Despite late challenges, the Pre Classic goes on with elite fields and star performers
The schedule has been altered, the start lists have taken some hits, but the stars are still coming out Saturday afternoon for the Prefontaine Classic — weather be damned.
It’s been a challenging final week heading into the annual Diamond League track and field meet taking place at Hayward Field.
There have been a handful of significant withdrawals in the last few days, and weather concerns mean fewer events on Saturday.
Despite the late changes, the Pre Classic will still be a star-studded affair.
There will be dozens of Olympic medalists competing Saturday, including some of the biggest names in the sport in Norwegian distance runner Jakob Ingebrigsten, Jamaican sprinters Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, American world record-holder Ryan Crouser in the shot put, Kenyan middle-distance star Faith Kipyegon, American steeplechaser Emma Coburn, and several former Ducks who rank among the best ever to wear an Oregon uniform in Raevyn Rogers, Cole Hocker, Cooper Teare, Charlie Hunter, Jessica Hull and Jennifer Prandini.
Despite the rainy and windy forecast, Coburn said the Pre Classic is always a favorite among the competitors.
“Most Diamond Leagues are filled with elite athletes,” Coburn said. “But athletes know they’re going to come here and they’re going to run fast and the crowd is super engaged.”
There will also be a pair of Paralympic events for the first time since 1989 with the men’s 400 T62 and women’s 100 T63, which will feature a combined five of the six medalists from the 2021 Paralympic Games.
The meet begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday with the women’s long jump. The live television broadcast is from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on CNBC and then 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on NBC.
Here is a closer look at some of the events.
The Bowerman Mile stands out as usual
The signature event of the Pre Classic is absolutely loaded.
The field includes Ingebrigsten, the 2021 Olympic champion in the 1,500 who’s been training in Flagstaff, Ariz., for the past five weeks; 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya; and 1,500 world leader Abel Kipsang of Kenya, who clocked 3:31.01 earlier this spring and already has two Diamond League wins this season.
“Always excited to race at Hayward Field,” said Ingebrigsten, who ran his first Bowerman Mile as a 16-year-old in 2017. “The Bowerman Mile has always been special, as everybody knows. That’s how I felt when I raced here the first time. … Tomorrow we have a great field with some great athletes.”
The race will also represent the Diamond League circuit debut for both Teare and Hocker. Teare is the American leader in the 1,500 this season at 3:34.81. Hocker is the reigning U.S. champion and sixth-place finisher in Tokyo.
“I think it’s amazing to have this opportunity at home,” Teare said. “I couldn’t be more excited to go out there and test myself against the caliber of field I’ve been hoping to run against for years.”
That’ll include Hocker, his local training partner, who proved last year that he belongs among the world's best.
“This is definitely one of those races you have to have that confidence going in because this field is so strong,” Hocker said.
Also entered is Canadian Will Paulson who trains in Eugene as a member of Oregon Track Club Elite and has a 1,500 season-best of 3:33.97, as well as high schooler Colin Sahlman, who has a 3:58.18 mile PR.
Electrifying sprint fields
The USATF Outdoor Championships are back in Eugene in three weeks but there will be a preview of the men’s 100 final on Saturday as almost all of the top American men will vie for the Pre Classic title.
Christian Coleman has resumed his career after a suspension for missing drug tests, Trayvon Bromell — who replaced Italian 100-meter gold medalist Marcell Jacobs in Saturday's race — was the world leader in 2021, Fred Kerley won silver in the 100 in Tokyo, Kenneth Bednarek won silver in the 200 and Noah Lyles won 200 bronze. American high school phenom Erriyon Knighton is also entered, as is Canadian Andre De Grasse, who won 100 bronze and 200 gold in Tokyo.
The women’s sprints are just loaded, with Olympic gold medalist Thompson-Herah and fellow Jamaican bronze medalist Shericka Jackson headlining a 100 that also includes Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and American Sha’Carri Richardson.
Fraser-Pryce, the Olympic 100 silver medalist, and Shaunae Miller-Uiba of the Bahamas, who won gold in the 400, lead a 200 field that also includes Prandini, a two-time Olympian who brought home a silver medal from the 4x100 last summer.
Shot put back in the spotlight
Don’t lose sight of what’s happening on the infield Saturday.
If history is any indicator, you won’t be able to.
The best shot putter in the world will be competing as longtime fan favorite Ryan Crouser returns to the ring where he set the world record during the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials with a mark of 76 feet, 8 1/4 inches.
He went on to become the first American to win back-to-back gold medals in 65 years.
Crouser has won 21 straight outdoor competitions since American Joe Kovacs best him for the world championship title in 2019.
Kovacs, who has won two straight Olympic silver medals, is entered, as is New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh, the bronze medalist in 2021 and 2016.
Other notable events
Women’s 1,500 — Can anyone challenge Kipyegon, the two-time Olympic champion? Great Britian’s Laura Muir won silver in Tokyo has the ability to make it interesting. Hull, who was 11th in Tokyo, is among the six other Olympic finalists entered, joining Gabriela Debues-Stafford (5th), Winnie Nanyondo (7th), Nozomi Tanaka (8th), Elle Purrier St. Pierre (10th) and Cory Ann McGee (12th). Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the No. 5 performer all-time in the 10,000 and 5,000 and bronze medalist in the 5,000 is also entered.
Women’s 800 — Two-time American Olympic champion Athing Mu is out but Tokyo silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain is in, as is Rogers, the Olympic bronze medalist and 2019 world championships silver medalist, top American Ajee Wilson and world leader Allie Wilson (1:58.18).
Men’s 5,000 — Olympic champion and world-record holder Josh Cheptegei ran in separate 5,000 Friday night, but his absence hardly dilutes one of the best field in the meet, headlined by Canadian silver medalist Mo Ahmed from Portland’s Bowerman Track Club, American champion and bronze medalist Paul Chelimo and Ethiopian Selemon Barega, who won Olympic gold in the 10,000 and 2022 World Indoor gold in the 5,000.
Women’s 3,000 steeplechase — Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan is the third-fastest woman of all time, Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai is the Olympic champion and Courtney Frerichs and Emma Coburn are two fastest Americans to ever compete in this event, and both have won Olympic medals.
Women’s 100 hurdles — Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn is the Olympic champion and American Keni Harrison is the reigning silver medalist and the world-record holder since running 12.20 in 2016.
Who is missing the Pre Classic?
One of the most notable withdrawals from the competition is rising super star in the sport Mu, who was entered in the 800 meters.
While Mu has not said why she isn’t competing, 100-meter gold medalist Jacobs suffered a muscle injury and announced he needs a 10-day break from running and won’t compete.
Men’s 400 hurdles silver medalist Rai Benjamin also withdrew and 2016 1,500 gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz, who was entered in the Bowerman Mile, underwent season-ending knee surgery Thursday.
Friday morning it was announced the 19-event Saturday program was trimmed to 16 when meet organizers moved the women’s discus, men’s pole vault and women’s high jump to Friday night's schedule in order to avoid what is expected to be a wet and windy afternoon on Saturday.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Track & field stars come out for Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field
