Yuliya Chizhenko of Russia on her way to victory in the 1500m final (© Getty Images)
The Prefontaine Classic, a Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007, is looking for its first sub-4 minute women’s 1500m race.
This Sunday (10 June), a field capable of challenging the meet record of 4:00.73 will line up at the 33rd annual Prefontaine Classic. Led by the runner with the fastest time in the world in 2006, Yulia Chizhenko-Fomenko of Russia, and the second-fastest 3000m runner from last year, Gelete Burka of Ethiopia, the record set by Romania's Gabriela Szabo seven years ago could be in jeopardy.
The World Indoor champion Chizhenko-Fomenko ran 3:55.68 to win the Paris IAAF Golden League meeting last year. Burka, the former World XC short course champion has a personal best (the African Junior record) of 3:59.60 to her name, and last summer ran 8:25.92 for 3000m.
Also in the field will be USA’s Treniere Clement who ran a PB of 4:03.32 last year, and just last week, set a lifetime best in the 800, and veteran Shayne Culpepper who won the Carson 1500m this spring in 4:05.98. Canadian Malindi Elmore shut down the field at IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in New York last weekend (4:07.01), while the newly-minted American 5000m record holder Shalane Flanagan is looking at a possible double going into the Osaka World Championships.
Tom Jordan for the IAAF
Women's 1500m
Yuliya Chizhenko-Fomenko (Russia)
Christin Wurth-Thomas
Mestawat Tadesse (Ethiopia)
Treniere Clement
Lindsey Gallo
Shalane Flanagan
Tiffany McWilliams
Amy Mortimer
Kara Goucher
Sarah Schwald
Yuriko Kobayashi (Japan)
Gelete Burka (Ethiopia)
Lauren Fleshman
Shayne Culpepper
Malindi Elmore (Canada)