News06 Jun 2003


Palo Alto's domestic stars eye coming US nationals

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Maurice Greene (c) outsprints JJ Johnson (r) and Shawn Crawford (l) (© Kirby Lee)

Palo Alto, USAAs the American domestic season draws to a close, the Oracle Open meeting on Saturday (7 June) remains as the final top-level fixture on US soil in the run-up to the National Championships (19-22 June) which will serve as the selection meeting for the World Championships.

And it is not surprising that US athletes are anxious to get a starting position in the Oracle Meeting, since the competition venue is Cobb Track and Angel Field at Stanford University, the very same portal through which all of America's aspirants for Paris must pass ten days later. 

The sagging fortunes of Maurice Greene starting at the end of last season and continuing through last month's Portland meeting had an upward bounce this past week, as the Olympic 100 metres Champion gave an "I'm not dead yet" signal with a splendid 9.94 to win the Home Depot Meeting in Carson. 

Greene now brings his show to northern California and will do battle against some formidable competition in the 200 metres, in which he has an early-season 20.16. The current world leader, J.J. Johnson (20.05) heads the list of those aiming for Greene, along with 2002 US Champion Ramon Clay, 2001 World Indoor Champion Shawn Crawford (20.08), and 2000 Olympic Trials champion John Capel, who is fit again after a late injury kept him out of last winter's World Indoor Championships.

The Men's Shot Put has the smallest field on the schedule, but the quality level is extraordinary. Kevin Toth, who had an eye-popping 22.67 throw in April which still leads the world, puts his five-meeting undefeated string on the line. The silver medallist in Sydney and Edmonton, Adam Nelson, will join with three-time World Champion and Sydney bronze winner John Godina to challenge Toth. Also in the field are last year's fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the US Championships, Jamie Beyer and Tonyo Sylvester, along with Reese Hoffa, who managed a 20.90 PB last week in Carson, while masquerading in costume as "the unknown
shot putter".

The men's 1000 Metres brings together the US leaders in the 800 metres, David Krummenacker, and the 1500 metres, Jason Lunn, and ironically it reunites them again only a week after their riveting 1500 clash in Carson in which Lunn prevailed over his more experienced rival, 3:37.59 to 3:37.83. 

Among those hoping to be included in the finish-line scene on Saturday are two-time Olympian Kevin Sullivan of Canada (3:34.70 in Portland in May), Seville World Championships 1500 finalist David Lelei of Kenya, 2003 US indoor 1500 runner-up Michael Stember, and another American runner vacillating between the 800 and 1500, Jesse Strutzel (3:39.94 in Carson). 

The 1500 Metres start list is headed by Kenyan William Chirchir, the silver medallist in last year's Commonwealth Games and, with a PB of 3:29.29, the event's seventh-fastest exponent ever. He will be joined by countryman Laban Rotich, the 1998 Commonwealth Champion and a three-time finalist in global championship 1500 metres competition, plus Brazilian Hudson de Souza, who has run under 3:40 in his last four races this spring. 

Two additional entrants come from the realm of longer distances, as two-time US 5000 metres champion Adam Goucher and the current US indoor 5000 metres champion Jonothan Riley will drop down to the shorter event.

The winner of last year's Oracle 5000 metres, Birmingham 3K bronze medallist Luke Kipkosgei of Kenya, returns this year in the 3000 metres, joined by Commonwealth 5K bronze medallist, Kenya's Willy Kirui. 

Additionally in the 3K, Albert Chepkurui will pay a visit to the site of his 10K victory at the Cardinal Invitational last year. The 22-year-old Kenyan, who devotes much of his time to road racing and will be making his 2003 track debut, has a distinguished resume containing track bests of sub-13 and sub-27. 

The 2001 US 10K champion and 10th placer in that event in Sydney, Abdi Abdirahman, will also compete, along with his former teammate at the University of Arizona, Martin Keino of Kenya, as will four-time US 5K champion Bob Kennedy, and 2002 Commonwealth 5K finalist Mike Power of Australia. 

