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World-Class Matchups On Deck For USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix and Distance Classic

Published by
DyeStat.com   May 25th 2023, 8:43pm
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Duplantis, Crouser, Amusan, Richardson, Coleman All Part Of Saturday's LA Grand Prix

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Friday's Distance Classic will begin two days of high level international track and field at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix at UCLA's Drake Stadium. Saturday's lineup is the deepest domestic meet since last year's World Championships in Eugene and brings together three current world record holders. 

Even with some top Los Angeles-based athletes deferring, such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Athing Mu, the meet has enough star power to begin promotion and generate buzz for L.A.'s 2028 Olympic Games. 

The Friday events serve as an appetizer.

USATF LA GRAND PRIX / DISTANCE CLASSIC WILL BE LIVE ON USATF.TV (+PLUS required)

The men's 5,000 meters features U.S. Olympian and sub-13 runner Woody Kincaid, former NAU star Abdi Nur, and other top pros such as Morgan Beadlescomb, Emmanuel Bor and Canada's Ben Flanagan

Further back in the pack, high school athlete Lex Young (Newbury Park, Calif.) could be taking aim at Connor Burns' brand new prep record. 

Burns, a senior at Southern Boone MO, who is running in the Missouri state meet this weekend, ran 13:37.30 on May 6 at the On Running Track Fest at Mt. SAC. Young, who has a best of 13:43.95, will have plenty of fast runners to try and hang on with 

Elise Cranny, Allie Buchalski and Vanessa Fraser are among the top entries in the women's 5,000. 

World and Olympic champion Katie Moon will compete in the pole vault alongside Sandi Morris and Canada's Alysha Newman

Olympic champion Valarie Allman is set to compete for the first time since April in the discus.

Ahmed Jaziri of Tunisia, a 2022 NCAA champion at Eastern Kentucky, is the top seed in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Poland's Wojciech Nowicki, the World Championships silver medalist last summer, will take on top Americans Rudy Winkler and Daniel Haugh in the men's hammer. 

The women's hammer includes Brooke Andersen and Janee' Kassanavoid of the U.S. and Camryn Rogers of Canada, the athletes who secured the medals at the World Championships. 

Saturday's Grand Prix Loaded With A-List Stars

Former LSU stars Aleia Hobbs and Sha'Carri Richardson, who is coming off a successful trip to Africa, will meet up for the first time in 2023 as both are entered in the 100 meters. Richardson owns the fastest time in the world this year, 10.76, and Hobbs is fifth with 10.86. 

Young Jamaican star Alana Reid, just 18, is also one to watch. She has best of 10.92 from March 29. 

Christian Coleman and Marvin Bracy-Williams are both entered in the men's 100. 

Armand "Mondo" Duplantis will make his 2023 debut in a star-studded men's pole vault field. The world record holder will compete against world silver medalist Chris Nilsen of the U.S., France's Renaud Lavillenie, Norway's Sondre Guttormsen and Sam Kendricks and KC Lightfoot of the U.S. 

World record holder Ryan Crouser will step into the shot put ring in a competition that includes New Zealand's Tom Walsh and fellow Americans Josh Awotunde and Adrian Piperi

World record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria is part of a supreme field in the women's 100-meter hurdles that includes Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico and Americans Tia Jones, Keni Harrison, Alaysha Johnson, Nia Ali and Tonea Marshall

The men's 800-meter field is stacked with Noah Kibet of Kenya and U.S. Olympians Bryce Hoppel, Clayton Murphy and Isaiah Jewett

World champion Chase Ealey is entered in the women's shot put. 

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada is entered in the men's javelin and will take on Americans Curtis Thompson, Capers Williamson and Donavan Banks.

The men's 1,500-meter field includes Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya taking on a strong U.S. contingent: Matthew Centrowitz, John Gregorek, Josh Thompson, Cooper Teare, Hobbs Kessler and Drew Hunter among them. 

Trevor Bassitt, bronze medalist in last year's world championships, is in the men's 400-meter hurdles. 

Kirani James of Grenada, six-time global medalist who took the silver last summer in Eugene, is in the 400 meters. 

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic and Sada Williams of Barbados are in the women's 400 meters. 

An all-U.S. women's 200 lineup features Gabby Thomas, Jenna Prandini, Anavia Battle and Twanisha Terry

The women's 1,500 lineup includes Ethiopians Diribe Welteji and Ayal Dagnachew along with Americans Josette Norris, Emma Coburn, Dani Jones, Whittni Morgan-Orton and Cranny. 

Ajee' Wilson of the U.S. is in the women's 800 meters and will face Uganda's Halimah Nakaayi

Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago is the top entry in the men's 200 field. Josephus Lyles and Kyree King of the U.S. are also in it. 



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