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Pre Classic Inaugurates First "Legends" Class

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Eugene Diamond League - Nike Prefontaine Classic   May 28th 2015, 6:04pm
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May 28, 2015
For Immediate Release 

PRE CLASSIC INAUGURATES FIRST “LEGENDS” CLASS

       Eugene- Now in it's 41st year, the Prefontaine Classic is the longest-running invitational track & field meet in the United States.  Named after the late Steve Prefontaine, this year's Pre Classic on May 29-30 will mark the 40th anniversary since Pre's last race on May 29, 1975.   To note the occasion, the meet inaugurates its first class of “Legends of the Prefontaine Classic.” 

       The first three inductees are truly legends:

  • Liu Xiang of China was the 2004 Olympic champion, 2007 World Champion and two-time World Championships silver medalist in 2005 and 2011. He equalled the world record in 2004 and set a new standard of 12.88 in 2006. He won the Pre Classic high hurdles in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2012.  His 12.87w in the last race was the fastest ever run under any conditions at the time. Liu elevated the sport of track & field in China to new heights of popularity, and now in retirement, plans to continue that trend with his “Even The Ordinary Can Fly” campaign.
 
  • Mary Slaney of the United States was one of the most popular athletes in American distance history for two decades.  A double World Champion at 1500 and 3000 in 1983, Mary saved some of her best performances for the Prefontaine Classic.  Over the span of 15 years, she won Pre Classic races at Mile, 3000, and 5000 meters (3 times).  She set the world 5000 record at the Pre Classic in 1982, and the American 5000 record in 1985.  No one who ever saw her race will forget her effortless glide around the Hayward Field track.

 

  • Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco is widely considered the “King of the Mile”. He currently holds world records for the 1500, 2000, and the still-standing record of 3:43.13 for the Mile.  In 2004, he won gold medals in the 1500 and 5000 at the Athens Olympic Games.  While his appearances at Pre were limited to 2, one of them was voted the most popular event in the 40 year history of the meet. In 2001, El G was the first miler ever to break 3:50 on American soil.  Behind him, a high schooler named Alan Webb was making history of his own, breaking Jim Ryun's prep record. Still active in the sport, El Guerrouj serves on the organizing committee for the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland.
 

       These inductees will be honored at the start of Saturday's Prefontaine Classic, which begins at 12 noon at Hayward Field.  

For more information, contact [email protected]

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