DyeStat Page 1

1/23/99 at San Diego Sports Arena - Contact: Don Franken (310) 535-9230.
Meet home page http://www.la-invitational.com/index2.html

San Diego Indoor Games

Nine Olympic Stars Coming

NINE OLYMPIC STARS HIGHLIGHT
RENEWED SAN DIEGO INDOOR GAMES

Several of the sport's greatest names, including nine Olympians,
will be on hand when a great San Diego track and field tradition is
rekindled. The San Diego Indoor Games presented by ULTIMA, once
regarded as the finest undercover meet in the world, returns to the famed
Sports Arena boards, Saturday, January 23.
Dan O'Brien, the world's greatest athlete-as the decathlon King is
always referred to-will make an early start to tune-up for this summer's
World Championships in Seville, where he will seek a fourth consecutive
world title. O'Brien will compete in the 55-meter hurdles and the long
jump.
Johnny Gray, the patriarch of the half-milers, is part of the
meet's lore. Forty-two world and American records were set in San Diego,
and Gray accounted for two of them. He set world marks here (880 in 1:46.9
and 1000 yards in 2:04.39) that are still the fastest times ever on a
11-lap-to-the mile indoor track. Gray, now 38, is seeking an unprecedented
6th appearance in the U.S. Olympic Trials and a 5th selection on the
US Olympic team.
Three-time Olympian Regina Jacobs, the most versatile U.S. female
distance runner of the post-Mary Decker Slaney era, leads the entries in
the women's mile, and 1996 Olympian and two-time NCAA champion Amy Acuff is
the favorite the high jump. Pole vaulter Lawrence Johnson, sprinter
Michelle Burrell, hurdler Eugene Swift, miler Jason Pyrah (who will battle
current us champ Jamey Harris), and local hero LaTanya Sheffield round up
the group of Olympians entered in the meet.
There are many other attractions: Tiffany Lott, the world indoor
record holder in the 55-meter hurdles, is the headliner in her specialty.
Eritrean-born Meb Keflezighi, now a US citizen, returns to his American
home after a brilliant career at UCLA that saw the former state champ from
San Diego High win four NCAA titles in track and cross country. He will
duel with Arizona's Abdi Abdirahman, the 1998 NCAA cross country runner up,
whose life story parallels Meb's.
The local flavor is strong, with veterans like Sheffield, a 1988
400 hurdles Olympian, current San Diego state star Miesha McKelvy (ranked
4th in the US in the 100 hurdles in 1988), former Oregon All-American
Milena Glusac, and tremendous new talent like Monique Henderson of Morse
High. Monique won the state 400 meet as a frosh last year. In a highly
anticipated 500-yard race she will battle Nakiya Johnson of Arroyo, the
top-ranked prep quartermiler in the nation.
The high school, the strongest in meet history, gets under way at
noon. Invitational events, featuring Olympic-caliber athletes and college
standouts, begins at 6 pm.
ULTIMA, a leading provider of sports fluid replacement beverages
for athletes, will be the presenting sponsor of the 1999 San Diego Indoor
Games. Time-Warner is the official cable TV media partner of the
event.
Tickets are priced at $20 (reserved seats) and $10 and are
available at the Sports Arena Box Office, (619) 224-4171
(WWW.SANDIEGOARENA.COM) and all Ticketmaster locations including
Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Select Wherehouse and Cal Stores. To charge
by phone call (619) 220-TIXS; online: www.ticketmaster.com
For meet information check the meet's web site at
www.la-invitational.com

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