Contact: Jill M. Geer USATF Director of Communications Jill.Geer@usatf.org http://www.usatf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Saturday, August 23, 2003

Sunday Team USA event previews

FINALS

Women’s 20 km walk
9:30 a.m.
U.S. entrant: Joanne Dow (Bedford, N.H.)
THE SCOOP: The 39-year-old Joanne Dow makes her second appearance at World Outdoors. A former American record holder in the event and the 2002 U.S. champion, Dow has a personal best of 1:33:27. The best-ever U.S. finish in the women’s walk is 15th by Lynn Weik in 1987 and by Michelle Rohl in 1995.

Men’s 10,000 meters
7 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Alan Culpepper (Louisville, Colo.), Meb Keflezighi (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Dan Browne (Portland, Ore.)
THE SCOOP: A strong trio of distance runners competes in the 25-lap event. Culpepper is in top form, having won the U.S. 10,000m title in 2003 to match his 1999 crown. He also is the 2002 U.S. 5,000m champion and is a two-time national champion. Keflezighi is the American record holder (27:13.98 in 2001) and has racked up numerous U.S. titles, including the 2000 and 2001 10 km crown, the 2001 and 2002 cross country titles, and numerous road racing titles. He was 23rd at the 2001 Worlds and 12th at the 2000 Olympic Games. Dan Browne also brings road success to the track as the 2002 U.S. marathon champ. His 1998 indoor 3,000m title shows he has leg speed as well.

Women’s 100 meters
Semfinals 4:55 p.m.; Final 6 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Kelli White (Union City, Calif.), Torri Edwards (Los Angeles, Calif.), Gail Devers (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
THE SCOOP: White, Edwards and Devers all showed good form in Saturday’s first two rounds. White will try to make good on her gold medal hopes, but Edwards and Devers have aspirations of their own.

Women’s heptathlon Day 2 (long jump, javelin, 800m)
10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Kim Schiemenz (Greeley, Colo.)
THE SCOOP: Schiemenz was in 13th place after Saturday’s first competition and will look to move up in Sunday’s finale.

QUALIFYING ROUNDS

Men’s discus qualifying
9:45 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Carl Brown (Los Angeles, Calif.), Nick Petrucci (Chula Vista, Calif.), Casey Malone (Boulder, Colo.)
THE SCOOP: All three U.S. throwers are making their first appearances at the World Outdoor Championships. Carl Brown was a fairy-tale story at the USA Championships, winning his first national title after up-and-down years. Petrucci was 5th and Malone was 9th at nationals but qualified for the team by virtue of having achieved the IAAF “A” standard.

Women’s 400m hurdles 1st round
10 a.m.
U.S. entrants: Raasin McIntosh (Austin, Texas), Joanna Hayes (Los Angeles, Calif.), Sandra Glover (Sugar Land, Texas)
THE SCOOP: 2003 NCAA and U.S. champion Raasin McIntosh is a bit of a sensation in this event, where the U.S. is gaining strength. She, 1999 NCAA champion Joanna Hayes and four-time U.S. champion Sandra Glover will try to win the United States’ first medal int eh 400 hurdles since Kim Batten won a bronze medal in 1997.

Women’s 400 meters 1st round
11:20 a.m.
U.S. entrants: Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas), Demetria Washington (Columbia, S.C.), De’Hashia Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.)
THE SCOOP: The youngest lineup of any event for Team USA features the 18-year-old Sanya Richards, the 2003 NCAA champion as a freshman; 23-year-old two-time NCAA indoor champion and 2001 World University Games champion Demetria Washington; and 20-year-old NCAA runner-up De’Hashia “DeeDee” Trotter. The road to the final in Paris begins today.

Men’s 100 meters
1st round 3:30 p.m., 2nd round 6 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Bernard Williams (Miramar, Fla.), Tim Montgomery (Cary, N.C.), Jon Drummond (Las Vegas, Nev.), Maurice Greene (Irvine, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: The U.S. swept the men’s 100 meters in 2001 at Edmonton, and they have their eyes on the same prize in 2003. It will be a difficult feat, with stiff competition through all four rounds. But with the 2003 U.S. Outdoor champion (Williams), the world record holder (Montgomery), an Olympic relay gold medalist (Drummond), and the three-time World Championships gold medalist and Olympic gold medalist (Greene) donning the U.S. jersey, American fortunes look promising.

Men’s 400 meters 2nd round
5:10 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Tyree Washington (San Diego, Calif.), Calvin Harrison (Salinas, Calif.), Jerome Young (Fort Worth, Texas)
THE SCOOP: Washington, Harrison and Young all looked strong in their first-round races. Look for all three to advance to Monday’s semifinals.

Women’s 800 meters 2nd round
5:40 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Jen Toomey (Salem, Mass.)
THE SCOOP: Toomey has made the most of her first World Outdoors appearance, advancing to Sunday’s semifinal. It will likely take close to a personal best for her to make the final, but she has had her best outdoor season in 2003 and is ready.