NBC from 4-5:30 p.m. ET.

At the Reebok Grand Prix athletes will look to score points in the Race for the Visa Championship, where a male and female athlete with the top overall performance in the 2005 Visa Championship Series will be named Visa Champion and receive a $25,000 bonus. In addition, each Visa Champion will be awarded an invitation of their choice to a premiere Visa-sponsored event. The top performances will be determined by assigning point totals to performances, using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics. John Godina and Justin Gatlin currently are tied for the men's lead, and Olympic silver medalist Allyson Felix leads the women's Race for the Championship. Visit www.usatf.org/visa for more information.

Johnson vs. Liu in battle of the titans!

Of the many great match-ups slated for Saturday, one of the most anticipated will be in the men's 110m hurdles as 1996 Olympic gold medalist and four-time world outdoor champion Allen Johnson does battle with 2004 Olympic gold medalist Xiang Liu of China.

Johnson ended the 2004 season ranked #2 in the world by Track & Field News, and still holds the IAAF's #1 ranking for results over the last 12 months. He had a fantastic season last year in winning 12 finals races, including the World Athletics Final. As China's first-ever 110m hurdles Olympic finalist, the 21-year-old Liu equaled the world record of 12.91 seconds in winning the gold medal in Athens en-route to his #1 world ranking. Johnson will be looking for revenge after false starting last weekend at the Nike Prefontaine Classic. Liu went on to win the race in a world-leading time this season of 13.06 seconds.

Godina looks to avoid "Full Nelson"

Can anybody stop John Godina this season? Look for that question to be answered as two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson challenges the man who has dominated the world in the men's shot put in 2005.

One of the greatest shot putters in history, Godina in 2005 has returned to the form and consistency that made him a 2-time Jesse Owens Award winner and four-time world #1 ranked thrower between 1995 and 2001. At the age of 32, Godina in February won the 2005 USA Indoor title in dramatic fashion, posting a world-leading indoor throw of 21.83m/71-7.5 inches and winning the Visa Championship - and its commensurate $25,000 bonus - in the process. After celebrating his 33rd birthday on May 31, Godina opened his outdoor season by winning the adidas Track Classic on May 22 with his first personal-best since 1999 in the 2005 world-leading throw of 22.20 meters/72 feet 10 inches. One week later, he racked up his second win of the Outdoor Visa Championship Series, winning the Payton Jordan U.S. Open with a toss of 21.93 meters/71 feet, 11.50 - the #2 mark in the world this year.

Although Godina has been on a roll of late, Nelson has the ability to give him a strong challenge on Saturday. Along with winning the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, last year Nelson won the Olympic Trials and finished the season ranked #2 in the world.

Hayes to face strong field

In women's action, look for 2004 Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes to lead a strong field in the Visa 100m hurdles. After ending the 2004 campaign ranked #1 in the world, Hayes began this season with a then-world-leading time of 12.64 seconds on May 22 in winning at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif., the second event of the 2005 Visa Outdoor Championship Series. As a 27-year-old last season, Hayes ran a stunning 12.37 seconds in the women's 100-meter hurdles Olympic final to break the 16-year-old Olympic record of 12.38, previously held by world record holder Yordanka Donkova, becoming only the second American ever to win Olympic gold in the event.

Hayes, who posted three of the top six-fastest times in the world last year, will be challenged by two-time Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Morrison and 2001 World Outdoor champion Anjanette Kirkland. Also look for a strong challenge from Jamaica's Deloreen Ennis-London, who ended the 2004 season ranked #7 in the world.

Greene vs. Crawford in fast 100 meters

Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder Maurice Greene will have his hands full against a strong field Saturday in the Reebok men's 100 meters. Greene, who will be looking for his fourth career World Outdoor Championships 100m gold medal this August in Helsinki, will face 2004 Olympic 100m fourth-place finisher and 200m gold medalist Shawn Crawford. After posting personal bests last year in both the 100m (9.88) and 200m (19.79), Crawford ended the 2004 season ranked #1 in the world at 200 meters.

Others to watch in the men's 100m include adidas Track Classic champion Leonard Scott, who shares with Greene the fastest wind-legal time by an American this season of 10.03 seconds, and Jason Smoots, who posted a time of 10.13 seconds on May 13 in Atlanta.

In the women's 100 meters, a strong field of U.S. challengers will take on the world's #1 sprinter, Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, who enjoyed a tremendously successful 2004 season.

