Throwers, hurdlers lead U.S. contingent to World Indoors

INDIANAPOLIS - Led by strength in the shot put, pole vault and hurdles and boasting four past World Indoor individual champions, Team USA fields a strong roster of 51 athletes for the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Track & Field championships, to be held March 7-9 in Valencia Spain. Athletes will compete for a total of nearly $2.5 million in prize money, including $40,000 for individual champions and a $50,000 bonus for world records.

Defending World Indoor gold medalists Reese Hoffa (SP) and Brad Walker (PV) are joined by three-time world champion Allen Johnson (60H) and 2004 world champ Christian Cantwell (SP), as well as 2005 World Outdoor champion decathlete Bryan Clay on a roster that mixes experience and youth. Cantwell and Hoffa will look for a sweep in the shot, which they accomplished in 2004 when they went 1-2, respectively. Entering Valencia, only Adam Nelson has thrown father than either man, and both have thrown roughly a half-meter farther than their nearest international competitor this year.

Other top contenders include surprising sprinter Michael Rodgers, the USA Indoor champion who owns the #3 time in the world this year (6.54), and 2007 World Outdoor 4x100m gold medalist Leroy Dixon in the men's 60m. Two-time World Indoor silver medalist Angela Williams headlines the women's sprint. She owns the #2, 3 and 4 performances in the world in 2008, and her time of 7.11 at the AT&T USA Indoor Championships is behind only Russian Yevgeniya Polyakova's 7.09.

Indoor Visa Champion Lolo Jones enters the women's 60m hurdles as the #2 performer in the world this season (7.77), while USA champ David Oliver is the third-best performer globally in the men's hurdles (7.47).

In the field, Olympic silver medalist John Moffitt is in the long jump, and outdoor American record holder Jenn Stuczynski is entered in the women's pole vault, where she is the third-best performer in the world this year (4.71m/15-5.5). American record holder Nicole Teter will run the women's 800.

See the full Team USA roster, below. For more information, including athlete bios, visit www.usatf.org

Team USA by the numbers

Individual World Indoor medalists: Brad Walker (MPV, g 2006); Reese Hoffa (MSP, g 2006, s2004); Christian Cantwell (MSP, g2004); Allen Johnson (M60H, g 1995, 2003, '04); Angela Williams (W60m, 2001, '03); Bryan Clay (Hept, s 2004)

World Outdoor medalists: Allen Johnson (M110H, g 1995, '97, 2001, '03); Reese Hoffa (MSP, g 2007); Brad Walker (MPV, g2007); Bryan Clay (Deca., g2005)

Olympic medalists: Allen Johnson (M110H, g 1996); Bryan Clay (Deca., s2004), John Moffitt (MLJ, s 2004)

Prize money at the IAAF World Indoor Championships

Individual events (total $2,314,000):

1^st $40,000

2nd $20,000

3rd $10,000

4th $8000

5th $6000

6th $4000

Relays (total 176,000) per team:

1st $40,000 2nd $20,000 3rd $10,0004th $8000 5th $6000 6th $4000

World record bonus: US $50,000 - for any athlete setting a new World record.

Team USA Roster, 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships

Men

60m: Michael Rodgers (Round Rock, Texas), Leroy Dixon (Los Angeles, Calif.)

400m: David Neville (Los Angeles, Calif.), Greg Nixon (Lubbock, Texas)

800m: Khadevis Robinson (Santa Monica, Calif.), Nick Symmonds (Springfield, Ore.)

1500m: Rob Myers (Westerville, Ohio), Russell Brown (Hanover, N.H.)

3,000m: Chris Solinsky (Madison, Wisc.), Jonathon Riley (Fitchburg, Wisc.)

60mH: David Oliver (Kissimmee, Fla.), Allen Johnson (Columbia, S.C.)

LJ: Trevell Quinley (Chula Vista, Calif.), John Moffitt (Baton Rouge, La.)

TJ: Aarik Wilson (Lawrence, Kan.), Kenta Bell (Kissimmee, Fla.)

HJ: Andra Mason (Austin, Texas), Jesse Williams (Eugene, Ore.)

PV: Brad Walker (Mountlake Terrace, Wa.), Derek Miles (Tea, S.D.)

SP: Christian Cantwell (Columbia, Miss.), Reese Hoffa (Athens, Ga.)

Heptathlon: Bryan Clay (Glendora, Calif.), Donovan Kilmartin (Austin, Texas)

4x400m relay: Jamaal Torrance (Raleigh, N.C.), Joel Stallworth (Upland, Calif.), James Davis (Houston, Texas), Kelly Willie (Simi Valley, Calif.), plus any athlete on the roster in another event

Women

60m: Angela Williams (Ontario, Calif.), Alexis Joyce (Denver, Colo.)

400m: Sharese Woods (Charlotte, N.C.), Moushaumi Robinson (New Albany, Ohio)

800m: Nicole Teter (Eugene, Ore.), Nicole Cook (Knoxville, Tenn.)

1,500m: Christin Wurth-Thomas (Springdale, Ark.), Jenelle Deatherage (St. Louis Park, Minn.)

3,000m: Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Julie Culley (Arlington, Va.)

60mH: Lolo Jones (Baton Rouge, La.), Candice Davis (Culver City, Calif.)

PV: Jenn Stuczynski (Churchville, N.Y.), Jillian Schwartz (Jonesboro, Ark.)

LJ: Lela Nelson (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

HJ: Amy Acuff (Isleton, Calif.)

TJ: Shani Marks (Brookly Park, Minn.)

SP: Jillian Camarena (Tucson, Ariz.), Abby Ruston (San Marcos, Texas)

4x400m relay: Miriam Barnes (Ruston, La.), Angel Perkins (Cerritos, Calif.), Jennifer Grossarth (Provo, Utah), Ashlee Kidd (Atlanta, Ga.), plus any athlete on the roster in another event