Jeter v. Fraser-Pryce in U.S. v. Jamaica; Wariner at 400m on June 9 in NYC
NEW YORK (April 3, 2012)–Three of the top four women in the world,
including the reigning World and Olympic champions, will headline the
100-meter dash at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9, organizers announced today.
Carmelita Jeter, Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, ranked No. 1, 3 and 4 in the world for 2011, will do battle in the short sprint, while a resurgent Jeremy Wariner will return to Icahn Stadium to defend his 400-meter title.
In its eighth year as one of the premier track-and-field events in the world, the adidas Grand Prix,
at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, will feature dozens of Olympic
medalists and World Champions, including the reigning World Champion at
100 meters, Jamaica’s Yohan Blake. It will again be the sixth stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit, and is part of the Visa Championship Series. Tickets are now available by calling 1-877-849-8722.
On her way to being ranked No. 1 in the world at 100 meters for the
third consecutive year, the 32-year-old Jeter won gold at the 2011 IAAF
World Championships at 100 meters and silver at 200 meters, as well as
anchoring the U.S. squad to a gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay. The
second-fastest woman in history with a personal best of 10.64, Jeter was
dominant from start to finish last year, winning 11 of her 12
competitions at 100 meters.
Baptiste, from Trinidad and Tobago, is the 2011 World Championships
bronze medalist at 100 meters, and the 25-year-old’s personal best of
10.84 is a national record.
Fraser-Pryce, also 25, is the reigning Olympic gold medalist and 2009
World Champion at both 100 meters and the 4×100-meter relay. Finishing
fourth, just 1/100ths of a second behind Baptiste in Daegu, South Korea,
for bronze last summer, Fraser-Pryce nonetheless ran the first leg on
the Jamaican 4×100-meter team that set a national record on the way to
winning a silver medal.
On the men’s side, Wariner is looking toward his third Olympics. The
28-year-old already has four Olympic medals: gold at 400 meters in 2004
and in the 4×400-meter relay in 2004 and 2008, and silver at 400 meters
in 2008. He also owns five World Championships titles, including
individual gold in 2005 and 2007, and has five times (2004-2007, 2010)
been ranked No. 1 in the world. On the comeback trail from a torn toe
ligament that kept him out of the World Championships last summer,
Wariner anchored his Central Texas All-Star 4×400-meter relay team to
victory on March 31 at the Texas Relays. He and his wife, Sarah, married
last November, are expecting their first child in October.
The adidas Grand Prix will begin at 1 p.m. at Icahn
Stadium on June 9. All of the latest news, photos and additional
information on the event can be found at adidasgrandprix.com, the event’s pages on Facebook at facebook.com/adidasGrandPrix and on Twitter at twitter.com/adidasGrandPrix. When tweeting,
use #agpny.
by Larry Eder
Jeter vs Fraser-Pryce, 2011 World Champs, photo by PhotoRun.net
Jeremy Wariner, photo by PhotoRun.net
