News07 Feb 2012


Felix-Campbell Brown rivalry to reignite in Fayetteville

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Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica wins the women's 200 metres final ahead of Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix of the USA (© Getty Images)

On of the most celebrated rivalry in women’s track and field kicks off in the 2012 Olympic year when American Allyson Felix and Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown clash over 60m at the USA Track & Field Classic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday (11).


In the last two Olympic Games and last four World Outdoor championships 200m finals, Felix and Campbell-Brown alone have accounted for every gold medal and all but two silver medals. Felix is a three-time World champion and two-time Olympic silver medallist, while Campbell-Brown, aka VCB is the two-time Olympic gold medallist, the 2011 World champion and a two-time World runner-up to Felix.


Campbell-Brown is also the defending World champion indoors at 60m and is coming off a win at the U.S. Open of Track & Field at Madison Square Garden on 28 January. The short, 60-meter distance favors Campbell-Brown’s explosiveness, but Felix’s shorter-sprint chops were on display when she won the 2010 USA Outdoor 100m title. Arguably the most versatile sprinter in the world, Felix in 2011 won the U.S. 400m crown to go along with her five outdoor 200m crowns and captures silver over the long sprint at the World Championships.


The two will face a top field that includes defending USA Indoor champion Alexandria Anderson, 2008 Olympic Trials 100m champion Muna Lee and two-time NCAA 200m champion Porscha Lucas.


The men’s 60m is equally deep, with Olympic and World Championship medallists and finalists filling the field, including Americans Wallace Spearmon, Darvis Patton, Justin Gatlin and Shawn Crawford; Olympic 100m silver medallist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands.


The men’s and women’s 60m contests will include semifinals and finals.


In the men’s 400m, 2011 World Outdoor 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada will run on the track where the World indoor record was set by LaShawn Merritt in 2005 and broken a few weeks later by Kerron Clement. James outdueled Merritt, the defending Olympic champion, to win the 2011 World title, and he is coming off a win Saturday at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. The U.S. field will include Olympic bronze medallist David Neville and 2009 USA indoor champion Jamaal Torrance.


Strong women's Long Jump and Hurdles fields


The women’s 60m Hurdles and Long Jump will feature many of Team USA’s most accomplished athletes. In the Long Jump, World indoor and outdoor champion Brittney Reese jumps against 2011 USA indoor champion Janay DeLoach, Olympic Heptathlon silver medallist Hyleas Fountain and World outdoor finalist Funmi Jimoh.


The 60m Hurdles includes 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper, 2005 and 2007 World outdoor champion Michelle Perry, Fountain and two-time USA outdoor champion Ginnie Powell.


Held at the University of Arkansas’ Randal Tyson Center, the USA Track & Field Classic is the third stop on USA Track & Field’s 2012 Indoor Visa Championship Series. The meet will be televised on ESPN2 from 12-2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, 12 February.


Organisers for the IAAF


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