A Melting Pot of Medalists Sign On For 2009 Reebok Grand Prix

OLYMPIC MEDALISTS ASAFA POWELL, SHELLY-ANN FRASER, MICAH KOGO, JENN STUCZYNSKI, AND ALLYSON FELIX ADDED TO 2009 REEBOK GRAND PRIX LINE-UP NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 28) – Jamaican sprint stars Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser and Kenyan distance specialist Micah Kogo, along with America’s pole vault standout Jenn Stuczynski and top sprinter Allyson Felix, will compete at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix, organizers announced today. The Reebok Grand Prix is the fourth stop of USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series and will be held at 3:00pm on May 30, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. Jamaica’s Powell, 26, held the 100 meter world record from June 2005 to May 2008 and has consistently broken the 10 second barrier in competition while running under 9.80 more times than all other sprinters combined. The two-time Olympian won a gold medal and broke the world record in the 4x100m Relay as the anchor of the Jamaican team in Beijing. Powell’s teammate, Shelly-Ann Fraser became the first Jamaican woman in history to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100 meter dash when she bested her fellow country women at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Fraser's winning time of 10.78 seconds was a personal best and 0.20 seconds faster than her Jamaican teammates. Less than one month ago, Kogo, 22, broke the world record for 10 kilometers on his way to winning the 21st Parelloop 10k in Brunssum, Holland. The Kenyan distance star won bronze in the 10,000 meters at the Beijing Olympics. The 27-year old Stuczynski broke her own American indoor record in the pole vault when she successfully cleared 15 feet, 10 inches at the 2009 U.S. Indoor Nationals giving her a seventh U.S. title. The 2008 Olympic silver medalist has been the number one ranked American pole vaulter since 2006. American sprinter Felix is the current and two-time world champion at 200 meters. The 23-year old ran her season’s best time in Beijing, earning her second silver medal in the event. She also took home her first Olympic gold this past summer as part of the 4x400m relay team. Produced by Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., the Reebok Grand Prix is in its fifth year and is the fourth stop on USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series. It features Olympic stars, top high school athletes and a Fastest Kid in New York competition for 7- and 8-year-olds. Events include men’s and women’s sprints, hurdles, middle-distance races, the pole vault and invitational high school races. Increased and upgraded backstretch seating at track level is being added to accommodate the growing demand and interest from fans in the New York area. Tickets are on sale now by phone at 1-877-TIX-TRAC or on-line at www.ReebokGrandPrix.com. Additional updates, photos and information can be found by visiting the Reebok Grand Prix pages on Facebook and Twitter. Icahn Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility on Randall's Island featuring a 400-meter Mondo track and covered seating for spectators, is the premier outdoor track-and-field venue in New York City. It was built by the Randall's Island Sports Foundation (RISF) in partnership with New York City Department of Parks. The facility is programmed, operated and maintained by RISF. Click here to unsubscribe from future mailings.

