Allen Johnson runs 13.08 for the 110m Hurdles to beat Mexico City Olympic stadium record (© mexsport)
They are separated by a decade in age, and represent different countries, but Allen Johnson of the U.S. and Perdita Felicien of Canada share at least two things in common, they are reigning World Champions in their respective hurdle events and they will be contesting their specialties in the 30th annual Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix on 19 June at Hayward Field.
Johnson - the greatest ever?
Johnson, at 33, is arguably the greatest 110M high hurdler in history. Winner of the Olympic gold medal in 1996, he also won the World Championships in '95, '97, '01, and '03, the latter in Paris last summer. Johnson has continued his fine hurdling in 2004, winning the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, one of four global indoor crowns.
Facing Johnson will a veritable Who's Who of men's high hurdling: Terrance Trammell, runner-up to Johnson in Paris, Duane Ross, curently IAAF World ranked 4th, Larry Wade, Paris fourth placer, Ron Bramlett, Dawane Wallace, Dominique Arnold, and Haiti's Dudley Dorival, the 2001 World bronze medallist.
Canada's heroine
Felicien, still just 23, upset a stellar field in Paris to win the World Championships women's 100m Hurdles, and has followed that up with her own World Indoor Championships title lasy March.
If anything, Felicien will face as tough a field as Johnson: Melissa Morrison who beat her earlier this season, Miesha McKelvy-Jones, Jenny Adams, Donica Merriman, Anjanette Kirkland, the 2001 World Champion, and Angela Whyte, the Canadian recordholder.
100 HURDLES (WOMEN)
Perdita Felicien (Canada)
Jenny Adams
Melissa Morrison
Miesha McKelvy-Jones
Donica Merriman
Anjanette Kirkland
Angela Whyte (Canada)
110 HURDLES (MEN)
Allen Johnson
Dudley Dorival (Haiti)
Terrance Trammell
Larry Wade
Duane Ross
Ron Bramlett
Dawane Wallace
Dominique Arnold