Prefontaine Classic, 25 Years Later in Memory of
"Pre"
by Franco Fava (Corriere dello Sport)
EUGENE (Oregon) - It was early in the morning of May 30, 1975 - 25 years ago - when Steve Prefontaine died in a car accident just outside his home town, Eugene.
Only the day before he had collected another prestigious victory on his beloved track at the Hayward Field, running the 5000 meters in 13:23.8.
"Pre" ran his last race wearing the "Norditalia" vest, which he got from the promoter of the homonymous Centenary Italian Athletic Club, Beppe Mastropasqua, when he came to compete the year before In Milan, Italy, at the Arena in a 3000 meters with Rod Dixon, and myself.
It was late on a very hot afternoon, I was having a shower after a 30km training session in Florence, when the radio broke the news announcing the tragic accident.
My dear friend was gone at 24 years old, for ever.
What I liked most about him, was his way of always running in the front, no matter who he was racing against. That made him someone to remember for ever, an inspiration for all runners, an American champion who still is in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to meet and to learn from him.
A quarter of a century later we may no longer remember his 13 American records from 2000 to 10,000 meters. But we like to remember him for his generosity on and off the track.
In his short life, he’d already started a running club for inmates in the Oregon State Penitentiary: the training programme he gave to the inmates is still followed by them. This is the reason, probably, why once again this year most of the great USA champions have accepted to compete here in the memory of "Pre" at the Saturday Prefontaine Classic, second USA leg of the IAAF Grand Prix.
This festival of the sprint and middle distances takes place in the University City, the only one in the world, probably, were you can see in spring and summer students walking around in the streets with spiked shoes in their hands, instead of a foot-ball or a basketball.
In the 200 meters, the world record holder at 100, Maurice Greene, and Olympic 200 Medallist at Barcellona ‘92, Mike Marsh, will meet in a race which will anticipate one of the most exciting leit-motif of the July U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento.
For Greene it is his first race at 200 this year, and also his first competition after his defeat in the 100m last week in Helsinki by Brian Lewis. At 32 years old, Marsh has returned to the top after years of injury opening the season with a slightly wind-assisted 100 meters in 9.90, followed last Saturday at the Raleigh Invitational IAAF Grand Prix with a 10.01 clocking.
Despite her second defeat this year in the long jump, Marion Jones will try again to achieve her goal of five gold medals in Sydney, including one in the long jump. Two years ago, here, Ms. Jones recorded her personal best, jumping 7.31 and did well again last year ending the season with a best of 7.01.
But now things seem to be hard for her with a best this season of only 6.55. M.J. doesn’t like things easy. So she’ll double here competing also in the 100 meters, the event she heads the season’s performance lists in with the 10.84 recorded at the Osaka GP in May.
Michael Johnson will return in the 400 meters after the early season 43.9 (hand timed) at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town last March. Johnson is the world leader this year also in the 200 with 19.71 at altitude in South Africa and 19.91 a couple of weeks ago in Seville, on the some track where last summer he broke the 400m world record with an amazing 43.18. To challenge Johnson in Eugene will be Brazil’s Sanderlei Parrela, who finished second to Johnson in last year’s World Championships.
With Maurice Greene running the 200 meters, the 100 will feature collegiate sprinters with some of the fastest times in the world this year. From NCAA Champion Bernard Williams (third fastest time in the world this year, at 9.99); to Coby Miller, second-fastest time in the world with 9.98. A lane also goes to the former NCAA star Kenn Brokenburr, credited with the fourth-fastest time this season (10.04).
There is a strong field also in the women’s middle distance with the first outdoor race of the season (after only four indoor races, including the one in Ghent when she won the European indoor Championships) for the Rumanian Gabriela Szabo in the 3000 meters race.
In the 800 the two-time World Championships 1500 silver medallist, Regina Jacobs, will meet the world No 1 ranked Maria Mutola from Mozambique.
Finally in the men’s 800 meters race will we have a head to head between the fastest men this year, David Lelei from Kenya, and the 40 years old and American record holder at the distance, Johnny Gray.
Attendance at the meet, has traditionally been the largest in the United States. For Saturday another sell-out (seated capacity is 12,300) is expected, the fifth in the past six years.
As in the past five years, the Meet will be carried live on CBS with a one hour show beginning at 12.00 p.m. PDT. The meeting is scheduled Saturday, from 11.15 a.m. to 14.00 p.m. (from 19.15 to 22.00 GMT)
Franco Fava is a senior sports writer of Corrierre dello Sport (Italy).
