April 1, 2014
For Immediate Release

Reese a Treat for Fans at Pre Classic

            Eugene, Oregon – Brittney Reese’s London Olympic gold medal is just one of six major golds in her collection.  The world’s best women's long jumper is the latest star to headline a growing list of incredible fields for the Prefontaine Classic.

            The landmark 40^th Pre Classic is set for May 30-31 at historic Hayward Field.  The three fields already confirmed can claim the best in the world, and many more are expected for the iconic fixture of the IAAF Diamond League circuit.

            Brittney Reese has proven to be the best in the world many times.  In addition to her 2012 Olympic gold medal, last August in Moscow she became the first woman to win the World Championships three times, and she also won the World Indoor golds in 2010 and 2012.  With a best of 23-9½ (7.25), Reese is less than 3 inches from joining Jackie Joyner-Kersee as the only American to leap at least 24 feet (7.32).

            An Olympic-final quality field is confirmed to challenge Reese:

• Janay DeLoach Soukup won the Olympic bronze medal in 2012 after claiming silver at the World Indoor Championships earlier in the year.  She has shown unusual versatility, finishing as runner-up in this year’s U.S. national indoor hurdles and making the final in that event at the recent World Indoors in Sopot, Poland.
• Darya Klishina is a two-time European Indoor champion from Russia.  Her effort of 21-2¾ (6.47) from 2007 is still the World Youth Championships meet record.  She has since added almost two feet to her best and is among a select few in the field to span at least 23 feet.
• Shara Proctor is Great Britain’s national record holder and was rated as No . 3 in the world by Track & Field News for 2013.  She earned a bronze medal at the 2012 World Indoor Championships.
• Ivana Spanovic is Serbia’s national record holder, was the bronze medalist last year in Moscow, bronze medalist at this year's World Indoor Championships, and was ranked No. 4 in the world by T&FN.
• Eloyse Lesueur is fresh off winning gold at the World Indoor Championships.  She is just four inches from becoming France’s second 23-footer.

            Although a major talent is “missing”, there is a good explanation.  Last year’s silver medalist at the World Championships, Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria is confirmed for the Pre Classic but has decided to concentrate on the 200 meters, an event where she is also one of the best in the world.

            Fans can follow the event lineups as all announced fields are posted at PreClassic.com.  The direct link to current start/entry lists is HERE and will include updates to all announced fields.

            Tickets for the 40^th annual edition of the Prefontaine Classic, to be held May 30-31 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., are available now from PreClassic.com 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 Saturday, May 31.

            The Prefontaine Classic is the longest-running outdoor invitational track & field meet in America and is part of the elite IAAF Diamond League of meets held worldwide annually.  Last year’s Pre Classic was scored highest in the world by All-Athletics.com, the official data partner of the Diamond League.

            Steve Prefontaine is a legend in the sport of track & field and is the most inspirational distance runner in American history.  He set a national high school 2-mile record (8:41.5) while at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon, that is the fastest ever in a National Federation-sanctioned race.  While competing for the University of Oregon, he won national cross country championships (3) and outdoor track 3-Mile/5000-meter championships (4), and never lost a collegiate track race at any distance.  As a collegiate junior, he made the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team and nearly won an Olympic medal, finishing 4^th in the 5K at the 1972 Munich Olympics, at age 22.  After finishing college in 1973 and preparing for a return to the Olympics in 1976, he continued to improve, setting many American records.  His life ended tragically on May 30, 1975, the result of an auto accident, at age 24.  The Pre Classic began that year and has been held every year since.