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 best 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-McGrone 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 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.
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…
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