Jennifer Barringer Simpson of United States celebrating her gold medal in the women's 1500 metres final (© Getty Images)
Boston1500m World champion, Jenny Simpson, will open her 2012 season in Boston and Matthew Centrowitz will make his professional track debut on February 4 at the 2012 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, organizers announced.
American Jenny Simpson delivered one of the most memorable moments of the 2011 IAAF World Championships as she effortlessly moved outside and kicked past the entire field to secure her country’s first World Championship title at this distance since Mary Slaney’s victory at the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, more than 28 years ago. An intelligent and savvy racer, Simpson also knows how to run fast. She set six NCAA records during her collegiate career at the University of Colorado and is the reigning American record holder in the 3000m Steeplechase.
“2011 was a big year for me but 2012 is almost here. Preparations for next year are going well and I am excited to return to Boston. Track fans at Reggie Lewis have shown that they particularly appreciate the distance races so I am looking forward to hopefully giving them a glimpse of things to come this summer.”
Matthew Centrowitz, like Simpson, returned to the United States this summer with a medal from the World Championships – an impressive end to an already standout season that included victories at the Pac-10 Championships, NCAA Championships & the USA Outdoor Championships. Centrowitz’s bronze medal performance made him the first US collegiate athlete in history to ever win a medal at this distance at the World Championships. He announced last month that he will forgo his last year of NCAA eligibility at the University of Oregon and this will be his indoor track professional debut.
The 17th-annual meet, the second stop in USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series, begins at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 4 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College.
