Shalane Flanagan: will she get the 5,000m AR back?
photo by PhotoRun.net

The 37th incarnation of the Nike Prefontaine Classic may be the best version yet. The men’s 10,000 meters and women’s 5,000 meters, both held on Friday night to have better conditions and institute the Distance Gala, should be two of the most exciting races in Pre history. I believe that you can confidently look at an AR over 5,000 meters from Shalane Flanagan and, in the 10,000 meters, serious attempts at the 10,000m AR by Chris Solinsky and Galen Rupp and a new British record threat by Mo Farah. Conditions should be perfect! I am predicting ten runners under 27 minutes in the men’s 10,000 meters.

Mo Farah: will he break British 10,000m record?
photo by PhotoRun.net

The Nike Pre Classic, to be held on Saturday, should be superb three hours of track & field geek time! The men’s shot field is supreme, as should the women’s 100 meters, men’s sprints, and especially the men’s two mile and Bowerman mile.

Galen Rupp & Chris Solinsky: both could edge under current AR, but who will hold the record after tonight? photo by PhotoRun.net

EUGENE PREVIEW

EUGENE (USA): Samsung Diamond League
continues with 37th Prefontaine Classic in Track Town Eugene. Loaded programme
starts already on Friday evening (local time) with distance races and continues
on Saturday morning and midday at Hayward Field. In total 16 DL events are added with 9
other events.

Event by event preview

DL events

men

200 m: Walter Dix the clear favorite. Last year he clocked here meet
record 19.72.

400 m: Wariner is back. European Champ K. Borlee in the race, with
hurdles greats Batman and Angelo, special star Pistorius.

Mile: The Bowerman mile has oly winner Kiprop, last year 1.5 world best
S. Kiplagat and new star Alamirew. WL for sure.

110mH: One of the highlights. Oliver vs. Liu. First years sub 13?

Steeple: In-shape Ostrava
winner Koech against Kemboi who will open the season.

HJ: Russian greats Ukhov, Silnov against in-shape German Spank, Ioannou
and best real local J. Williams. WL and MR a good possibility.

LJ: Olympic winner Saladino should win.

DT: All the bests here: Harting-Kanter-Malachowski-Alekna.

women

100 m: First years duel Jeter vs. Fraser-Pryce. They can respond to VCB
improvement.

800 m: World champ 2009 Semenya, Oly winner 2008 Jelimo, World Champ
2007 Jepkosgei.

5000 m: On Friday Tirunesh Dibaba against both top Kenyans Vivian
Cheruiyot and Linet Masai. Possibly the female duel of the meet.

400mH: WL should go as Demus, Spencer and M. Walker will clash.

PV: First years top clash: Suhr, Murer with season openers for Rogowska
and Feofanova. WL and MR big possibility.

TJ: European winner Saladuha against four Russians headed by meet record
holder Alekhina.

SP: Ostapchuk opens the season against best US Camarena-Williams. MR
should go.

JT: On paper Abakumova-Obergfoll-Spotakova. But Patterson is at home.

Non DL events

men

100 m: WL holder Mullings vs. Nesta Carter, Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers.

800 m: Kaki vs. Rome
winner Robinson.

International mile: Comeback of Aussie Gregson.

2 miles: WB 7:58.61 under threat with B. Lagat, T. Bekele, Kipchoge and
youngster I. Koech.

10 000 m: On Friday MR will be tough, but WL very possible. Last minute
additions include Farah and Solinsky. Also to note Merga and Komon with
Rupp,Tadese and Sihine.

30 000 m: On Friday world record attack by marathon world champ Abel
Kirui and Moses Mosop, also 25
000 m will be timed en-route.

SP: All the bests here, not only home Cantwell and Hoffa, but also
Armstrong with Euro winner Mikhnevich.

women

400 m: Sanya with Montsho, Eurochamp Firova but Allyson should remain
unbeaten.

1500 m: WL Jamal with Burka, Langat and Eurowinner Fernandez.

RESULTS

BUENOS AIRES (ARG, Jun 2): 47th South American
Championships started with world leading (and meet record) 470 pole vault
clearance by World indoor champion Fabiana Murer of Brazil. She started at 450 (in
third) and winning mark also in third and then tried twice at 496. Also another
Brazilian star olympic winner Maurren Maggi won the long jump (652, 0.0).
Behind her close duel of Keila Costa (645 and 644) with Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia (645
and 642). More gold medals for Brazil
in sprints. Andre de Oliveira won the 100 m in 10.35 (0.0) when favorite Alonso
Edward from Panama
false started. Ana Claudia Silva was the fastest woman (11.46, +0.1). Mateus
Inocencio won for the Brazil
the 110 m
hurdles (13.72, +0.3) and Fabiana da Silva the 5000 m in meet record
15:39.67. The organising country celebrated three wins. Javier Carriqueo won
the 5000 m
(13:58.27), German Lauro shot put (19.61) and Jennifer Dahlgren women hammer with
meet record 72.70. Remaining two gold medals of the first day for Chile (women shot put Natalia Duco 17.15) and Colombia
(Brigit Merlano 13.07 at 100 m
hurdles).

