Posted: May 8, 2006

Athletics: Pre Classic Hurdles: Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold!

Eugene, Oregon--Stop the madness! In this year’s Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix on May 28th, three hurdles races are scheduled. In each race, both the Athens Olympic gold medalist and the Helsinki World Championships gold medalist will compete. Remarkably, those six gold medals were won by six different athletes, all of whom--did we mention?--will be competing at Pre!

In the men’s 110 High Hurdles, Athens gold medalist and Prefontaine Classic meet recordholder Liu Xiang of China returns for a second consecutive year. He will face reigning World Champion Ladji Doucouré of France, making his first-ever Pre Classic appearance, and Helsinki bronze medalist Allen Johnson of the U.S., making his tenth. Johnson, of course, won the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta the year of his first appearance, 1996. This race is so loaded that it features six of last year’s top 10 hurdlers in the world as ranked by Track & Field News magazine, including Nos. 1 through 4!

Then in the women’s 100 Hurdles, Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes will square off against World Champion Michelle Perry, plus meet recordholder (12.45) and Worlds' bronze medalist Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica. Once again, six of the top 10 hurdles as ranked by Track & Field News are in the race.

Finally, the men’s 400 Hurdles features the Olympic gold medalist, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, plus Helsinki gold medalist and 2005’s No. 1 in the event, Bershawn Jackson of the U.S. Countryman James Carter, the World Championships silver medalist, is also in the race for good measure.

In all, of the 18 Olympic and World Championships medalists possible from the three events, 10 of them will be competing in the Prefontaine Classic on May 28th.

Tickets for the 2006 Prefontaine Classic are still available in-person at the UO Athletic Department Ticket Office, by phone from 1-800-WEBFOOT, and online at www.goducks.com.

110 HURDLES (MEN)
Allen Johnson
Liu Xiang (China)
Ladji Doucouré (France)
Dominique Arnold
Joel Brown
Ron Bramlett

100 HURDLES (WOMEN)
Joanna Hayes 
Brigitte Foster-Hylton (Jamaica)
Michelle Perry
Perdita Felicien (Canada)
Susanna Kallur (Sweden)
Kirsten Bolm (Germany)
Jenny Adams

400 HURDLES (MEN)
Bershawn Jackson
James Carter
Kerron Clement
Felix Sanchez (Dominican Rep)
Naman Keita (France)
Bayano Kamani (Panama)
Kenneth Ferguson

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