Allyson Felix adds a national 400m title to her collection (© Getty Images)
Eight reigning World champions will lead Team USA into the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu. USA Track & Field on Wednesday announced its roster for the 13th edition of the Championships, which will be held 27 to 4 September.
On the roster are a total of 19 World Championships medallists and 16 Olympic medallists. At the most recent 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, Germany, Team USA won a total of 22 medals, well ahead of second place Jamaica (13). Of the 22 medals, 10 of them were gold for Team USA, which was also ahead of second-place Jamaica (7).
A total of 66 men and 63 women find their names on this year’s team.
The list of Team USA’s reigning World Champions includes Allyson Felix, who will attempt a difficult double at this year’s World Championships in the 200m and 400m. Felix, the three-time World Championships gold medalist in the 200m, won the 400m at the 2011 USA Outdoor Championships to become the first female ever to win national titles in the 100m, 200m and 400m in a career.
The American record holder in the 400m, Sanya Richards-Ross will defend her world title in the one-lap race. In the midst of an already brilliant track and field career, Richards-Ross has won a total of five Olympic and World Championships gold medals in the 400m and the 4x400m and is coming off a season-best time of 49.66 in winning last weekend in London.
Also looking good of late is defending world champion Christian Cantwell in the shot put. Cantwell returned nicely from shoulder surgery earlier in the year and currently holds the fourth-best throw in the world in 2011 and posted wins in the Diamond League this season in Stockholm and Lausanne.
Team USA will be eying as many as three medals in the decathlon, with a lineup that includes defending World champion Trey Hardee, 2011 world leader Ashton Eaton, and 2004 Olympic gold medalist and ’05 world champ Bryan Clay.
Other team members looking to defend their world titles include world indoor and outdoor champion Britney Reese, who is again leading the world in the women’s long jump this year, Kerron Clement in the men’s 400m hurdles, three-time world champion Dwight Phillips in the men's long jump and LaShawn Merritt in the 400m, who ran an impressive 44.74 July 29 in Stockholm in his first race in almost two years.
Those on Team USA who are the current world leaders in their events include American record holder David Oliver (M110m hurdles, 12.94), Jesse Williams (MHJ, 2.37m), Eaton (MD, 8729), Carmelita Jeter (W100m, 10.70), Shalonda Solomon (W200m, 22.15), Jenn Suhr (WPV, 4.91m) and Reese (WLJ, 7.19m).
Named to Team USA’s relay pools for the men’s 4x100m were Walter Dix, Justin Gatlin, Michael Rodgers, Trell Kimmons, Ivory Williams and Travis Padgett and for the women’s 4x100m were Carmelita Jeter, Marshavet Myers, Miki Barber, LaShaunte’a Moore, Alexandria Anderson and Bianca Knight. Those named to the pool for the men’s 4x400m were Merritt, Tony McQuay, Greg Nixon, Jamaal Torrence, Michael Berry and Miles Smith and for the women’s 4x400m were Richards-Ross, Felix, Francena McCorory, Debbie Dunn, Jessica Beard and Natasha Hastings. Athletes already on the Team USA roster in other events also are eligible to compete in the relays.
Head coaches for Team USA at the 2011 World Championships are Connie Price-Smith for the women and Vin Lananna for the men. Head managers are Diane Wholey for the women and Ken Brauman for the men.
USA Track & Field for the IAAF
2011 World Outdoor Championships Team USA
*denotes 2009 World Champion
Men’s 100m: Walter Dix, Justin Gatlin, Michael Rodgers
Men’s 200m: Dix, Darvis Patton, Jeremy Dodson
Men’s 400m: Tony McQuay, Greg Nixon, Jamaal Torrance, LaShawn Merritt*
Men’s 800m: Nicholas Symmonds, Khadevis Robinson, Charles Jock
Men’s 1500m: Matthew Centrowitz, Leonel Manzano, Andrew Wheating
Men’s 3000m SC: William Nelson, Daniel Huling, Benjamin Bruce
Men’s 5000m: Bernard Lagat, Chris Solinsky, Galen Rupp
Men’s 10,000m: Rupp, Matt Tegenkamp, Scott Bauhs
Men’s 20km RW: Trevor Barron
Men’s marathon: Nicholas Arciniaga, Michael Morgan, Sergio Reyes, Jeffrey Eggleston, Mike Sayenko
Men’s 110mH: David Oliver, Aries Merritt, Jason Richardson
Men’s 400mH: Jeshua Anderson, Bershawn Jackson, Angelo Taylor, Kerron Clement*
Men’s HJ: Jesse Williams, Dustin Jonas, Erik Kynard
Men’s PV: Derek Miles, Jeremy Scott, Mark Hollis
Men’s LJ: Marquise Goodwin, Claye, Trevell Quinley, Dwight Phillips*
Men’s TJ: Christian Taylor, William Claye, Walter Davis
Men’s SP: Adam Nelson, Christian Cantwell*, Reese Hoffa, Ryan Whiting
Men’s DT: Jarred Rome, Jason Young, Lance Brooks
Men’s HT: Kibwe Johnson, Michael Mai
Men’s JT: Mike Hazle
Men’s Dec: Ashton Eaton, Ryan Harlan, Bryan Clay, Trey Hardee*
Men’s 4x100m: Dix, Gatlin, Rodgers, Kimmons, Ivory Williams, Travis Padgett
Men’s 4x400m: Merritt, McQuay, Nixon, Torrence, Michael Berry, Miles Smith
Women’s 100m: Carmelita Jeter, Marshavet Myers, Miki Barber
Women’s 200m: Shalonda Solomon, Jeter, Jeneba Tarmoh, Allyson Felix*
Women’s 400m: Felix, Francena McCorory, Debbie Dunn, Sanya Richards-Ross*
Women’s 800m: Alysia Montano, Maggie Vessey, Alice Schmidt
Women’s 1500m: Morgan Uceny, Jennifer Simpson, Shannon Rowbury
Women’s 3000m SC: Emma Coburn, Bridget Franek, Delilah DiCrescenzo
Women’s 5000m: Molly Huddle, Amy Hastings, Lauren Fleshman
Women’s 10000m: Shalane Flanagan, Kara Goucher, Jennifer Rhines
Women’s 20km RW: Maria Michta
Women’s Marathon: Katherine Newberry, Alissa McKaig, Colleen DeRuck, Tera Moody, Zoila Gomez
Women’s 100mH: Kellie Wells, Danielle Carruthers, Dawn Harper
Women’s 400mH: Lashinda Demus, Queen Harrison, Jasmine Chaney
Women’s HJ: Brigetta Barrett, Inika McPherson
Women’s PV: Kylie Hutson, Jenn Suhr, Lacy Janson
Women’s LJ: Brittney Reese*, Janay DeLoach, Funmi Jimoh, Tori Polk
Women’s TJ: Amanda Smock
Women’s SP: Michelle Carter, Jillian Camarena-Williams, Sarah Stevens-Walker
Women’s DT: Stephanie Brown-Trafton, Aretha Thurmond, Gia Lewis-Smallwood
Women’s HT: Jessica Cosby, Amber Campbell, Jeneva McCall
Women’s JT: Kara Patterson, Rachel Yurkovich
Women’s Hep: Sharon Day, Hyleas Fountain
Women’s 4x100m: Jeter, Myers, Barber, LaShaunte’a Moore, Alexandria Anderson, Bianca Knight
Women’s 4x400m: Richards-Ross, Felix, McCorory, Dunn, Beard, Natasha Hastings
