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Olympic stars and record holders to compete at Boston
INDIANAPOLIS - A stellar field of U.S. and international stars will kick
off USA Track & Field's 2003 Indoor Golden Spike Tour Saturday at
the adidas Boston Indoor Games. Held at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic
Center, the meet will be broadcast live February 1 from 6-7 p.m. Eastern
on ESPN2.
U.S. stars Maurice Greene, Stacy Dragila (Placer HS, Auburn as
prep), David Krummenacker and Regina Jacobs (Argyll Academy,
North Hollywood as prep) headline the event, which offers bonus
money to any athlete who sets a world or American record. In its seven-year
history, $140,000 in bonuses for world and American records have been
awarded to athletes at the adidas Boston Indoor Games. At this year's
event, local organizers Global Athletics and Marketing, Inc., will provide
bonuses of $10,000
for any American record and $25,000 for any world record.
Strong fields will be featured throughout the meet, highlighted by the
Verizon men's 60m dash, the women's 60m, the adidas men's 1,500m, the
women's 1,500m and the Visa women's pole vault.
As the world indoor record holder for 60 meters (6.39 seconds) and the
1999 World Indoor Champion in the event, Maurice Greene is the heavy favorite
in the men's 60m. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and
five-time World Outdoor Championships gold medalist, Greene will face
a stiff challenge from defending World Indoor champion Tim Harden, and
defending Boston champion Jon Drummond. 2002 U.S. Indoor 200m champion
and reigning world 200m indoor champion Shawn Crawford also is in the
field, along with Joshua "J.J." Johnson, who placed second in
the 60m at the 2002 Millrose Games. Marcus Brunson, Kaaron Conwright
(former Westchester HS) and Ghana's Aziz Zakari also will compete
Saturday.
After a landmark 2002 season, David Krummenacker returns to Boston to
compete in the adidas men's 1,500 meters after sprinting past Kenya's
Laban Rotich in the final lap of the 1,000 meters at last year's event
to win in the new American indoor record time of 2:17.85. Krummenacker,
whose 2002 performance bettered Ocky Clark's 1989 AR of 2:18.19, will
have his sights on Jeff Atkinson's 1989 U.S. 1,500m record of 3:38.12.
Krummenacker will have his hands full competing against Kenyans Bernard
Lagat, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, and Laban Rotich, the
third-fastest man ever at 1,500m indoors (behind only Hicham el Guerrouj
and Haile Gebrselassie). Kevin Sullivan of Canada, who was fifth at the
2000 Olympics, also could be a factor. Other Americans in the field
include 2002 U.S. Indoor mile champion Jason Lunn, 2002 U.S. Indoor,
and
Outdoor runner-up (Stanford Univ), Bryan Berryhill and 2000 Olympic
semi-finalist
Michael Stember.
Last year's women's 60m runner-up Chryste Gaines (Stanford),
the 2001 World Indoor
bronze medalist and defending U.S. 60m champion, will face a difficult
challenge from 1999 World Outdoor 200m champion and fellow Olympic relay
gold medalist Inger Miller (Muir HS, Pasadena). Four-time
NCAA women's 100m champion and
2002 USA Indoor 60m runner-up Angela Williams (Chino HS) is
also in the field,
along with Americans Torri Edwards (Pomona HS), who placed
fourth in the 100 meters
at the 2002 USA Outdoor Championships, and hurdles specialist Kim
Carson. The Americans will be challenged by 2000 Olympic 4x100m relay
gold medalist Savatheda Fynes of the Bahamas, who placed fourth here
last year.
Regina Jacobs returns to the Reggie Lewis Center after
setting records
there each of the last three years. Jacobs will compete in the 1,500
meters on Saturday after setting a new world two-mile world best there
last year in 9:23.38. Also at Boston in 2001, she ran a meet record for
3000 meters, 8:43.38, and in 2000 she set the American record for 1000m
when she ran 2:35.29. To set records four years in a row at Boston,
Jacobs will look to better Mary Slaney's 23-year-old American record of
4:00.8. Jacobs will have to be at her best to defeat a strong
international field including Ireland's Geraldine Hendricken, who last
year became the second-fastest Irish 1500m woman in history behind only
Sonia O'Sullivan. Lyudmila Vasilyeva of Russia, who ran the
eighth-fastest time in the world outdoors in 2001, also is in the field,
along with Romania's Elena Iagar, who was among the fastest women in the
world last year at this distance. American Collette Liss, who finished
the 2002 season ranked #9 in the U.S. by Track & Field News at 1,500m
and 3,000m, also will compete in Boston.
The Visa women's pole vault is a star-studded affair as well, featuring
world outdoor record holder and Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila.
Now
fully recovered from a sore left foot that hampered her throughout the
2002 season, Dragila returns to the indoor circuit looking to regain her
world indoor record. A six-time U.S. Indoor champion and the 1997 World
Indoor gold medalist, Dragila will be challenged by 2002 U.S. Indoor
champion Mary Sauer (San Dimas HS), and former American
record holder Mel Mueller. 2001
World Indoor Championships silver medalist Kellie Suttle also is in the
field.
Athletes with local ties competing at the adidas Boston Indoor Games
include former NCAA 5000-meter champion Jonathon Riley of Brookline,
Mass (Stanford)., making his professional indoor debut; and newly-crowned
NCAA
cross-country champion Shalane Flanagan of Marblehead, Mass.
Other athletes to watch include 2000 Olympic 1,500m gold medalist Noah
Ngeny of Kenya, 2002 USA Indoor and Outdoor 200m runner-up Darvis
Patton; 2000 Olympic 100m hurdles bronze medalist and four-time U.S.
