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INDIANAPOLIS - Led by strength in the shot put, pole vault and hurdles and boasting four past World Indoor individual champions, Team USA fields a strong roster of 51 athletes for the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Track & Field championships, to be held March 7-9 in Valencia Spain. Athletes will compete for a total of nearly $2.5 million in prize money, including $40,000 for individual champions and a $50,000 bonus for world records.
Defending World Indoor gold medalists Reese Hoffa (SP) and Brad Walker (PV) are joined by three-time world champion Allen Johnson (60H) and 2004 world champ Christian Cantwell (SP), as well as 2005 World Outdoor champion decathlete Bryan Clay on a roster that mixes experience and youth. Cantwell and Hoffa will look for a sweep in the shot, which they accomplished in 2004 when they went 1-2, respectively. Entering Valencia, only Adam Nelson has thrown father than either man, and both have thrown roughly a half-meter farther than their nearest international competitor this year.
Other top contenders include surprising sprinter Michael Rodgers, the USA Indoor champion who owns the #3 time in the world this year (6.54), and 2007 World Outdoor 4x100m gold medalist Leroy Dixon in the men's 60m. Two-time World Indoor silver medalist Angela Williams headlines the women's sprint. She owns the #2, 3 and 4 performances in the world in 2008, and her time of 7.11 at the AT&T USA Indoor Championships is behind only Russian Yevgeniya Polyakova's 7.09.
Indoor Visa Champion Lolo Jones enters the women's 60m hurdles as the #2 performer in the world this season (7.77), while USA champ David Oliver is the third-best performer globally in the men's hurdles (7.47).
In the field, Olympic silver medalist John Moffitt is in the long jump, and outdoor American record holder Jenn Stuczynski is entered in the women's pole vault, where she is the third-best performer in the world this year (4.71m/15-5.5). American record holder Nicole Teter will run the women's 800.
See the full Team USA roster, below. For more information, including athlete bios, visit www.usatf.org
Team USA by the numbers
Individual World Indoor medalists: Brad Walker (MPV, g 2006); Reese Hoffa (MSP, g 2006, s2004); Christian Cantwell (MSP, g2004); Allen Johnson (M60H, g 1995, 2003, '04); Angela Williams (W60m, 2001, '03); Bryan Clay (Hept, s 2004)
World Outdoor medalists: Allen Johnson (M110H, g 1995, '97, 2001, '03); Reese Hoffa (MSP, g 2007); Brad Walker (MPV, g2007); Bryan Clay (Deca., g2005)
Olympic medalists: Allen Johnson (M110H, g 1996); Bryan Clay (Deca., s2004), John Moffitt (MLJ, s 2004)
Prize money at the IAAF World Indoor Championships
Individual events (total $2,314,000):
1st $40,000
2nd $20,000
3rd $10,000
4th $8000
5th $6000
6th $4000
Relays (total 176,000) per team:
1st $40,000 2nd $20,000 3rd $10,0004th $8000 5th $6000 6th $4000
World record bonus : US $50,000 - for any athlete setting a new World record.
Team USA Roster - 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
Men
60m: Michael Rodgers, Leroy Dixon
400m: David Neville, Greg Nixon
800m: Khadevis Robinson, Nick Symmonds
1500m: Rob Myers, Russell Brown
3,000m: Chris Solinsky, Jonathon Riley
60mH: David Oliver, Allen Johnson
LJ: Trevell Quinley, John Moffitt
TJ: Aarik Wilson, Kenta Bell
HJ: Andra Mason, Jesse Williams
PV: Brad Walker, Derek Miles
SP: Christian Cantwell, Reese Hoffa
Heptathlon: Bryan Clay, Donovan Kilmartin
4x400m relay: Jamaal Torrance, Joel Stallworth, James Davis, Kelly Willie, plus any athlete on the roster in another event
Women
60m: Angela Williams, Alexis Joyce
400m: Sharese Woods, Moushaumi Robinson
800m: Nicole Teter, Nicole Cook
1,500m: Christin Wurth-Thomas, Jenelle Deatherage
3,000m: Jen Rhines, Julie Culley
60mH: Lolo Jones, Candice Davis
PV: Jenn Stuczynski, Jillian Schwartz
LJ: Lela Nelson
HJ: Amy Acuff
TJ: Shani Marks
SP: Jillian Camarena, Abby Ruston
4x400m relay: Miriam Barnes, Angel Perkins, Jennifer Grossarth, Ashlee Kidd, plus any athlete on the roster in another event
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