The first edition of this international meeting at Stanford two years ago produced the still-standing women's Pole Vault world record of 4.81, and that event remains an integral segment of the programme.

Although Sydney and Edmonton champion Stacy Dragila is presently on a short European tour, the women's field still boasts four American competitors with personal bests of 4.50 or higher, including 2001 World Indoor silver medallist Kellie Suttle, 1999 World Indoor fifth placer Mel Mueller, and last year's US Championships runner-up, Mary Sauer. 

The men's Pole Vault slate looks potentially stronger, with five of the world's current top seven in the field. Oddly enough, Jeff Hartwig, a three-time US champion and one of only seven vaulters to reach the event's benchmark height of six metres outdoors, is not in that elite group at the moment. But as the start list's most recognizable name, he will certainly be close to peak form on Saturday with the American title meet only days away. 

Derek Miles, Hartwig's training partner and the leader of the US men's list at 5.81, will compete, along with three jumpers at 5.75 -Tim Mack, the ninth placer in Edmonton; Toby Stevenson, who finished 4th in the US Champs last year before sustaining a season-ending injury a week later in Oslo; and Russ Buller. 

Sydney champion and Edmonton bronze medallist Nick Hysong brings a 5.71 season best to the meet as another of the strong contenders, while Lawrence Johnson, the Sydney silver medallist and Lisbon winner, is a last-minute entry after making a late start to the season.

No proper top-echelon meeting in the US these days should be without the participation of World Indoor 1500 Champion ReginaJacobs, especially when her residence is less than 50 kilometres from the stadium and her University is hosting the event. Nearing her 40th birthday, the seemingly ageless Jacobs, who made history this past winter by becoming the first runner to break four minutes in the indoor 1500, will use the 800 metres as her final tune-up for the US Championships. 

Mardrea Hyman of Jamaica, whose repertoire range of 800m through to 5K virtually matches that of her American rival, brings a list of achievements including a Commonwealth fourth in the 800 metres in 1998, and a sixth last year in the Commonwealth 1500m. Slovenia's Brigitta Langerholc, who was fourth in the Sydney Olympics in this event, also looks to be a significant factor. 

With Marion Jones approximately a month away from the birth of her first child, the women's sprint events in the US have become more heated than usual this season. Saturday in the 100 metres, the number-two American this year and Edmonton fifth placer, Chryste Gaines will attempt to back up her Mexico City win from last month. Challenging her will be the 1999 World 200 metres Champion Inger Miller, and also the bronze medallist from that competition, Jamaica's Merlene Frazer. 

Also, the 2002 Commonweath 100 Metres bronze medallist and Sydney finalist, Savatheda Fynes of the Bahamas, plus Edmonton 200 Metres fourth placer LaTasha Jenkins and two-time World Indoor silver medallist Angela Williams will be in the field.

The competitors in the women's 100m Hurdles will be headed by current US leader Miesha McKelvy, second to Gail Devers in last year's national championships and a winner last weekend in Carson. Other notables include a pair of Jamaicans-last year's Commonwealth champion, Lacena Golding-Clarke, and Dione Rose-Henley, a Seville and Edmonton finalist, plus the Edmonton fifth placer Jenny Adams. 

Beatrice Faumuina of New Zealand, the 1997 World Champion and two-time Commonwealth titlist, tops the Women's Discus field. Providing her with strong competition in an event in which the US had its best-ever World Championships showing in Edmonton two years ago, will be the sixth and eighth-place finishers from that competition, Seilala Sua and Kris Kuehl, as well as the 2002 world list leader, Suzy Powell. 

The women's High Jump field is led by the holder of nine US indoor and outdoor titles, Tisha Waller, who leads the American High Jump list with her Prefontaine win at 1.98. Joining her will be a four-time US champion and two-time World Championships finalist, Amy Acuff, and Sydney Olympian Karol Rovelto, who jumped a PB 1.95 at the age of 33 four weeks ago.

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