Dwight Phillips Returns To Challenge Gold Medalists At Pre Classic

Pre Classic Press ReleaseMay 30, 2013 Eugene, Oregon – Dwight Phillips, the world’s most successful long jumper over the last decade, returns to Eugene for the first time in two years at the 39th Prefontaine Classic in a field that includes the last three Olympic gold medalists. The Pre Classic, a member of the IAAF Diamond League of elite international track & field meets, will be held May 31 and June 1 at historic Hayward Field.  The loaded men’s long jump is part of Friday’s “Distance Night in Eugene,” which begins at 6 p.m and is free to the public thanks to long-time sponsor Nike.  A similarly loaded women’s triple jump is one of the many highlights of a power-packedSaturday schedule that begins at 12:00 noon. Phillips,now 35, is the last American Olympic gold medalist, winning in Athens in 2004, and in 2011 won his fourth World Championships gold medal, matching the most ever. And he also has a gold from the World Indoor.  But the Arizona State alum missed the 2012 season letely after a winter car accident that injured his back and neck, and then as he began preparations last spring he injured his Achilles, which required surgery.  He set his personal best of 28-8¼ (8.74) in winning the 2009 Pre Classic in a still-standing Hayward Field record. Greg Rutherford of Great Britain and Irving Saladino of Panama are the most recent Olympic gold medalists.  Rutherford, who won Britain’s first gold in London, earned the No. 1 ranking in the world by Track & Field News.  Saladino’s victory in Beijing gave Panama its first Olympic gold in any sport.  Saladino also won gold at the 2007 World Championships, giving the Pre Classic field each of the last five winners. Australia’s Mitchell Watt was the London silver medalist and was ranked No. 2 by T&FN, just ahead of Russian Aleksandr Menkov.  But it’s Menkov, just 22, who enters the meet with the No. 1 All-Athletics rating, which ines 2012 achievements with 2013 marks. London bronze medalist Will Claye of the USA also earned the silver medal in the triple jump.  In the long jump, the 21-year-old Claye finished just ahead of Sweden’s Michel Torneus and Germany’sSebastian Bayer, who had earlier beaten Torneus to win the European Championships.  Mauro da Silvaof Brazil won the World Indoor Championships last year. China’s Jinzhe Li is the breakout sensation of 2013, winning the Shanghai Diamond League with a world-leading 27-4½ (8.34). While the men’s long jump field includes seven of the world’s top 10 as rated by All-Athletics the women’s triple jump tops that with eight.  The stellar field is led by Caterina Ibarguen of Colombia and Olha Saladukha of Ukraine, the London silver and bronze medalists, respectively.  Saladulha, who won the 2011 World Championships gold (over bronze medalist Ibarguen), owns the Hayward Field record of 49-1¾ (14.98) from her 2011 Pre Classic victory. The two youngest TJers in the field are Hanna Knyazyeva, 23, of Ukraine and Kimberly Williams, 24, of Jamaica.  They finished just three inches apart in London in the 4th and 6th position, but Williams (a 4-time NCAA champion at Florida State) was ranked just ahead of Knyazyeva by T&FN at No. 5. Splitting the difference in London was the oldest in the field.  Yamile Aldama is 40 years old and has eted at four Olympics for countries on three continents.  Last year representing Great Britain, she won the World Indoor Championships, her first major gold, before finishing 5th at London.  The 5th place Olympic finish matched her finish in 2004 while eting for Sudan.  Her best Olympic finish of 4th came at age 28 in 2000 for her native Cuba, for whom she also earned World Championships silver in 1999.  The Pre Classic will be her first-ever etition in the U.S. Three more world-class jumpers with Olympic finals experience lete the field , Russia’sViktoriya Valyukevich (7th in 2008 and 8th in 2012), the Slovak Republic’s Dana Veldakova (12th in 2012), and Brazil’s Keila Costa (11th in 2008 long jump),.  Savigne and Valyukevich were ranked No. 7 and 8, respectively, by T&FN. Men’s Long JumpPersonal BestDwight Phillips (USA)28-8¼(8.74)Irving Saladino (Panama)28-7¾(8.73)Sebastian Bayer (Germany)28-7(8.71)Mitchell Watt (Australia)28-¼(8.54)Greg Rutherford (Great Britain)27-4¾(8.35)Jinzhe Li (China)27-4½(8.34)Aleksandr Menkov (Russia)27-3¼(8.31)Will Claye (USA)27-2½(8.29)Michel Torneus (Sweden)27-2½(8.29)Mauro da Silva (Brazil)27-2(8.28) Women’s Triple JumpPersonal BestYamile Aldama (Great Britain)50-2(15.29)Yargelis Savigne (Cuba)50-1¾(15.28)Olha Saladulha (Ukraine)49-2¼(14.99)Caterina Ibarguen (Colombia)49-2¼(14.99)Viktoriya Valyukevich (Russia)48-8¾(14.85)Hanna Knyazyeva (Ukraine)48-3¼(14.71)Keila Costa (Brazil)47-9¾(14.57)Kimber;u Williams (Jamaica)47-8(14.53)Dana Veldakova (Slovak Republic)47-7¼(14.51) Fans can follow the event lineups as all announced fields are posted at PreClassic   The direct link to current start/entry lists is HERE and includes updates to previously announced fields. Tickets for the 39th annual edition of the Prefontaine Classic, to be held May 31-June 1 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., are available now from PreClassic and from 1-800-WEBFOOT.  Sponsored by NIKE continuously since 1984, the Prefontaine Classic will be shown live to an international audience and by NBC Sports from 1:30 till 3:00 p.m. PT on June 1st. The Prefontaine Classic is the longest-running outdoor invitational track and field meet in America and is part of the elite IAAF Diamond League of meets held worldwide annually.  Last year’s Pre Classic presented the most 2012 Olympic gold medalists (20) of any invitational meet in the world. Like LetsRun on Facebook!