Maurice Greene running in the 200m at the US nationals (© Getty Images)
Boston, USA Olympic 100m champion Maurice Greene will make his seaso’s debut in the USA Track & Field Indoor National Championship at the Reggie Lewis Center, 27-29 February 2004.
Greene, who will run in the 60m, has not raced since limping off the track after placing last in his 100m semi-final in the IAAF World Championships in Paris on 25 August 2003. It was an injury-plagued year for the former World 100m record holder, whose indoor season was curtailed by a knee problem.
In Boston, Greene, the World indoor 60m record holder (6.39) will be vying for one of two berths on the U.S. team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary on March 5-7.
The event could be wide open with Greene’s fitness untested and the emergence of Marcus Brunson, who with 6.56 to his name this winter is the fastest American this year.
The field also includes 2001 World Indoor champion Tim Harden and 200 specialists, Shawn Crawford, the 2001 gold medallist for 200m, John Capel, the 2003 World 200m outdoor champion; and 2001 national indoor champion Coby Miller.
Devers getting better with age
Gail Devers headlines the women’s 60m and will run in the 60m Hurdles. The 37-year-old Devers shows no signs of slowing. Devers, who set an American record of 7.74 in last year’s national championship and won the world indoor title, clocked 7.76 at the Millrose Games earlier this month.
Anjanette Kirkland, the 2001 World 100m Hurdle champion, is making a comeback after pregnancy in 2003. Melissa Morrison is a four-time national champion and Jenny Adams was sixth in 100m hurdles in the 2003 IAAF Championships in St. Denis.
Johnson flying to Budapest
In the men's Hurdles the outright favourite will be Allen Johnson the reigning World indoor and outdoor champion, who like Devers will be seeeking to defend his 60m Hurdles title in Budapest. Johnson is also the fastest in the world this winter but Duane Ross, Dawane Wallace, Ron Bramlett and of course World outdoor championships fourth placer Larry Wade will also contest the title, and the two Budapest berths.
Felix, Solomon and Hastings signal new era in sprints
With Marion Jones, a notable absentee, the women’s sprints could signal a new era in American athletics with Allyson Felix and high school standouts Shalonda Solomon and Natasha Hastings, who are both committed to the University of South Carolina.
Felix, who turned 18 in November and will run in the 60m, is in her first full season on the professional circuit after clocking 22.11 in the altitude of Mexico City in the Banamex Grand Prix as a high school senior last year.
Solomon, a Long Beach Poly (Calif.) senior, won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 400m relay in the Pan-American Junior Games in Barbados last summer. With the graduation of Felix, Solomon is the nation’s top returning high school sprinter in the nation at 11.35 and 22.93. Last week, Solomon won the 200 in the Simplot Games at 23.46 for the third fastest U.S. high school indoor mark.
Hastings, a A.P Randolph (NY) senior, who will run in the 400m, is the national high school record holder in the 500m.
Dragila looking for showdown with Feofanova
Stacy Dragila has made it no secret about her intentions of regaining the World record from Russia’s Svetlana Feofanova. Dragila, the seven-time national champion, has been on a roll in her first full season with new coach Greg Hull, scaling 4.71 during the indoor campaign.
In the men’s vault, American record holder Jeff Hartwig is the world leader at 5.88m but was defeated by Derek Miles in the season-opening USATF Pole Vault Summit in Reno in January. Tye Harvey, 2001 World Indoor silver medallist, and 2002 national champion Tim Mack, could also contend.
Men’s Long Jump highlights horizontal jumps
Dwight Phillips, Savante Stringfellow and Walter Davis will battle for two World Championship spots in the Long Jump. Phillips is the reigning World Indoor and Outdoor champion. Stringfellow is the world yearly leader at 8.41m. Davis was a 2000 Olympian in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump as a collegian at Louisiana State University.
The women’s Triple Jump will pit two-time defending indoor champion Vanitta Kinard against 2002 and 2003 outdoor champion Yuliana Perez. Tiombe Hurd was the 2001 World Indoor bronze medallist.
Cantwell the latest American standout in the Shot Put
Christian Cantwell unleashed the longest throw in the world since 2000 and by an American since 1989 with 21.95m effort at an all-comers meet (20 Feb). The University of Missouri graduate has two of the top five marks in the world but it has yet to throw against a competitive field. In Boston, Cantwell will face World and Olympic silver medallist Adam Nelson.
Favor-Hamilton back indoors to Face Toomey in 1500m
Suzy Favor-Hamilton is competing in the USATF Indoor championships for the first time since 1999 in the women’s 1500m. The three-time Olympian will face Jen Toomey, who set an American record of 2:34.19 in Birmingham, England last week. Toomey, who trains indoors at the Reggie Lewis Center, will also run in the 800m. Waller and Acuff Again in High Jump
The women’s high jump is projected as another duel between Tisha Waller and Amy Acuff, both four-time outdoor champions. Waller, the American record-holder has won the last two years and is seeking her seventh national title. Acuff won the 2001 national title.
