News31 Mar 2010


Outdoor debuts for Eaton, Jones-Ferrette, Edward and Brathwaite on tap in Austin

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Ryan Brathwaite backs up his World Champion victory with a win in Thessaloniki (© Getty Images)

Less than three weeks after his surprise World indoor record* in the Heptathlon, Ashton Eaton returns to the track at the 83rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, which kick off today in Austin, Texas. The Oregonian's appearance will be one of several notable outdoor debuts on tap as the U.S. spring season commences in earnest this weekend.

Eaton, 22, tallied 6499 points at the NCAA indoor championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on 12-13 March, to add 25 points to the record Dan O’Brien set in 1993 when Eaton was just five years old. A four-time NCAA multi-events champion for the University of Oregon, Eaton said his surprise record certainly marked a turning point in his career.

"I think it means track just got a lot more serious for me," Eaton joked with an AP reporter after his record.

A rising star on the U.S. scene, Eaton's best Decathlon tally to date is 8241 points, a wind-assisted mark which brought him the NCAA title last June. His legal best in 8122 from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. He has tallied 8000 points or more in his last seven competitions, and finished second at last year's national championships to earn a spot on the World Championships squad. He wasn't a serious factor in Berlin but did manage 8061 points for 18th, notable considering the length of his collegiate season.

How well his indoor form translates into early season fitness outdoors is anyone's guess, but it's certain that Eaton will be looking to improve particularly in the discus and javelin throws, his two weakest events.

Jones-Ferrette outdoor debut

Another focus of this massive traditional spring fixture will be on the invitational sprint fields.

Like Eaton, Laverne Jones-Ferrette will be aiming to continue her solid indoor 60m momentum when she makes her 2010 100m debut. The 28-year-old from the U.S. Virgin Islands was one of the big sprint stories indoors this year as she improved all the way to 6.97 over 60m on the way to taking silver at the World Indoor Championships behind two-time Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell Brown. Jones-Ferrette clocked a wind-aided 11.02 in Austin in 2009, a season in which she improved to 11.13 and 22.46 in the 100 and 200m.

She'll be facing Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria, this year's NCAA indoor 60m champion for the University of Texas El Paso, and the reigning Olympic bronze medallist in the Long Jump.

Edward and Brathwaite to debut as well

Lost behind the sensation that was Usain Bolt in Berlin last summer was the surprise 200m silver medallist, Alonso Edward of Panama. Still just 19 at the time, Edward clocked a stunning 19.81 Area Record to finish second, a time quicker than what Bolt managed to produce at the same age. Edward will be making his first appearance of the year this weekend contesting the 100m. Edward clocked a windy 9.97 in Austin last year, but also clocked a 10.09 national record in 2009.

Another debut to watch for comes in the men's 110m Hurdles, a field led by reigning World champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados. The 21-year-old produced one of the major surprises in Berlin last summer with his 13.14 victory, momentum which propelled him to post-championships victories in Zagreb, Brussels and the World Athletics Final. The strong field also includes American standouts Aries Merritt and Dexter Faulk.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

*pending the usual ratification procedures

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