Hot hurdles races on tap at Nike Prefontaine Classic
Posted Thursday, 11 May, 2006
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690
Three hurdles races featuring a dazzling array of U.S. and International stars will be held at the 2006 Nike Prefontaine Classic May 28 in Eugene, Oregon.
The third event of USATF's 2006 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the Nike Prefontaine Classic will be televised live on ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time.
In the men's 110m hurdles, 2005 World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Allen Johnson of the U.S. will compete at Pre for the tenth time during his storied career. Johnson won the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta the year of his first appearance in 1996. Olympic gold medalist and Prefontaine Classic meet record holder Liu Xiang of China returns for a second consecutive year where he'll face reigning world champion Ladji Doucouré of France, making his first-ever Pre Classic appearance. This race is so loaded that it features six of last year's top 10 hurdlers in the world as ranked by Track & Field News magazine.
In the women's 100m hurdles, Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes will square off against reigning world champion Michelle Perry, plus meet record holder (12.45 seconds) and World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica.
The men's 400m hurdles features Helsinki gold medalist and the #1 ranked competitor in the world last year Bershawn Jackson. 2004 Olympic gold medalist, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, also is entered along with 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist James Carter.
Tickets for the 2006 Nike Prefontaine Classic are still availablein-person at the University of Oregon Athletic Department Ticket Office, by phone from 1-800-WEBFOOT, andonline at www.goducks.com. For more information on the Nike Prefontaine Classic and the 2006 Visa Championship Series, visit www.usatf.org.
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