NEW YORK – Pre-meet favorites for the 2002 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships and a legend from the past will appear at a USATF press conference and photo opportunity at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27 in the Regency Room of the Grand Hyatt (Mezzanine level). The meet headquarters for the USA Indoor Championships, the Grand Hyatt is located at 42nd street at Park Avenue in New York.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers, top American high jumper Charles Clinger and new American sprint sensation J.J. Johnson are among the athletes who will appear at the press conference. Clinger will take part in a special demonstration and photo opportunity with youth athletes from the Armory Track & Field Center, site of the Indoor Championships, at the conclusion of the press conference. Additional athletes are expected to attend the press conference as well.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist at 100 meters and three-time world champion in the 100m hurdles, 35-year-old Devers is the American indoor record co-holder at 60 meters (6.95 seconds) and will compete in that event at Indoor Nationals this weekend at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York. She will face defending U.S. champion Chryste Gaines, top collegian Angela Williams, and the fastest American this year, Kelli White, in the 60m.

A newcomer to elite track and field in 2001, the 25-year-old Johnson ran the fastest 200m time in the world last year outdoors, at 19.88 seconds. He has made his mark indoors in 2002 in the 60 meters, winning the adidas Midwest Indoor Track Classic impressively in 6.56 seconds. He will compete in the 60m at nationals, where have his hands full with World Indoor champion Tim Harden, two-time U.S. Indoor champion Jon Drummond and Shawn Crawford, who has posted the fastest 60m time by an American in 2002 (6.49 seconds) in winning the Verizon Millrose Games.

Standing 6 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 220 pounds, the 25-year-old Charles Clinger strikes an impressive profile in his first season of post-collegiate high jumping – the first season the jumping phenom from Weber State has been able to concentrate only on high jumping. Clinger participated in as many as 100 competitions a year while at Weber State, in the long, triple an high jumps. In 2002, specialization has paid off, with Clinger jumping a U.S.-leading 2.30m/7-7 to win the Verizon Millrose Games. Clinger had the top jump outdoors by an American in 2001 at 2.35m/7-8.5. In New York, he will try to unseat defending U.S. champion Nathan Leeper.

New York-born distance running legend Jim Beatty also will attend the press conference. Forty years ago, on February 10, 1962, Beatty became the first man ever to run a sub-4:00 mile indoors. Over the course of his career, Beatty set 18 American records and four world records at distances ranging from 1,500 and 5,000 meters. He was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1990. The Hall of Fame will officially reopen at the Armory Track & Field Center, site of the 2002 USA Indoor Championships, in 2003. Beatty will be honored Friday at the USA Indoor Championships in observance of his 40-year, sub-4:00 anniversary.

HOTEL/TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION: The meet headquarters hotel is the Grand Hyatt New York, located on the corner of Lexington and 42nd Street (at Grand Central Station). The phone number is (212) 883-1234. Several shuttles will run from the hotel to the Armory on Friday and Saturday; shuttle schedule will be posted in the Hyatt Lobby, and a credential is required to board the shuttles. The Armory is also accessible via subway.

USATF MEDIA CENTER/CREDENTIAL PICK-UP: USATF’s media office will open Wednesday afternoon, February 27, in room 1401 of the Grand Hyatt; direct phone line to the room is 646-213-6956. Credentials may be picked up at that location through Thursday evening. After that time they may be picked up at Will-Call at the Armory.