Last year Campbell won the Olympic gold medal at 200 meters and the 100m bronze medal before winning both events at the World Athletics Final. Campbell, who also won the 2004 NCAA Indoor 200m title, finished last season undefeated in the 200 meters and ranked #1 in the world. She also had a year-end ranking of #2 globally at 100 meters. Campbell posted the world-leading time of 10.96 seconds with her win May 22 at the adidas Track Classic.

U.S. challengers will include 2004 Olympic Trials champion and Olympic Games finalist LaTasha Colander, who owns the fastest time by an American this season with her win in Santo Domingo on May 14 in 11.06 seconds. Inaugural Indoor Visa Championship Series winner Angela Daigle also will be in the field, along with 1999 World Outdoor Championships 200m gold medalist Inger Miller and four-time NCAA 100m champion Angela Williams.

A virtual who's who of U.S. women's 400m competitors will compete against each other on Saturday as 2004 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalists Monique Hennagan, Dee Dee Trotter, Moushaumi Robinson and Crystal Cox do battle. The men's 400m hurdles should also be very competitive as 2003 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Joey Woody takes on two-time Olympic Games fourth-place finisher James Carter.

Middle-distance match-ups

One of the more interesting battles on Saturday will be the men's 1,000 meters, where America's top miler in 2004 Alan Webb, will take on the only American man ever to win a World Indoor Championships 800m gold medal, David Krummenacker. The contest will determine who is best at splitting the difference between their two specialties. Joining the fray will be 2004 U.S. Olympian Derrick Peterson, Canadian Olympian Kevin Sullivan and Australian national record-holder Mark Fountain.

Also expected are Markos Geneti and Gebre-Egziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia and Americans Tim Broe and Jorge Torres in what promises to be a top men's 3000m.

In women's distance action, 2003 World Cross Country Championships long course gold medalist and world championships 10,000m silver medalist Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia is the favorite in the 3,000 meters, where she'll take on 2004 Olympians Carrie Tollefson, Shalane Flanagan and two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph.

Tirunesh Dibaba, who earlier this year broke the world indoor record for 5000m, will lead a world-class field at the same distance in the Reebok Grand Prix. 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.

Fans can compete, too!

For the first time ever , track & field fans around the country now have a chance to share in the success of their favorite athletes, picking the male the female they believe will be crowned Visa Champions as part of the Visa Championship Series "Watch. Click. Win." Online Sweepstakes. Fans can support their favorite athlete on his/her journey by logging onto www.usatf.org/win and voting for the male and female athletes they think will be the Visa Champions at the end of the outdoor season.

Following their favorite athletes online and via television broadcasts, fans may submit an entry once an hour, once a day, once a week, and may change their entries as the Visa Championship Series progresses. By logging ontowww.usatf.org/win, fans can select the athlete they think will win the title of Visa Champion, and the winning point total that will be assessed to their top performance, using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics. Fans can begin submitting entries on Wednesday, April 27, 2005, with entries closing on June 17. Only each fan's most recent entry for each category (male and female) will be eligible.

2005 Reebok Grand Prix schedule (Subject to change)

Time Event 
3:30 p.m. Women's Triple Jump
3:35 p.m. Women's 400m hurdles
3:40 p.m. Men's Shot Put
3:45 p.m. Women's 3,000 meters
3:50 p.m. Women's Pole Vault
4:02 p.m. Visa Women's 100m hurdles
4:10 p.m. Men's 3,000 meters
4:25 p.m. Women's 800 meters
4:25 p.m. Women's Pole Vault
4:25 p.m. Men's Long Jump
4:35 p.m. Men's 200 meters
4:45 p.m. Women's 400 meters
4:50 p.m. Men's Javelin Throw
4:52 p.m. Men's 1,000 meters
5:00 p.m. Women's 100 meters
5:12 p.m. Men's 110m hurdles
5:22 p.m. Reebok Men's 100 meters
5:35 p.m. Girl's High School 4x100m Relay
5:45 p.m. Men's 400m hurdles
5:50 p.m. Women's 5,000 meters
6:10 p.m. NYRRC Foundation Youth Relay
6:15 p.m. Boy's High School 4x800m Relay

Friday Field Events 
4:00 p.m. Men's Hammer Throw
5:30 p.m. Women's Hammer Throw

For more information on the Visa Championship Series and the Reebok Grand Prix, visit www.usatf.org.