Posted: May 25, 2006

Athletics: Men's 100m and Bowerman Mile, women's 400m Headline Nike Prefontaine Classic

Regarded as the most prestigious invitational track & field meet in the United States, the 2006 Nike Prefontaine Classic is ready to live up that title. Some of the best athletes in the world will be descending on Hayward Field Sunday for the chance to compete for nearly $250,000 in prize money.

The third event of USA Track & Field's 2006 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the 32nd Nike Prefontaine Classic will be televised live May 28 on ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m., Eastern Time.

In addition to the impressive prize purse, U.S. 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 2006 Visa Championship Series and who win their event at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships will be named Visa Champion and receive a $100,000 bonus and for the first time, the second-through-fifth-best individual performers also will receive cash bonuses.

On the heels of reigning Olympic and World champion Justin Gatlin tying the men's 100 meter World Record, Asafa Powell will now also compete in the 100m. The co-World Record holders will run in separate heats of the 100m. The two will have their hands full with Michael Frater of Jamaica, ranked #5 in the world by Track and Field News, #6 ranked Francis Obikwelu of Portugal, 2006 World Indoor 60m champion and #7 ranked Leonard Scott, and #9 ranked Marc Burns of Trinidad all racing for the win. Also look for the reigning Olympic champion at 200m, Shawn Crawford.

One of the strongest mile fields ever assembled in the United States will take the track for this year's Bowerman Mile. Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya, the top-rated miler in the world in both the IAAF and Track & Field News rankings, leads the field. He will be challenged by American record holder and two-time Olympic medalist at 1,500m Bernard Lagat, who ended the 2005 campaign ranked #2 in the world. Double World Champion and #3 ranked Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain is set to race again after his world leading win over Lagat at the adidas Track Classic. Defending Bowerman Mile champion Alex Kipchirchir of Kenya, ranked #5 in the world, is also a force to be reckoned with after winning the Commonwealth Games 800m gold medal. Pre Classic favorite and #7 world ranked Alan Webb is also set compete. All five of these headliners ran sub-3:50 miles, or the metric equivalent, in 2005.

Fresh off his world-leading 20.06 seconds 200 meters at the adidas Track Classic, 2005 World silver medalist Wallace Spearmon is set to go up against the 2003 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Darvis Patton. Also in the fray are 2000 Olympian Coby Miller and 2002 World Junior bronze medalist Wes Felix.

The men's 400 meter field is stacked with five of the top ten in the world set to compete. Ranked #2 in the world for 2005 by T&FN, Canadian Tyler Christopher will face stiff competition from 2003 World silver medalist and #6 ranked Tyree Washington and 2005 NCAA champion and #8 ranked Darold Williamson. Other notables in the field include defending Pre champion and #9 ranked Michael Blackwood of Jamaica and 2004 World Junior champion and #10 ranked LaShawn Merrit. Commonwealth Games champion John Steffenson of Australia is also set to compete.

At last year's Prefontaine Classic, Olympic bonze medalist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya blistered his way to a new American All-Comers Record (best on U.S. soil) of 8:07.68 in the 2 mile, the eighth-fastest of all-time. Kipchoge will have his hands full with the top ranked runners in the world at 5000m. Heading up the competition is 2005 World champion at 5,000m Ben Limo of Kenya, followed by 2005 World silver medalist Ethiopian Sileshi Sihine, and 2005 World bronze medalist Craig Mottram of Australia. Joining this star-studded field are former Pre Classic 5,000m champion Joseph Kosgei of Kenya, resurgent Adam Goucher, who is the reigning USA 4 km cross country champion, and 2005 World Cross Country silver medalist Abraham Chebii, the Prefontaine Classic 5,000m champion in 2003.

In the men's 110 meter hurdles, reigning Olympic gold medalist and Prefontaine Classic meet recordholder Liu Xiang of China will face reigning World Champion Ladji Doucouré of France and 1996 Olympic champion and four-time World champion Allen Johnson. Also set to compete are #3 ranked Dominique Arnold and #6 ranked Joel Brown.

The men's 400 meter hurdles features the top three hurdlers in the world. 2005 World champion Bershawn Jackson, the current world leader, will face off against 2005 World silver medalist and #2 ranked James Carter and #3 ranked Kerron Clement. Challenging the American trio will be #7 ranked Naman Keita of France and #8 ranked Bayano Kamani of Panama.

