By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
EUGENE, Ore. - There may be no greater legend in American running lore than Steve Prefontaine. Before his untimely death in 1975, at the age of 24, Prefontaine held every American distance record between 2,000 and 10,000 meters. For 47 years, the Prefontaine Classic at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field has served as a living memorial to the running great. This Saturday and Sunday, the 48th edition of the event, which doubles as the Wanda Diamond League finals, will feature many of the world's top track and field athletes.
The World Track and Field Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary from Aug. 19-27. Several gold medalists from that event will be in Eugene the Classic. Several of those athletes opened the weekend with a press conference in downtown Eugene Friday morning.
Not always the biggest attraction at a meet, the 2023 season has been a big one for pole vault athletes. On Saturday, reigning world co-champions Katie Moon of the United States and Nina Kennedy of Australia will again go head to head. The pair gained fame in Budapest after Kennedy reset a pair of national records to keep up with the then-reigning world champion Moon. When they both bowed out with identical effort on the day, they agreed to share the 2023 gold. Moon was shocked by some negative reactions and responded on social media.
"People see elite athletes and assume it's that 'win at all cost' mentality," she said. "At the end of the day, it was absolutely the right thing for us. I was just wanted to give some insight and some insight on the pole vault in general. I love the sport and want it to be out there more."
On the men's side, all American-born Mondo Duplantis did the last time he was in Eugene was set a new world record for the fifth time. Representing Sweden, he's since added to that record, raising the bar to 20 feet, five inches (6.22m). A tough field includes American KC Lightfoot with a season best of 6.07m, and Ernest John of the Philippines with a season best of 6.00m. Americans Sam Kendricks and Christopher Nilsen, and Australia's Kurtis Marschall, are all at 5.95m. The smaller field could mean a shorter event in Eugene, not the five hours the competition may take at larger events.
"It's nice when you can cut down the time," Duplantis said. "Our legs will be just a little more fresh out there."
100m dash: Noah Lyles (USA) won three world championships in the 100m and 200m dashes, and as a member of the 4x100m relay team. Lyles, now coached by former Barton Community College coach Lance Brauman, ranks third all-time in the 200m dash (American record holder), and his 19.47s from London in July is the fastest time in the world this year. Lyles, however, will only be running the 100m dash in Eugene on Saturday. Lyles and fellow American Christian Coleman have both run a season-best of 9.83s to lead the field, and four other sprinters have best times under 9.9s this year.
"It's now a victory lap," Lyles said. "I remember coming to Prefontaine after the Olympics. My mom was telling me some that some girl in the stands was like, 'Where's Sydney (McLaughlin-Levrone)?' She was so distraught that Sydney wasn't there. I was like, wow, I guess I didn't realize how much people just want to see you after the moment happens. We have to treat this like our victory parade."
The women's race will also take place Saturday. American Sha'Carri Richardson is coming off a gold medal at Worlds with the sixth-fastest time ever of 10.65s. Jamaica's Shericka Jackson has also gone as fast as 10.65s this season, and she finished second to Richardson in Budapest. Four of the nine sprinters in Saturday's 100m dash field have finished in 10.85s or faster this year.
200m dash: This event will close out the 2023 Diamond League season Sunday. With no Lyles in the field, American Erriyon Knighton becomes the favorite for the title. Knighton ran a 19.75 in Budapest to finish second to Lyles' 19.52. Knighton's season-best of 19.72s ranks third in the world. American Kenneth Bednarek ranks No. 6 in the world this year at 19.79s.
For the women, Jamaica's Jackson just missed the world record in Budapest by 0.07 seconds when she ran a 21.41 to take the world lead by 0.19s. America's Gabby Thomas previously held the world lead this year. Jackson, the two-time world champion in the 200m, went for the world record a week ago. Jackson is the only runner in the Classic field to finish under 22 seconds this season. Anthonique Strachan (Bahamas) and Daryll Neita (Great Britain) have season bests of 22.15 and 22.16, respectively.
400m dash: The women's side is a loaded event will feature world champion Mariledy Paulino (Dominican Republic), who is the only athlete in a loaded field to finish under 49 seconds. Notably absent will be America's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has the fastest time in the world this year after converting to the event as the world-record holder in the 400m hurdles. Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek is a strong finisher who finished second to Paulino in Budapest and currently ranks No. 5 in the world. The Netherlands' Lieke Klaver also has a top-10 world time this season and was a member of the world-champion 4x400m relay team.
