Loaded WPV at Prefontaine

[rainbowgirl28]

IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE AMBASSADORS TO COMPETE AT PRE

Eugene, Oregon--Four of the superstars in the sport of track & field--Kenenisa Bekele, Yelena Isinbayeva, Tyson Gay, and Sanya Richards--will compete in the 36th annual Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, July 3rd at historic Hayward Field. These Fabulous Four are Ambassadors of the inaugural IAAF Diamond League circuit that kicks off in Doha, Qatar on May 14th and arrives in Eugene the first weekend in July (http://www.diamondleague.com).
Bekele and Isinbayeva, in particular, have dominated their events during the first decade of the new millennium, and each was recently named Athlete of the Decade by Track & Field News magazine.
Bekele, the 27-year-old from Ethiopia, has won three Olympic and five outdoor World Championships gold medals, 11 IAAF Cross Country Championships, and perhaps most significantly, currently holds the world records in the outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 meters. In 2008, Bekele ran the 4th fastest 10,000 of all-time (26:25.97) at the Pre Classic; he will race in the 5k at this year's meet.
Isinbayeva, also 27, has won two Olympic and five indoor or outdoor World Championships golds for Russia, and has set 17 indoor and outdoor world records in the pole vault. The 2010 Prefontaine Classic will be Isinbayeva's first appearance outdoors in the United States as she continues her climb towards becoming history's first female 17-foot vaulter.
Gay was the double gold medalist at 100 and 200 meters at the 2007 Osaka World Championships. He has set three American Records in the 100, including the current AR of 9.69 seconds, and has the third fastest-time ever in the 200 meters, the distance he will race in Eugene.
Richards won World Championships gold in the 400 this past year in Berlin, and has been ranked No. 1 in the world at the 400 five times by Track & Field News. The Pre Classic favorite, who just turned 25 last week, has run under 50-seconds an astonishing 41 times, more than any other one-lapper in history.
The NIKE Prefontaine Classic will be broadcast live on NBC in the U.S., and will be seen by an international television audience in 130 countries worldwide. More people will watch this year's Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus than any other event to originate in Eugene--ever.
Tickets for the meet go on sale Friday, March 5th at 9 a.m. Pacific Time from 1-800-WEBFOOT, http://www.goducks.com, or in person at the Casanova Center ticket office.

[rainbowgirl28]

This is surprising to me, but I know that Li Ning is operating in the Portland area, and maybe they see bringing Isi here as a chance to get serious about getting their brand here.

She doesn't _have_ to come to the meet, you only have to appear at a certain number of Diamond League meets, and I doubt there is anything about the Pacific NW that is intrinsically appealing to her. It sounded like it was like pulling teeth to get her to come to New York a few years ago, and that is a way more exciting place than Eugene...

[chasing6]

Whether or not she actually comes having her name on the bill is bound to put a few extra butts in the already filled seats. I'm hoping to go down and watch with or without Isi there. Not sure how I'll swing it w/ the Tacoma Beach vault the next day... hmm.

[rainbowgirl28]

Whether or not she actually comes having her name on the bill is bound to put a few extra butts in the already filled seats. I'm hoping to go down and watch with or without Isi there. Not sure how I'll swing it w/ the Tacoma Beach vault the next day... hmm.

I am sure there will be a bunch of us driving up after Pre, I know I will be. We did it a few years ago when Tacoma and Alki were sandwiched in the two days between the Olympic Trials women's and finals.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=56965.html

All the Berlin medallists & more in Pre Classic Pole Vault – IAAF Diamond League

Eugene, Oregon - The 2009 IAAF World Championships gold medallist, the joint silver medallists, and the American record holder, and the 2010 IAAF World Indoor champion will all be at Hayward Field on Saturday, 3 July for the women’s Pole Vault competition at the 36th annual Prefontaine Classic – IAAF Diamond League.

This ‘Diamond Race’ event features Anna Rogowska of Poland, the 29-year-old surprise winner of the Berlin World Championships last summer. Joining her are the co-silver medallists, compatriot Monika Pyrek and American Chelsea Johnson, who had identical marks and therefore shared the runner-up spot.

Then add Jenn (Stuczynski) Suhr, who is on the comeback trail from injury. The 2008 Olympic silver medallist, recorded the second highest vault in the world last year before injury shortened her season.

Finally, there is Brazilian Fabiana Murer, victor in the recent World Indoor Championships in Doha. Murer is continuing red hot outdoors: just this weekend she improved her lifetime best to 4.85m to become history’s No. 4 jumper ever.

All of these five vaulters have lifetime bests that exceed the Prefontaine Classic Hayward Field record of 4.72m set by now-retired Stacy Dragila in 2002. The Hayward Field stadium record is the American record set by Suhr at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene.

Missing from the field is World record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, an IAAF Diamond League Ambassador, who, after suffering a defeat at the hands of Murer at the World Indoor, announced that she will take a break from vaulting outdoors in 2010.

IAAF Diamond League

[Polevaulter2012]

What guys are jumping?

[rainbowgirl28]

What guys are jumping?

No men's pole vault, only women.

[baggettpv]

After Pre stop by my place to see what we do and how we do it.

Rick Baggett
WSTC

[rainbowgirl28]

POLE VAULT (WOMEN)
Jenn Suhr
Fabiana Murer (Brazil)
Anna Rogowska (Poland)
Chelsea Johnson
Lacy Janson
Yulia Golubchikova (Russia)
Aleksandra Kiryashova (Russia)
Monika Pyrek (Poland)


I have a ticket for sale if anyone wants it... PM me and make an offer...