SHOWDOWN IN THE JUMPS AT PRE

June 2, 2009
For Immediate Release



June 2, 2009
For Immediate Release



SHOWDOWN IN THE JUMPS AT PRE

Eugene, Oregon--Mano a mano, head to head, No. 1 vs. No. 2. However you say it, all the jumps at the 35th Prefontaine Classic on June 7th will feature intense competition among athletes who are leading the world in their events.
Take the men's High Jump. Not only is the reigning Olympic and Prefontaine Classic champion Andrey Silnov in the field, but so is American outdoor world-leader Andra Manson (2.35/7-8 1/2), Eugene hometown favorite Jesse Williams (No. 2 at 2.34/7-8), Russia's Ivan Ukhov (No. 3 at 2.34), and Germany's Raul Spank (No. 4 at 2.31/7-7). Add in 2008 Olympic silver medalist Germaine Mason of Great Britain, bronze medalist Yaroslav Rybakov, and reigning World Champion Donald Thomas of Bahamas into the mix, and you have the best High Jump field ever assembled on American soil--underline, ever.
In the men's Long Jump, it's reigning Olympic and Prefontaine Classic champion Irving Saladino of Panama, the current world-leader, against No. 2 on the world list, Dwight Phillips, the 2004 Olympic and 2003 & 2005 World Champion. The distance separating them...2 centimeters, or 3/4 of an inch. Saladino jumped 8.56/28-1 at Hengelo on Monday, and Phillips was just behind at the same venue with 8.54/28-1/4. Their head-to-head heroics signalled a return to the glory years of long jumping as Phillips became the first man to jump 28-feet and lose since ‘99. Lest they focus on each other too much, current No. 3 in the world, Yahya Berrabah of Morocco is also in the field.
In the women's Long Jump, the current world leader is matched against the current No. 2 in the world (have we said that before?). Americans Brittney Reese and Funmi Jimoh are atop the list, Reese with a jump of 7.06/23-2, and Jimoh just behind at 6.96/22-10. Olympic heptathlon silver medalist Hyleas Fountain will also compete.
The men's pole vault features Olympic silver medalist, Yevgeniy Lukyanenko of Russia, who was ranked No. 1 in the world last year by Track & Field News magazine. He will face American Derek Miles, who finished 4th in Beijing, and an international field that includes Daichi Sawano of Japan, Alhaji Jeng of Sweden, and 2007 Prefontaine Classic champion Giovanni Lanaro of Mexico.
With 16 events announced, the count from Beijing now stands at 26 athletes who won individual gold, silver, or bronze medals at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime Pre Classic are still available from www.goducks.com, from 1-800-WEBFOOT, or at the Casanova Center ticket office. The NIKE Prefontaine Classic will be shown live on NBC from 2 to 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

** = member of the U.S. Olympic team in 2008...10 out of a possible 12!

HIGH JUMP (MEN)

**Jesse Williams
Andrey Silnov (Russia)
Raul Spank (Germany)
Ivan Ukhov (Russia)
Yaroslav Rybakov (Russia)
**Andra Manson
**Dusty Jonas
Donald Thomas (Bahamas)
Germaine Mason (Great Britain)
Jamie Nieto

LONG JUMP (MEN)

Irving Saladino (Panama)
Dwight Phillips
Yayah Berrabah (Morocco)
**Miguel Pate
Fabrice Lapierre (Australia)
**Brian Johnson
**Trevell Quinley
Matthew Turner

LONG JUMP (WOMEN)

**Brittney Reese
**Funmi Jimoh
Knjesa Balta (Estonia)
Tianna Madison
Yelena Sokolova (Russia)
**Hyleas Fountain--in Heptathlon
**Grace Upshaw
Tabia Charles (Canada)
Jovanne Jarrett
Brianna Glenn

POLE VAULT (MEN)

Evgenyi Lukyanenko (Russia)
Alhaji Jeng (Sweden)
**Derek Miles
Jacob Pauli
Tim Mack
Giovanni Lanaro (Mexico)
Daichi Sawano (Japan)
Jeremy Scott