ST. POLTEN (AUT, Jun 2): The 5th Liese Prokop Memorial was held in only
15 degrees temperature but still produced excellent 54.85 by Bulgarian Vanya
Stambolova at 400 m
hurdles. It is second fastest time this year in Europe.
Bahamian guest Adrian Griffith won the 100 m in 10.28 (-0.8) beating home star Ryan
Moseley (10.36). Another Bahamian Michael Mathieu scored a double 20.91 (-1.6)
and 46.37 at 200/400 m. US Jeff Porter after crashing at the first hurdle in
Ostrava came back to solid marks with 13.58 (-1.6) win at 110 m hurdles. Austrian
athletics was happy to see Beate Schrott improving to 13.21 in heats (-0.9) and
clocking 13.22 in
the finals of 100 m
hurdles.

HUELVA (ESP, Jun 2): The 7th Meeting Iberoamericano
de Atletismo (EA Classic) produced top marks including world leading 235 in high jump by Russian
Aleksey Dmitrik. European leaders for Spanish runners are 3:37.43 by Manuel
Olmedo in the 1500 m
(ahead of Juan Carlos Higuero 3:38.00), 13:15.19 by Jesus Espana in the 5000 m (beating Kenyan Yusuf
Biwott 13:16.20) and 8:22.00 in steeple by young Abdelaziz Merzougui (former
Moroccan) beating Vitor Garcia 8:22.61 and Sebastian Martos 8:23.02. Fourth
continental mark of the evening was produced by Russian Natalya Kutyakova with
14.67 (+1.5, PB) in triple jump ahead of other Russians Olesya Zabara (14.36
+2.4, and 14.13 legal), Alsu Murtazina (14.09,+2.0) and German Katja Demut
(14.03+2.3 and legal 13.81). Fast steeple by another Russian Lyudmila Kuzmina
9:41.08. Canadian Angela Whyte won the 100 m hurdles in 13.17 (-1.2) over home top
name Josephine Oniya (13.20). Cuban Yuniel Perez won the 100 m in 10.35 (-1.5),
Hungarian talent Marcell Deak-Nagy the 400 m (U23 race) in 46.41. Belarus Yuriy
Shayunov won the hammer (73.59) and Nigerian Samson Ndiata the long jump (795,
+3.2) over Spanish European junior record holder Eusebio Caceres (778, +0.3).

ST. BRIEUC (FRA, Jun 2): Belarus Maryna Arzamasava clocked solid 2:00.37
800 m
win at this D2 category meet in France.
Algerian Othman Hadj Lazib clocked 13.67 (+1.1) at 110 m hurdles and former
olympic medalist Naman Keita got 50.69 at 400 m hurdles.

PALERMO (ITA, Jun 1): Marathon European medalist Ana
Incerti  improved at 5000 m to 15:15.3 (hand
timed), it is also European leader 2011.

RIGA (LAT, Jun 2): World leader Vadim Vasilevskis
confirmed good javelin shape with 85.12 at Riga Cup meet. But behind him huge
national record for Turkey
as Fatih Avan improved to 84.69 (+83.30 in the series and had before best of  81.16). Maris Urtans got 20.33 in the shot put.
Still a junior and Moncton
medalist Latvian Lina Muze improved to 60.64 in women javelin what is 11th best junior
performer ever (and fourth best European junior ever). Elvijs Misans clocked
10.37 (+1.1) at the 100 m.

SINT-NIKLAAS (BEL, Jun 2): At Belgian meet US wins for Fred
Townsend at 110 m
hurdles (13.54, +1.1) and Manteo Mitchell at the 200 m (20.85, +0.3).

BÖNNIGHEIM (GER, Jun 2): Swiss Lisa Urech got a solid 13.08 over the
100m hurdles here. Marco Schmidt wins the shot put (19.20) and Canadian
Gabriella Duclos the pole vault (410).

BONNEUIL (FRA, Jun 2): European champion Christophe Lemaitre was running
the relay at this International D2 category meet. His team Aix-les-Bains won in
39.66 and he was  in the second leg. The
wind was over the limit in sprints. US Willie Perry 10.21 (+4.7) and Aziz Zakari
of Ghana
10.23 (+3.7) in another race. Finland´s Jonathan Astrand won the 200 m in 20.86 (+3.0) over
Jamaican Edino Steele (20.89). Aleksey Kovalchuk cleared 555 in pole vault over
Jerome Clavier (550). Elena Churakova posted 57.24 at the 400 m hurdles and Mariya
Kuchina leaped to 190 in
high jump. Celine Distel clocked windy 11.30 (+3.2) in the 100 m and French national
team clocked 44.46 in
the 4×100 m.