Headlining the men's pole vault is the reigning World Indoor champion and World Outdoor silver medalist Brad Walker. Walker will face stiff competition from reigning Olympic champion Tim Mack, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson, and 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong. Also in the mix are #4 ranked Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy and #5 ranked Derek Miles.

Defending Olympic and World champion Dwight Phillips will square off against #2 ranked Miguel Pate and 2004 Olympic silver medalist John Moffitt in the men's long jump. Not to be overlooked is 2006 USA Indoor champion Brian Johnson, ranked #9 in the world. In the men's triple jump, reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion Walter Davis will be challenged by #2 ranked Jadel Gregorio of Brazil. 2004 Olympian Kenta Bell, #8 ranked Nathan Douglas of Great Britain and 2000 NCAA champion Melvin Lister will also compete.

The reigning World champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist in the shot put, Adam Nelson will face a talented field that includes 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and #3 ranked Joachim Olsen of Denmark, 2006 World Indoor champion Reese Hoffa and 2004 World Indoor champion Christian Cantwell, the current world leader. In the discus, the legendary Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion with the second and third longest discus throws in history. He will be pushed by 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Aleksandr Tammert of Estonia, #8 ranked Ian Waltz and #9 ranked Jarred Rome.

In the women's 100 meters, 2006 USA Indoor Visa Championship Series Champion Lisa Barber will battle three-time Olympian Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas. Other contenders include 2003 World Outdoor 100m gold medalist and 200m silver medalist Torri Edwards and 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials champion LaTasha Colander, who ended the 2005 season ranked #10 in the world at 100 meters (#5 at 200m). World Outdoor Championships 100m finalist Muna Lee and World 200m silver medalist Rachelle Boone-Smith will also be in the mix.

One of the events to keep an eye on Sunday will be the women's 400 meters, with six of the top ten women in the world competing. 2005 World champion Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas will face fierce competition from 2005 World silver medalist and #1 ranked Sanya Richards. Also vying for the win will be 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2005 World bronze medalist Ana Guevara of Mexico, #4 ranked Dee Dee Totter, two-time Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist and #5 ranked Monique Hennagan and two-time Olympian and #8 ranked Christine Amertil of the Bahamas.

The women's 800 meters promises to be an exciting race, with five-time Olympian Maria Mutola going for her 14th consecutive win. Mutola will be challenged by two-time Olympian Hazel Clark, who had the fastest time in the field (1:57.99) from 2005. Also competing are 2005 U.S. 1,500m runner-up Jen Toomey, two-time NCAA 800m champion Alice Schmidt, and 2005 Jamaican 800m champion Kenia Sinclair.

2005 U.S. 1,500 meter champion Treniere Clement and three-time U.S. 5,000m champion Marla Runyan will face some of the best the world has to offer in the women's 1,500m race. Ranked #1 in the world by Track & Field News for 2005, Maryam Jamal of Bahrain will race alongside World champion and #2 ranked Tatyana Tomashova of Russia, #9 ranked Hind Dehiba of France and #10 ranked Gelete Burka of Ethiopia. Also competing is Australia's Sarah Jamieson, holder of the fastest time in the world this year.

In the women's 100 meter hurdles, Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes will square off against reigning world champion and current leader of the Visa Championships Series Michelle Perry, plus meet record holder (12.45 seconds) and World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica. Also look for #6 ranked Perdita Felicien of Canada and #8 ranked Susanna Kallur of Sweden.

Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist, the 2005 World high jump champion, will go head to head with 2005 World silver medalist Chaunte Howard. Three-time Olympian Amy Acuff is also set to compete.

After winning the World Championships in the triple jump in 2005, Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia is turning her attention back to the long jump. She will be challenged by 2005 World champion Tianna Madison, #1 world ranked Tatyana Kotova of Russia, and Bronwyn Thompson of Australia, the current world leader with 6.97meters /22 feet 10.5 inches.

In the women's hammer, American record holder Erin Gilreath will square off against two other National record holders, Croatian Ivana Brkljacic and Canadian Jennifer Joyce. Also in the fray are 2005 USA Outdoor runner-up Bethany Hart and 2005 NCAA champion Loree Smith.

Tickets for the 2006 Nike Prefontaine Classic are still available in-person at the University of Oregon Athletic Department Ticket Office, by phone from 1-800-WEBFOOT, and online at www.goducks.com. For more information and frequent updates, visit the event website at PreClassic.com.

For more information on the 2006 Visa Championship Series, visit USATF.org.

Comment on this story.

Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest