Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Prerace Jitters |
| Lagat faces World Champs rematch in Wanamaker Mile Posted: 11 Jan 2010 05:20 PM PST Press Release Courtesy USA Track & Field NEW YORK - Seven-time Wanamaker Mile champion Bernard Lagat will have to defeat the man who outsprinted him for silver at the 2009 IAAF World Championships 1,500 meters when he goes for a record eighth Wanamaker title at the 103rd Millrose Games. The 2007 world champion and two-time Olympic medalist in the 1,500m, Lagat finished third at the 2009 World Championship in Berlin behind Deresse Mekonnen of Ethiopia in a furious final sprint. On January 29 at Madison Square Garden, Lagat will have an opportunity to seek revenge against Mekonnen, as well as Millrose history. The 2007 World Outdoor 1,500m and 5,000m champion, Lagat won his seventh Wanamaker Mile title at last year’s Millrose Games, which tied all-time Irish legend and “Chariman of the Boards” Eamonn Coghlan for the most wins ever in that prestigious event. The reigning World Indoor 1,500m champion, Mekonnen had a strong 2009 campaign, ending the season ranked #4 in the world by Track & Field News. In Berlin last summer, Lagat was boxed in on the rail during the men’s 1,500m final. He broke out in the final straightaway, moving from fifth to third to finish in 3:36.20 behind Mekonnen’s sliver in 3:36.01. Lagat went on to win the 5,000m silver medal, ending the decade with a combined total of seven World Championship and Olympic Games medals. Willard Pierce headlines women’s 1,500 meters The women’s 1,500m also will feature a strong field, headlined by USA Indoor champion and Olympian Anna Pierce (formerly Willard). Pierce, who married 3,000m steeplechaser Jonathan Pierce in September, won last year at the London Grand Prix, finished second in Zurich and ended the season ranked #6 in the world and #3 in the U.S. for 1,500m by Track & Field News. She was a leader in a phenomenal year for American women’s middle-distance runners. The former steeplechase American record holder dipped under 4:00 for 1,500m and 2:00 for 800m, posting a U.S.-leading 3:59.38 for the longer distance and the second-fastest time for the 800 (1:58.80). In 2008, Pierce was tenth at the Beijing Olympic Games in 9:25.63. Challenging Pierce at Millrose will be Sally Kipyego of Kenya, who won nine individual NCAA titles while at Texas Tech University, equaling the all-time record set by former University of Wisconsin great Suzy Favor Hamilton. Kipyego is the first woman ever to win three consecutive Big 12 Conference and NCAA women’s cross country titles. She won NCAA titles at 3,000m (indoors) and outdoors in the 5,000m and 10,000m. For ticket information for the 103rd Millrose Games visit: http://ny.milesplit.us/articles/31594. USATF welcomes you to pay with your Visa. For more information on the 2010 Millrose Games and the Visa Championship Series, visit: www.usatf.org or www.millrose-games.com. About USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org  Related posts:
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| 1000m, Mile and 5000m All Strong in Boston Posted: 11 Jan 2010 05:07 PM PST Willis, Pierce and Rupp join Dibaba as distance headlinersBOSTON (Jan. 11) – Following in its tradition of delivering track fans world-class endurance races at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, organizers announced additional athlete commitments for the 2010 event today. The athletes announced include Olympic Medalist Nick Willis, number one ranked American 800m runner Anna Pierce (née Willard) and former University of Oregon star Galen Rupp. They join the previously announced Double Olympic Champion, Tirunesh Dibaba from Ethiopia. Willis, who in 2008 became New Zealand's first male track athlete in 32 years to bring home an Olympic medal, returns to the track for his first international competition since suffering a season ending injury last March. A 2006 Commonwealth Games champion and national record-holder at 1500 meters, Willis also broke the New Zealand indoor mark and NCAA record for 3000 meters here in 2004 while competing for the University of Michigan. He won the 2009 Reebok Boston Indoor Games Mile in 3:53.54 and is travelling to Boston from his winter training base outside of Wellington, New Zealand. Anna Pierce, whose 2009 campaign was one of the best seasons ever by an American middle distance or distance runner, will compete in the women's 1000m. The winner of three IAAF Golden League events as well as at the World Athletics Final, she ranked #2 in the world at 800m. In addition to her success over 800m, Anna also established herself as the third fastest American in history at 1500m, with her time of 3:59.38. She finished 2009 with a top three US Ranking at 800m (1st), 1500m (3rd) and 3000m steeplechase (2nd). The current American Record of 2:34.19 was set by Jen Toomey in 2004. Galen Rupp led the University of Oregon men to the their first indoor national team title and became the first person in NCAA history to win the 5,000 meters, 3,000m and the Distance Medley Relay in the same championship. During last year's indoor campaign he also set the American Record at 5000m (13:18.12) and finished his NCAA career with an impressive six NCAA Titles. Rupp will line up at 5000m at this year's Reebok Boston Indoor Games. The 15th-annual Reebok Boston Indoor Games, the second stop in USA Track & Field's Visa Championship Series, begins at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College. Information is now available on-line at www.BostonIndoorGames.com. Follow us on Twitter at @BostonIndoor and become a fan on Facebook at www.bostonindoorgames.com/facebook. Tickets are available on-line or by calling 1-877-TIX-TRAC. Related posts:
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