SACRAMENTO, Calif.  –  America's finest track and field athletes will vie for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, July 14-23 in Sacramento, Calif. More than 1,200 athletes will compete in 39 separate events to determine the U.S. roster for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

This year's Olympic Trials will feature several head-to-head matchups of Olympian proportions that will have the fans at Sacramento State College's Hornet Stadium on the edge of their seats. High-intensity matchups in Sacramento include world 100- and 200-meter champion Maurice Greene and Olympic 200 and 400 champion Michael Johnson in the 200 meters; two-time world 100 champion Marion Jones and reigning world 200m champ and 100 runner-up Inger Miller in the 100 and 200 meters; two-time World Champs silver medalist Regina Jacobs and the second-fastest American in history, Suzy Favor Hamilton, in the women's 1,500 meters; and world champion C.J. Hunter, Olympic silver medalist John Godina, and a trio of roughly 71-foot throwers -- Andy Bloom, Kevin Toth and Adam Nelson - in the men's shot put.

Other outstanding individuals expected to compete in Sacramento include women's pole vault world champion and world recordholder Stacy Dragila; defending Olympic gold medalists Allen Johnson (110 hurdles), Dan O'Brien (decathlon), and Charles Austin (high jump); world champion discus thrower Anthony Washington; former world 400m champ and American 800m record holder Jearl Miles Clark; and men's pole vault American recordholder Jeff Hartwig.

Events begin Friday with the early rounds of the men's and women's 100, 400 and 1,500 meters, the finals of the men's and women's 10,000 meters and qualifying rounds of the women's high jump, men's shot put, women's hammer throw and men's pole vault. The women's heptathlon also begins Friday.

Declarations for the meet are being made this week, with official start lists to be determined.

The formula for making the U.S. Olympic Team is unique, and virtually unchanged since 1928. While most other nations choose their Olympians by committee or through a combination of trials and committee selection, the United States stages the Olympic Trials where in most cases, athletes must finish in the top three in their event, assuming they have met Olympic 'A' qualifying standard, to make the team.

For more information on the Olympic Trials, including meet schedule, TV schedule, athlete biographies and Olympic Team selection procedures, visit the USATF Web site: http://www.usatf.org.

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