News18 Jan 2011


Hot miles on tap in Boston - Willis vs Webb plus women's indoor champion Gezahegne

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2009 Boston mile winner Nick Willis (l) leading Chris Lukezic (© Victah Sailer)

Olympic 1500m silver medallist Nick Willis from New Zealand and US recorder holder Alan Webb will square off in the mile at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday, 5 February, organisers announced today.
 
Willis, who in 2008 became New Zealand’s first male track athlete in 32 years to bring home an Olympic medal, is also the 2006 Commonwealth Games Champion. Last year, Willis added the New Zealand indoor 1500m record to his own outdoor record, and then took bronze in the 1500m at the Commonwealth Games.  Willis also broke the New Zealand and NCAA indoor records for 3000m at this event in 2004 while competing for the University of Michigan and has won the mile in Boston in each of the last two years.

Webb, who won here in 2007, has recorded the fastest time ever by an American for the outdoor mile at 3:46.91 and is continuing his return from Achilles surgery in 2010. High schooler Lukas Verzbicas, the two-time Footlocker Cross Country champion from Orland Hills, Illinois, led the nation at this distance outdoors in 2010 (4:04.38). Showing great success at a wide range of disciplines, Verzbicas is the national high school indoor record holder at 5000m (14:18.42), and is also one of the world’s top junior triathletes, having won the 2010 USA Triathlon Flatland Junior Elite Cup.

Kalkidan Gezahegne from Ethiopia, the reigning World indoor 1500m champion and the fastest junior of all time at 1500m and the mile indoors, will return to Boston to add the mile to the 3000m title she won here in 2010.
 
Other anticipated events will include the women’s Pole Vault, which will feature Olympic silver medallist and American record holder, Jennifer Suhr, as well as a 60m dash match-up between former World champion and Olympic medallist Lauryn Williams and Olympic finalist Marshevet Myers.

The 16th annual meet, the second stop in USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series, begins at 5:00 p.m. on 5 February at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College.

Organisers for the IAAF
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