Olympic Gold Medalists Headline 2009 adidas Track Classic

Olympic Gold Medalists Headline 2009 adidas Track Classic World-Class Athletes from More than Two Dozen Nations Set to Compete at The Home Depot Center on May 16; Live on ESPN2 from 5pm-7pm PDT CARSON, Calif. (April 20, 2009) – Organizers of the adidas Track Classic, one of the premier track and field meets in the country, today announced a few of the world-class athletes who are set to compete in this year’s event at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on May 16. Among the marquee athletes headlining this year’s meet: three-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix; 2004 Olympic 400m Champion Jeremy Wariner; and Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica’s sprint queen. Felix, a Los Angeles native and University of Southern California graduate, won her first Olympic gold medal last year in Beijing as a member of the United States' women’s 4x400m relay team. The 23-year old primarily competes in the 200 meters and is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and a two-time World Champion in that event. Wariner, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, captured silver and gold medals in Beijing in the 400m and 4x400m Relay, respectively. The 25-year old Wariner was ranked No. 1 in the world at 400m in 2007 after successfully defending his title at the World Championships in Osaka, earning him the 2007 Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award. His personal best of 43.45 seconds, set at the 2007 World Championships, makes him the third fastest 400m runner in history. A five-time Olympic medalist, Campbell-Brown posted a sizzling 21.74 in the 200m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics en route to a gold medal. The Jamaican is just the second woman in history to win two consecutive Olympic 200m titles, having won her first gold medal at the 2004 Athens games. She also took gold in the 4x100m relay, as well as bronze in the Women’s 100m in Athens. With five world championship medals and three Olympic titles to her name, Campbell-Brown is the most decorated active Jamaican sprinter, male or female. Other athletes competing in this year’s event include distance runner and two-time Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat, Jennifer Stuczynski, the second highest pole vaulter in history, and Ethiopia’s World Cross Country Champion, Gebre-Egziabher Gebremariam. Making its fifth trip to The Home Depot Center on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, the adidas Track Classic will begin at 4 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. PDT. Produced by Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., the adidas Track Classic is the second stop on USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series. Tickets, from $40 (finish line) down to $10, are now available by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232 or visiting www.Ticketmaster.com. For group sales, call 1-877-AEG-TICKETS. Visit the event website at www.adidasTrackClassic.com for updates and more information. Click here to unsubscribe from future mailings.

World Champions Galore at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix

REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS TYSON GAY, VERONICA CAMPBELL-BROWN, GEBRE-EGZIABHER GEBREMARIAM AND CAROLINA KLUFT SET FOR 2009 REEBOK GRAND PRIX NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 16) – American sprint star Tyson Gay, world champion Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown, Ethiopian distance standout Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam and reigning three-time world champion Swedish heptathlete Carolina Kluft will be among the headliners at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix, organizers announced today. The Reebok Grand Prix is the third stop of USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series and will be held at 3:00pm on May 30, at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. The 26-year old Gay was a three-time world champion in 2007 in the 100-meters, 200-meters and 4x100-meter relay and is the current American record holder in the 100-meters. For his 2007 performances, Gay was named IAAF Male Athlete of the Year, USOC Sportsman of the Year, Track and Field News Man of the Year and awarded the Jesse Owens Award. Campbell-Brown, 26, the reigning 100-meter world champion, will attempt to win her third straight Reebok Grand Prix title in the 100-meters. A five-time Olympic medalist, she captured gold in the 200-meters at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, becoming only the second woman in Olympic Games history to successfully defend her title. Just two weeks ago, Gebremariam, 23, won the IAAF World Cross Country Championship in Jordan. The Ethiopian distance champion previously won World Cross individual medals in 2002, 2003 and 2004. With his individual gold and team silver medals, Gebremariam has now earned 15 medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, second only to compatriot Kenenisa Bekele. Sweden’s Kluft, 26, who will compete in the long jump, is considered one the world’s greatest female athletes. Kluft won the Olympic heptathlon in 2004 and is the reigning three-time world and double European heptathlon champion. The Reebok Grand Prix, in its fifth year, is one of the nation’s premier outdoor track & field invitational meets. It features Olympic stars, top high school athletes and a Fastest Kid in New York competition for 7- and 8-year-olds. Events include men’s and women’s sprints, hurdles, middle-distance races, the pole vault and invitational high school races. Increased and upgraded backstretch seating at track level is being added to accommodate the growing demand and interest from fans in the New York area. Tickets are on sale now by phone at 1-877-TIX-TRAC or on-line at www.ReebokGrandPrix.com. Additional updates, photos and information can be found by visiting the Reebok Grand Prix pages on Facebook and Twitter. Icahn Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility on Randall's Island featuring a 400-meter Mondo track and covered seating for spectators, is the premier outdoor track-and-field venue in New York City. It was built by the Randall's Island Sports Foundation (RISF) in partnership with New York City Department of Parks. The facility is programmed, operated and maintained by RISF. Click here to unsubscribe from future mailings.