Travis Padgett en route to his 9.89 dash in the quarter-finals in Eugene (© Getty Images)
Travis Padgett will take on a field that includes two Olympic medallists in the men's 60m on 30 January at the 102nd Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The fourth place finisher in the 100m at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., Padgett set the NCAA collegiate record with his blistering performance in the quarterfinals in Eugene when he flew across the finish line in 9.89 seconds. Padgett was selected to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team as a member of the Team USA 4x100m relay pool.
A standout for three years at Clemson University, Padgett was the 100m runner-up at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships, a six-time NCAA All-American, and the NCAA D-I Indoor 60m dash champion as a sophomore. He earned three consecutive All-America honors in the 100m dash, including the 2008 season when he was runner-up to eventual Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson of Trinidad who competed for Louisiana State University. Last August Padgett announced his intention to forego his final year of collegiate eligibility to join the professional ranks.
Veterans lined up to challenge the talented newcomer include 2004 Olympic Games 200m gold medallist Shawn Crawford, who won the silver medal in the 200m last summer in Beijing. Crawford will look to add to his three previous Millrose 60m triumphs in 2002, 2006 & 2007.
Also keep an eye on two-time Olympic 110m Hurdles silver medallist Terrence Trammell, who has also been successful as a sprinter. Trammell, who won the 60m at Millrose in 2003, will also look to win his second 60m Hurdles Millrose title at the Garden following his initial triumph in 2001.
Other contestants currently slated for the men's 60m include 2008 USA Indoor 60m champ Michael Rodgers, who was fourth at the World Indoor Championships last year, and last year's Millrose 60m runner-up and former USA Junior 100m record holder (10.07) Dabryan Blanton.
The Millrose Games in New York is the first event of USA Track & Field's 2009 Indoor Visa Championship Series. The event will be televised live on ESPN2 from 7-8:30 p.m., and on January 31 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on NBC (all times Eastern).
Organisers for the IAAF
