FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Powerhouse, Full Fields Announced for U.S. Open
NEW YORK (January 17, 2012) – Madison Square Garden will host perhaps the
best and deepest fields it has seen in several years as the 2012 Olympic
track & field season kicks off in earnest with the U.S. Open Track & Field
event on Saturday, January 28.
Full fields for the meet were announced by USA Track & Field on Tuesday and
indicate that Bernard Lagat will be busy trying to win a ninth mile title
in the Garden; the men's high jump adds American depth; and the sprints and
hurdles are even more stacked with talent than they were a week ago.
Stars such as David Oliver, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Asafa Powell, Jesse
Williams, Nesta Carter, Christian Cantwell, Adam Nelson, Dawn Harper,
Kellie Wells, Tiffany Ofili Porter, and Jenn Suhr all have been announced
previously.
The inaugural edition of the U.S. Open is the first event of USATF's Visa
Championships Series and will be held in the newly renovated Garden. The
first major professional meet in the United States to kick-off the 2012
Olympic year, it will be broadcast on Sunday, January 29, from 7-9 p.m. on
ESPN2.
Lagat faces challenge in mile; top jumpers on tap
The winner of a record eight Wanamaker Miles at the Garden, Lagat will have
no free pass to a ninth Garden win. At the U.S. Open, he will take on 2011
World Outdoor 1,500m runner-up and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist
Silas Kiplagat of Kenya, two-time World Indoor silver medalist Daniel Komen
Kipchirchir of Kenya, and Henok Legesse of Ethiopia, who owns a mile
personal best of 3:54.81.
In the men's high jump, world champion Williams will take on 2010 World
Indoor bronze medalist Dusty Jonas, 2004 Olympic fourth-place finisher
Jamie Nieto, and 2007 USA Outdoor champion Jim Dilling.
More fireworks in sprints, hurdles
The defending World Indoor champion, Campbell-Brown will have her hands
full in the women's 50 meters with reigning U.S. indoor champion Alexandria
Anderson and Bianca Knight, who led off Team USA's gold-medal winning
4x100m relay at the 2011 World Outdoor Championships. In the men's sprint,
2010 USA Outdoor runner-up Trell Kimmons joins the field.
A man who has seen success at Madison Square Garden, Terrence Trammell
replaces Jason Richardson in the men's 50m hurdles. The 2009 and 2010
Millrose Games hurdles champion, Trammell is a two-time World Indoor
champion in the hurdles and is the defending World Indoor silver medalist.
Also mixing it up will be 2011 U.S. Outdoor runner-up Aries Merritt.
In the men's 600 yards, 2005 World Outdoor 400m hurdles gold medalist
Bershawn Jackson and Trinidad's Renny Quow will renew their Garden rivalry.
Jackson won the 600 yards at the 2007 and 2010 Millrose Games at the
Garden, while Quow was the champion in 2009 and 2011.
Other top athletes announced Wednesday include World Junior champion and
2011 USATF Youth Athlete of the Year Ajee Wilson in the women's 800 meters,
Anna Pierce in the women's mile, Ginnie Crawford in the women's 50m
hurdles, Greg Nixon in the men's 500 and Monica Hargrove in the women's 500
yards. A student at the Neptune Academy of Allied Health and Science on
Monmouth, N.J., Wilson looks to follow in the Madison Square Garden
footsteps of a fellow Jersey Girl, the legendary Joetta Clark-Diggs, whose
high school records Wilson broke in 2011.
Athlete Fields, 2012 U.S. Open
Fields as of January 17, 2012; subject to change
Men's Events
50 meters: Trell Kimmons (USA), Kimmari Roach (JAM), Asafa Powell (JAM),
Justin Gatlin (USA), Daniel Bailey (ANT), Nesta Carter (JAM)
600 yards: Bershawn Jackson (USA), Renny Quow (TRI), Greg Nixon (USA),
Tabarie Henry (UVI)
Mile: Bernard Lagat (USA), Silas Kiplagat (KEN), Henok Legesse (ETH),
Daniel Komen Kipchirchir (KEN), Anthony Famiglietti (USA), Matt Elliott
(USA)
50-meter hurdles: Aries Merritt (USA), David Oliver (USA), Terrence
Trammell (USA), Jeff Porter (USA), Dwight Thomas (USA), Omo Osaghae (USA)
Shot Put: Christian Cantwell (USA), Adam Nelson (USA), Ryan Whiting (USA),
Cory Martin (USA)
High Jump: Jesse Williams (USA), Dusty Jonas (USA), Jamie Nieto (USA), Jim
Dilling (USA)
Women's Events
50 meters: Bianca Knight (USA), Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM), Alexandria
Anderson (USA), Tehesia Harrigan (IVB), Jessica Young (USA), Gloria Asumnu
(NGR)
500 yards: Monica Hargrove (USA), Jasmine Chaney (USA), Keshia Baker (USA),
Davita Prendergast (JAM)
800 meters: Ajee Wilson (USA), Fantu Magiso (ETH), Jessica Smith (CAN)
Mile: Anna Pierce (USA), Stephanie Garcia (USA), Lauren Hagans (USA),
Brenda Martinez (USA)
50-meter hurdles: Kellie Wells (USA), Lolo Jones (USA), Dawn Harper (USA),
Tiffany Porter (GBR), Nia Ali (USA), Ginnie Crawford (USA)
Pole Vault: Jenn Suhr (USA), Becky Holliday (USA), Jillian Schwartz (ISR),
Lacy Jansen (USA), Mary Saxer (USA), Janice Keppler (USA)
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