Posted: May 13, 2006

Athletics: Lagat, Xing Join Carson Cast

From David Monti

© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Two-time Olympic medallist Bernard Lagat and Xing Huina, the reigning Olympic champion in the 10,000 meters, are the latest middle & long distance additions for next Sunday’s adidas Track Classic in Carson, Calif.

Competing in the 1500, Lagat, the U.S. record holder in the event, will face double world champion Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain and Nick Willis of New Zealand, this year’s Commonwealth champion. In his first outdoor outing of the year, Lagat produced a 3:53.8 split for 1600 meters in the distance medley relay at last month’s Penn Relays. Lagat returns to the southern Californian venue as the meet’s defending champion.

The 22-year-old Xing, from China’s Shandong province, who has been training in Arizona, will lead the field in the 3000 where she’ll face Americans Marla Runyan, Amy Rudolph, and national indoor champion, Carrie Tollefson. Since sustaining a calf injury earlier this spring, Xing has competed twice in the U.S. over the past month, with modest results. She was a distant 12th in the 5000 at the Mt. Sac Relays on April 13, clocking 16:09.21, and fifth in the 1500 at the Cardinal Invitational on April 30, clocking 4:17.89.

The 37-year-old Runyan has made a notable comeback from maternity leave, opening her season with a 32:11.92 personal best in the 10,000 and following up with a 15:15.00 win at the Oregon Twilight in Eugene last weekend.

Carson is expected to be Tollefson’s first outing since her fall in the short course race at the World Cross Country Championships in early April. In her last race on the track, Tollefson was seventh in the 3000 at the World Indoor Championships in March.

Previously announced, Alan Webb will face Ireland’s Alistair Cragg, U.S. 12 km cross country champion Ryan Hall and Olympian Abdi Abdirahman and Ian Dobson in the two mile event.

In all 45 Olympic or world championships medallists are expected to compete. The meet will be broadcast live in the United States on ESPN from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. PT. (4 p.m.-6 p.m. ET).

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