Shelly-Ann Fraser smiles as she crosses the 100m finish line in first place (© Getty Images)
Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica, Kenyan distance star Micah Kogo, along with American Pole Vault standout Jenn Stuczynski and top sprinter Allyson Felix, will compete at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix on 30 May.
The Reebok Grand Prix is the first of two IAAF World Athletics Tour meetings this season in the U.S.A.
Fraser became the first Jamaican woman in history to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100m dash when she led a medal sweep with her fellow country women at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Fraser's winning time of 10.78 seconds was a personal best and 0.20 seconds faster than her Jamaican teammates, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart.
Less than one month ago, Kogo, 22, broke the World record for 10 kilometres * on his way to winning the 21st Parelloop 10km in Brunssum, Holland. The Kenyan distance star won bronze in the 10,000m at the Beijing Olympics.
The 27-year old Stuczynski broke her own American indoor record in the Pole Vault when she successfully cleared 4.83m (15-10) at the 2009 U.S. Indoor championships in February giving her a seventh U.S. title. The 2008 Olympic silver medalist has been the top ranked American pole vaulter since 2006.
Felix is the current and two-time World champion at 200 meters. The 23-year-old ran her 21.93 season’s best time in Beijing, earning her second successive silver medal in the event. She also took home her first Olympic gold this past summer as part of the 4x400m relay team. Her 21.81 career best was set at the 2007 World Championships.
The timetable for the meeting’s fifth edition includes both the 100 and 200m for both men and women but which events. Which events Fraser and Felix will contest has yet to be announced.
Also joining the line-up is Jamaican Asafa Powell, 26, the former World record holder in the 100m. The two-time Olympian won a gold medal and broke the world record in the 4x100m Relay as the anchor of the Jamaican team in Beijing. Despite a slight injury at last weekend’s Penn Relays, Powell will also contest the 100m at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix 2009 in Doha on 8 May.
Previously announced - see related content - were reigning World 100m champions Veronica Cambell-Brown and Tyson Gay and World Cross Country champion Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia.
The Reebok Grand Prix which will in 2010 join the IAAF Diamond League, is held at the state-of-the-art Icahn Stadium on New York's Randall's Island and is the fourth stop of the 2009 USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series.
Organisers and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
* pending the usual ratification procedures
