NEW YORK CITY (May 9, 2011) – A trio of reigning
World Champions highlight the latest roster of top athletes heading to
New York for the 2011 adidas Grand Prix on June 11, organizers announced today.
Allyson Felix, three-time World Champion at 200 meters; Kerron
Clement, two-time champion in the 400-meter hurdles; and Mbulaeni
Mulaudzi, the 2009 victor at 800 meters, will all be making their return to
Icahn Stadium. In its seventh year as one of the premier track-and-field events
in the world, the adidas Grand Prix on Randall’s Island is the
sixth stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit. Tickets are
available at the event website,www.adidasgrandprix.com,
or by calling 1-877-TIX-TRAC.
Felix, also a two-time Olympic silver medalist
and three-time World Championships relay gold medalist, was ranked #1 in the
world at 200 meters in 2010. She will be challenged by Sherone Simpson of
Jamaica, the reigning Olympic silver medalist at 100 meters and 2006
Commonwealth Games 200-meter champion; Shalonda Solomon, the 2006
NCAA Champion and #3 in the world last year; and Bianca Knight, the
2008 NCAA Indoor Champion and collegiate indoor 200-meter record-holder.
Last year, Felix was the Diamond League Champion
at both 200 and 400 meters. The 25-year-old American superstar is set to run
the 400 meters this Friday in Doha, when the 14-meet Samsung Diamond League
kicks off its second season of competition.
Clement, who adds a 2008 Olympic silver medal to
his pair of world titles, will be joined by Javier Culson of
Puerto Rico and Bershawn “Batman” Jackson, the 2008 Olympic bronze
medalist. Together, the three swept the medal stand at the 2009 World
Championships, respectively winning gold, silver and bronze, and finished last
season as the three top-ranked hurdlers in the world – this time with Jackson
leading the way, followed by Clement and Culson.
Mulaudzi, the South African World Champion whose
career has also included a silver medal from the 2004 Olympics, will face
21-year-old sensation Abubaker Kaki of Sudan. The two-time
World Indoor Champion at 800 meters, Kaki’s time of 1:42.23 made him the
second-fastest 800-meter runner in the world last year and fifth-fastest in
history. In 2008, his remarkable 1:42.69 at the Bislett Games in Oslo was a
World Junior Record and the fastest time in the world that year.
The nine new athletes join previously announced
stars Tyson Gay, Blanka Vlasic, Jeremy Wariner and Jessica
Ennis – all ranked #1 in the world last year – and four-time
Paralympic gold medalist “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius as the
fields for the 2011 edition of the adidas Grand Prix begin to take shape.
All of the latest news, photos and additional
information on the adidas Grand Prix can be found atwww.adidasgrandprix.com and
the event’s pages on Facebook and Twitter. Use the hashtag #agpnyc when
referencing or searching for the event. In addition, media accreditation is now
available atwww.adidasgrandprix.com, under Media. The
application deadline is Wednesday, June 1. The adidas Grand Prix,
part of the Visa Championship Series, will begin at 1 p.m. on June 11.
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