Liu Xiang (L) of China and Dayron Robles of Cuba fighting for the first place during the men's 110 metres hurdles final (© Getty Images)
The season’s five fastest men’s 110m Hurdlers will meet at the 38th Prefontaine Classic - Samsung Diamond League on 2 June 2012.
Headlining the group are the last two Olympic gold medallists, Cuba’s Dayron Robles (2008) and China’s Liu Xiang (2004). They are also the two fastest hurdlers in history - Robles is the current World record holder with a time of 12.87 and Liu Xiang is a 2-time World record setter with a best of 12.88. Robles’s appearance will be his first-ever in the USA, while Liu Xiang is in top shape having cracked 13 seconds last Saturday (19) in Shanghai winning that Samsung Diamond League race in 12.97 to lead the season’s world list.
The Pre Classic field also includes the reigning World Championships gold medallist, American Jason Richardson, who defeated both Robles and Liu Xiang last August in Daegu. But Richardson wasn’t the first to cross the finish line, Robles finished ahead of Richardson in Daegu last August, but was disqualified for interference with Liu Xiang’s race. Richardson was third behind Liu Xiang in Shanghai with his season's best of 13.16.
And who can forget the fastest in the world last year? The USA’s David Oliver achieved 2011’s fastest time of 12.94 in winning a thrilling Pre Classic race over Liu Xiang (13.00). Oliver, the American record holder at 12.89 (3rd fastest ever in the world behind only Robles and Liu), has many other fond memories of the Pre Classic and Hayward Field. He won the Olympic Trials in 2008 in Eugene and also equalled a then-American record 12.90 at the 2010 Pre Classic. Oliver was second in Shanghai on Saturday in his current season's best of 13.13.
There is another World Championships medallist in the field. Daegu bronze medallist and 2-time Olympian Andrew Turner of Great Britain returns to Eugene and completes a rare reunion of all three medallists from last year’s World Championships. The 31-year-old Turner ran his PB of 13.22 last year.
Also racing is American Aries Merritt who won the World Indoor Championships 60m Hurdles gold medal over Liu Xiang this year in Istanbul and recently lowered his PB to 13.03.
Completing the line-up are 2011 World Championships Decathlon silver medallist Ashton Eaton, a 2-time NCAA decathlon champion at the University of Oregon and a world-class athlete in this event (PB 13.35 in last year’s Pre), and Dongpeng Shi, a two-time World Championships finalist with a lifetime best of 13.19.
Men’s 110m Hurdles in Eugene
Dayron Robles (Cuba)
Liu Xiang (China)
Jason Richardson (USA)
David Oliver (USA)
Aries Merritt (USA)
Andrew Turner (Great Britain)
Ashton Eaton (USA)
Dongpeng Shi (China)
Organisers for the IAAF
Headlining the group are the last two Olympic gold medallists, Cuba’s Dayron Robles (2008) and China’s Liu Xiang (2004). They are also the two fastest hurdlers in history - Robles is the current World record holder with a time of 12.87 and Liu Xiang is a 2-time World record setter with a best of 12.88. Robles’s appearance will be his first-ever in the USA, while Liu Xiang is in top shape having cracked 13 seconds last Saturday (19) in Shanghai winning that Samsung Diamond League race in 12.97 to lead the season’s world list.
The Pre Classic field also includes the reigning World Championships gold medallist, American Jason Richardson, who defeated both Robles and Liu Xiang last August in Daegu. But Richardson wasn’t the first to cross the finish line, Robles finished ahead of Richardson in Daegu last August, but was disqualified for interference with Liu Xiang’s race. Richardson was third behind Liu Xiang in Shanghai with his season's best of 13.16.
And who can forget the fastest in the world last year? The USA’s David Oliver achieved 2011’s fastest time of 12.94 in winning a thrilling Pre Classic race over Liu Xiang (13.00). Oliver, the American record holder at 12.89 (3rd fastest ever in the world behind only Robles and Liu), has many other fond memories of the Pre Classic and Hayward Field. He won the Olympic Trials in 2008 in Eugene and also equalled a then-American record 12.90 at the 2010 Pre Classic. Oliver was second in Shanghai on Saturday in his current season's best of 13.13.
There is another World Championships medallist in the field. Daegu bronze medallist and 2-time Olympian Andrew Turner of Great Britain returns to Eugene and completes a rare reunion of all three medallists from last year’s World Championships. The 31-year-old Turner ran his PB of 13.22 last year.
Also racing is American Aries Merritt who won the World Indoor Championships 60m Hurdles gold medal over Liu Xiang this year in Istanbul and recently lowered his PB to 13.03.
Completing the line-up are 2011 World Championships Decathlon silver medallist Ashton Eaton, a 2-time NCAA decathlon champion at the University of Oregon and a world-class athlete in this event (PB 13.35 in last year’s Pre), and Dongpeng Shi, a two-time World Championships finalist with a lifetime best of 13.19.
Men’s 110m Hurdles in Eugene
Dayron Robles (Cuba)
Liu Xiang (China)
Jason Richardson (USA)
David Oliver (USA)
Aries Merritt (USA)
Andrew Turner (Great Britain)
Ashton Eaton (USA)
Dongpeng Shi (China)
Organisers for the IAAF