Five of the eight competitors on the mens' side have run faster than 45 seconds this year. Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald ranks No. 3 in the the world this year in 44.03. Wayde Van Niekerk, the world-record holder from South Africa, will not be in action. America's Vernan Norwood led the Diamond League in points this season and enters with a season-best of 44.26.
800m run: All nine entries have personal bests at 1:43, making the field hyper competitive. Eight of those runners have finished faster than 1:44 this year. Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Wyclife Kinyamal rank No. 1 and 2 in the world this year, respectively, at 1:43.20 and 1:43.22. America's lone entry is former University of Kansas standout Bryce Hoppel with a season best of 1:43.95.
The womens' race should be one of the best on the weekend. Kenya's Mary Moraa is coming off a world title in Budapest with a season best of 1:56.03. Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson finished behind Moraa at Worlds but has the only sub-1:56 time this season. America's Athing Mu won the world title in 2022 but ran third in Budapest.
1500m run: The field gets bigger for the distance races. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has set several world records this year, including in the 1500m where she became the first female runner to finish under 3:50. Great Britain's Laura Muir has been running well with a season best of 3:55.34, and Australia's Jessica Hull and Linden Hall, separated by just 0.02s, have been mainstays in Diamond League events this year. The United States will have three runners in action, led by Melissa Courtney-Bryant (3:58.01).
Bowerman Mile: The men will move up to the mile to close out Saturday's competition. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen has a pair of world records to his name, most recently the 2000m set just a week ago. However, Ingebrigsten settled for second in the 1500m run at worlds (he later won the 5000m). His personal-best mile time of 3:46.46 makes him a favorite. Australia's Stewart McSweyn enters with a personal best of 3:48.37. Ingebrigtsen said there will be a fast pace for the race but did not disclose the expectation during Friday's press conference.
"I think it all depends on the conditions," he said. "I think we all know Hayward Field is a difficult track to manage and run fast, especially in distance events. With 300 meters to go, there's always headwind. That can be a little bit tricky. It all depends if we can get lucky for a couple of laps."
The Classic features more sub four-minute miles than any other meet in the world. American Yared Nuguse did not discount the idea of chasing the U.S. mile record of 3:46.91.
"I ran 3:47 indoors," Nuguse said, "so I feel really confident I'd be able to push out a little further with the athletes being a little faster."
"Just stick to me as long as you can," Ingebrigtsen joked to Nuguse.
Javelin: It's always an event when India's Neeraj Chopra shows up. With more than 7 million followers on Instragram, Chopra is one of the most popular athletes on the planet. He also happens to be the leader in the javelin field Friday with a season best of 88.77m. He reached 88.17m for the Worlds gold in Budapest. Two throwers at the Classic have personal bests beyond 90 feet.
Shot put: If Mondo Duplantis and Neeraj Chopra are stars in their events, so too is America's Ryan Crouser in the shot. Crouser's season best of 23.56m is also his personal best. That happens to be a world record. Crouser is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a two-time world champion. American teammate Joe Kovacs has been his best competition with a season best of 22.69m and a personal best of 23.23m.
On the women's side, America's Chase Ealey is also putting her stamp on the sport. She won the world title in Budapest on a throw of 20.43, but has not surpassed 20m since. Teammate Maggie Ewen usually finishes behind Ealey, but she won the U.S. championship in Eugene in early August, and reached 20.45m in Los Angeles before that for her season best that leads the field at the Classic.
Discus: America's Valarie Allman turned dancing into one of the best discus throws in the world. She's a five-time national champion, including the 2023 meet in Eugene, and she's won an Olympic gold, but she was shocked in Budapest and had to settle for the silver back in August. She has a season best of 70.47m, and American Laulauga Tausaga, who finished behind Allman in Eugene but beat her in Budapest, is the only other thrower in the Classic field with a season best over 69m.
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet will be vying for a medal in two events. She finished second in the 3,000m steeplechase in Budapest, and is also a premiere runner in the 5K event scheduled for Saturday.