by Larry Eder
Allyson Felix, Beijing 2015, photo by PhotoRun.net
Allyson Felix is one of the most versatile and brilliant short and long sprinters that we have had the pleasure to see in our country. One of the first athletes in our sport to go professional at the age of 18, Allyson has been a huge success as both a high schooler and a pro athlete.
What a treat for Millrose fans! As Dr. Norb Sanders, the man who built the Armory, and Meet Director Ray Flynn announce their amazing fields, the Millrose 2016 meet, held on February 20, 2016.
Experiencing a meet at the Armory is something to behold!
Allyson Felix in 109th NYRR Millrose Games
NEW YORK, January 27, 2016 – Allyson Felix is returning to the NYRR Millrose Games for the first time since she was a teenager and racing in an exceptional 60-meter dash field that will help to launch her 2016 season.
It has been 11 years since Felix competed in the NYRR Millrose Games and during that span she has become one of the most popular and successful track athletes in the world.
Felix is a four-time Olympic champion and a nine-time world champion in sprints ranging from 100 to 400 meters, plus relays. She last competed at the NYRR Millrose Games in 2004 and 2005, at age 18 and 19, and was fourth in the 60 meters both years. This year’s 109th event will be held Feb. 20th at the New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory.
“The NYRR Millrose Games tradition is something so special and exciting about our sport and I look forward to the opportunity to compete in New York City, especially in such an important Olympic year,” Felix said. “The women’s 60 meters is going to have a loaded field and I cannot wait to compete against some of the best women in the world.”
Tori Bowie, the 2015 World Championships bronze medalist in the 100 meters, and Tianna Bartoletta, the reigning world champion in the long jump, add even more star power to the 60-meter dash.
First-year pro Jenna Prandini, who won the Bowerman Award in December as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete, is also entered. Prandini won the NCAA 100 meters for Oregon in 2015 and also the U.S. title in the 200 meters. In addition, former Alabama standout Remona Burchell, the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Indoor champion in the 60-meter dash, is also in the field.
The IAAF last week made an adjustment to the Olympic Games time schedule to allow a bit more time between the first round of the 200 meters and the final of the 400 meters. Felix has stated her intention to compete in the 200-400 double at Rio de Janeiro and the schedule change makes her attempt to medal in both events more feasible.
In 2002, when Felix was 16, she competed at The Armory in the National Scholastic Indoor Championships during her junior year at Los Angeles Baptist. She won the 60-meter dash title and also had a memorable showdown with Sanya Richards in the 200 meters final. Richards broke the national high school record and Felix was second.
TO PURCHASE TICKETS for the 109th NYRR Millrose Games please go to https://tickets.
About the NYRR Millrose Games
With a storied history that spans more than a century, the NYRR Millrose Games is one of track and field’s most prestigious and enduring annual events. A New York City sports staple, the meet moved to the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights in 2012 after having called Madison Square Garden home from 1914 to 2011. The Games–established by employees of Wanamaker’s Department Store–feature track and field’s most prolific male and female stars as well as collegiate, high school, club and youth competitors. More than 200 athletes share the distinction of being both Millrose and Olympic champions. In November of 2013, New York Road Runners became the title sponsor of the NYRR Millrose Games, which is hosted by the Armory Foundation.
