Adidas Track Classic

The Adidas Track Classic is an American track and field athletics meeting which has taken place annually in Carson, California since 2005. The meeting forms part of the USA Track & Field Visa Championship Series and is also one of the few area meetings where athletes can earn points to qualify for the World Athletics Final.[1] The event has its roots in the Oregon Track Classic, which was sponsored by Adidas until 2005 and was forced to close that year due to lack of funding.[2]

Top athletes from the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) area compete at the event and a number of national and area records have been set at previous editions. The event is usually held in mid-May at The Home Depot Center, part of the Adidas Performance Institute. Athletes who are part of the Adidas track team often feature prominently and World Champions and Olympic medalists often participate in the event.[3][4] The competition is broadcast on television in the United States.

Previous editions

After winning the 100 metres at the 2004 edition, Olympic Gold Medalist Maurice Greene walked back to the finish line and took off his shoes as if they were on fire. As part of the planned stunt Allen Johnson rushed onto the track with a real fire extinguisher to put out the shoes,[5] in one of the more famous showboating incidents.

At the 2008 Adidas Track Classic Tyson Gay won both the 100 and 200 meters races,[6] while Megan Metcalfe and Ethiopian Ali Abdosh set world leading times in the 3000 and 5000 meters respectively. Shannon Rowbury won the 1500 meters with the fastest time by an American woman in five years and Jeremy Wariner set the 400 meters meeting record.[6]

In the 2009 edition Anna Willard ran the fastest 3000 meters steeplechase to have been run in the United States and Hazel Clark set a new track record in the 800 metres. LaShawn Merritt, Jenn Stuczynski, Aheza Kiros and Kerron Clement won their events with world-leading times but Clement's 400 meter hurdles world leading time was disqualified due to a misplaced hurdle. Second-placed Angelo Taylor struck out at the meet organisers for their mistake, saying he would never compete again at the event.[1]

Meet records
Wallace Spearmon is the current 200 meters meet record holder.
Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner holds the 400 meters meet record.

Men's events

Records are correct as of May 17, 2009.

Event Record Name Nation Date Ref
100 m 9.94 Maurice Greene  United States 2003
200 m 19.91 Wallace Spearmon  United States 2007
400 m 44.42 Jeremy Wariner  United States 18 May 2008 [7]
800 m 1:45.23 Khadevis Robinson  United States 2006
1500 m 3:32.34 Rashid Ramzi  Bahrain 2006
3000 m 7:38.11 Markos Geneti  Ethiopia 2005
2 miles 8:19.61 Markos Geneti  Ethiopia 2006
5000 m 13:08.64 Ali Abdosh  Ethiopia 18 May 2008 [7]
110 m hurdles 13.17 Terrence Trammell  United States 2007
400 m hurdles 47.62 Bershawn Jackson  United States 2005
3000 m steeplechase 8:25.16 Anthony Famiglietti  United States 2005
Pole vault 5.60 m Toby Stevenson  United States 2004
Long jump 8.39 m Hussein Taher Al-Sabee  Saudi Arabia 2003
Triple jump 17.09 m Kenta Bell  United States 2005
Shot put 22.35 m Christian Cantwell  United States 2004
Discus throw 65.09 m Jarred Rome  United States 18 May 2008 [7]
Javelin throw 90.71 m Breaux Greer  United States 2007

Women's events
Double World Champion Allyson Felix has the 200 meters record.
Shannon Rowbury set the 1500 meters record in 2008.
Event Record Name Nation Date Ref
100 m 10.90 Torri Edwards  United States 2007
200 m 22.14 Allyson Felix  United States 2005
400 m 49.62 Ana Guevara  Mexico 2003
800 m 2:01.40 Hazel Clark  United States 16 May 2009 [1]
1500 m 4:01.61 Shannon Rowbury  United States 18 May 2008 [7]
3000 m 8:37.69 Meseret Defar  Ethiopia 2007
2 miles 9:10.47 Meseret Defar  Ethiopia 2007
100 m hurldes 12.58 Ginnie Powell  United States 2007
400 m hurdles 55.57 Tanisha Mills  United States 2005
3000 m steeplechase 9:26.85 Anna Willard  United States 16 May 2009 [1]
Pole vault 4.90 m Jennifer Stuczynski  United States 18 May 2008 [7]
Long jump 6.68 m Grace Upshaw  United States 18 May 2008 [7]
Triple jump 13.82 m Yvette Lewis  United States 16 May 2009 [1]
High jump 1.98 m Tisha Waller  United States 2004
Chaunte Howard  United States 18 May 2008 [7]
Discus throw 64.71 m Aretha Hill  United States 2003

References
  1. Lee, Kirby (2009-05-17). "World leading marks by Merritt, Willard, Stuczynski and Kiros in Carson". IAAF.
  2. Oregon Track Classic canceled, lacks sponsor. USA Today (2005-04-19). Retrieved on 2009-05-17.
  3. Middle and long distance duels announced, while Olympic champion Harper joins the hurdles start list in Carson. IAAF (2009-05-06). Retrieved on 2009-05-17.
  4. Painter, Jill (2009-05-16). Felix gets back up to speed at Adidas Track Classic Archived June 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved on 2009-05-17.
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NvXhb52bAk How to mock your rivals
  6. Gay wins 100, 200 titles at Adidas Track Classic Archived December 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. AFP (2008-05-18). Retrieved on 2009-05-17.
  7. Kirby, Lee (2008-05-19). "Stuczynski soars to 4.90m American Record in Carson". IAAF. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
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