Indoor champion Melissa Morrison; 2002 U.S. 800m indoor champion Derrick
Peterson, 2002 U.S. Indoor mile champion Jason Lunn,
2002 U.S. Indoor
400m champion Monique Hennagan, 2002 NCAA Outdoor 400m hurdles champion
Lashinda Demus (LB Wilson) and 2002 U.S. Indoor 3,000m
champion Amy Rudolph.
The Golden Spike Tour continues Feb. 7 at the Verizon Millrose Games
in
New York City and Feb. 15 with the Tyson Foods Invitational in
Fayetteville, Ark. The Tour will conclude with a return to Boston's
Reggie Lewis Center March 1-2 for the 2003 USA Indoor Track & Field
Championships. For more information on the adidas Boston Indoor Games
and the 2003 Indoor Golden Spike Tour, visit www.usatf.org.
adidas Boston Indoor Games Start Lists
(Subject to change. All countries USA unless other wise denoted)
Verizon men's 60m: Maurice Greene, Jon Drummond, Shawn Crawford, Marcus
Brunson, Joshua "J.J." Johnson, Tim Harden, Kaaron Conwright,
Abdul Aziz
Zakari (GHA).
Men's 200m: John Capel, Darvis Patton, Melvin Lister, Dwight Thomas,
Dwight Thomas (JAM), Stanley Egbor (NGR).
Men's 800m: Derrick Peterson, Bryan Woodward (LB Poly),
Trinity Gray, Eliott
Blount, Lubert Lewis, Otukile Lekote (BOT), Neil Speaight (GBR), Jean
Destine (HAI), Daniel Caulfield (IRL).
adidas Men's 1,500m: David Krummenacker, Bernard Lagat (KEN), Kevin
Sullivan (CAN), Michael Stember (Jesuit HS, Sacramento),
Ibrahim Aden, Laban Rotich (KEN), Bryan Berryhill, Jason Lunn,
Berhanu Alemu (ETH), Hachlaf Abdelkader (MAR),
Fidele Baregensabe (BUR), Markos Geneti (ETH).
Xerox Men's 3,000m: Daniel Lincoln, Jonathon Riley,
Clint Wells, Luke
Watson, Dan Wilson, Ryan Kirkpatrick, Paul Bitok (KEN), Noah Ngeny
(KEN), Martin Keino (KEN), Michael Aish (NZL), Robert Whalley (GBR),
Alistair Cragg (IRL), Berhanu Adane (ETH), Daniel Zegeye (ETH), Irba
Lakhal (FRA), Sammy Mutai (KEN).
College Distance Medley Relay: Arkansas, Michigan, Kentucky, Univ. of
Arizona, Providence, Dartmouth, Southern Methodist, Boston College,
Villanova.
Women's 60m: Chryste Gaines, Inger Miller, Angela Williams, Torri
Edwards, Kim Carson, Aleen Bailey (JAM), Myriam Mani (CMR), Savatheda
Fynes (BAH).
Women's 400m: Monique Hennagan, Tasha Downing, Lashinda Demus,
Demetria
Washington, Me'Lisa Barber, Tonique Williams (BAH).
StretchRite Women's 800m: Hazel Clark, Chantee Earl, Sasha Spencer,
Alice Schmidt, Yasheka Taylor, Brigita Langerholc (SLO/USC),
Melissa DeLeon
(TRI), Sandra Moya (PUR).
Women's 1,500m: Regina Jacobs, Collette Liss, Janelle
Deatherage,
Heather Sagan, Sarah Hann, Meskerem Legesse (ETH), Geraldine Hendricken
(IRL), Lyudmila Vasilyeva (RUS), Birhane Hirpasse (ETH), Grace Njoki
(KEN), Elena Iagar (ROM), Svetlana Bandrakova (RUS-pacesetter).
Women's 3,000m: Amy Rudolph, Blake Russell, Katie McGregor, Shalane
Flanagan, Rachel Sauder, Beth Hoge, Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar
(ETH), Kathy Butler (GBR), Sentayehu Ejigu (ETH), Sinead Delahunty-Evans
(IRL), Korene Hinds (JAM), Sarah Dupre-Healy (CAN), Carmen Douma (CAN),
Siri Alfheim (NOR), Tracy Robertson (CAN).
Women's 60m Hurdles: Melissa Morrison, Jenny Adams, Tiffany Ross, Damu
Cherry, Dionne Rose-Henley (JAM), Vonette Dixon (JAM), Cecile Michot
(FRA).
Visa Women's Pole Vault: Stacy Dragila, Mel Mueller,
Mary Sauer, Kellie
Suttle, Jill Schwartz, Vanessa Boslak (FRA).
adidas Boston Indoor Games Schedule of Events (Subject to Change)
Master's Mile - 5:00 pm
Women's 3000 Meter Run - 5:10 pm
VISA Women's Pole Vault - 5:30 pm
BAA Kid's Relay - 5:25 pm
College Men's DMR - 5:35 pm
Opening Ceremonies - 5:48 pm
Women's 60 Meter Hurdles - 6:01 pm
Men's 800 Meter Run - 6:12 pm
Women's 60 Meter Dash - 6:18 pm
Men's 200 Meter Dash - 6:25 pm
Verizon Men's 60 Meter Dash - 6:32 pm
Women's 1500 Meter Run - 6:39 pm
adidas Men's 1500 Meter Run - 6:50 pm
Boy's High School Mile - 7:02 pm
Women's 400 Meter Run - 7:10 pm
Girl's High School - 7:20 pm
StretchRite Women's 800 Meter Run - 7:30 pm
XEROX Men's 3000 Meter Run - 7:40 pm
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