by Larry Eder
Suhr, Whiting, Cain join Boston’s parade of stars
Gebrihwet, Willis, Manzano also set for New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
BOSTON, Mass. (Jan. 8, 2014)—A trio of 2013 world leaders and the most-exciting young American star in a generation are among the latest top athletes set to compete in the 2014 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, organizers announced today.
The Olympic-style all-star event will take place on Feb. 8 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College. Tickets are now on sale at www.nbindoorgrandprix.com
Jenn Suhr, who last year set the World Indoor Record in the pole vault and went on to notch the highest outdoor jump, as well, returns to the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in quest of her seventh victory here. Suhr, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is undefeated in her six appearances at this meet, where she twice set the American Record, in 2009 and 2012.
The Reggie Lewis Center has been a touchstone for Suhr since 2005, when she won her first USA title there as a virtual unknown. She has since won six more USA titles indoors and seven outdoors, for a total of 14, and is coming off a silver-medal performance at the IAAF World Championships last summer.
Making his debut at the meet is shot putter Ryan Whiting, the 2012 World Indoor Champion who last year recorded five of the six longest throws in the world indoors and the top four throws outdoors. Whiting, too, brought home a silver medal from the 2013 World Championships. He is ranked #1 in the world for 2013 by Track and Field News.
Also making the trip to Boston as a 2013 world leader is Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet, who will defend his title here at 3000 meters. Last year, his winning time of 7:32.87 set a World Junior Record. Gebrhiwet, who ran the fastest 3000 meters outdoors in the world last year, went on to win silver at 5000 meters in Moscow.
The men’s mile, always a highlight here, will feature a face-off between the last two Olympic 1500-meter silver medalists: Nick Willis of New Zealand (2008) and American Leo Manzano (2012).
Making her return to the Reggie after a record-shattering 2013 will be Mary Cain, the 17-year-old who last year at this meet set the high school and U.S. junior records for 2 Miles and 3000 meters (en route). A senior at Bronxville High School in New York, Cain last year rewrote the record books by breaking high school and/or U.S. junior marks at eight distances and bec
oming the youngest athlete ever to represent the U.S. at the World Championships, where she finished 10th in the 1500 meters.
In her first season as a professional, Cain will run the 2000 meters in Boston.
Now in its 19th year, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix has played host to six World Records and 10 American Records. The first stop in the 2014 Indoor USATF Championship Series, the meet on Saturday, Feb. 8, will begin at a new, earlier time of3:30 p.m.
About New Balance:
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is currently the only major shoe company that manufactures athletic footwear in the U.S. with 25% of our sales in the U.S. produced at five New England facilities. The company also operates a manufacturing facility in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 4,000 associates around the globe, and in 2012 reported worldwide sales of $2.39 billion. To learn more about how New Balance Makes Excellent Happen, please visit http://www.newbalance.
