ALBUQUERQUE, United States: World indoor women’s pole vault record-holder Jenn Suhr and 2012 Olympic medalists Galen Rupp and Leo Manzano lead the field for the US Indoor Track and Field Championships that begin today.
The meet will serve as the American qualifier for next month’s World Indoors at Sopot, Poland.
Suhr set a world record at last year’s US meet by clearing 5.02m, breaking the mark of 5.01 set in 2012 by Russian Yelena Isinbayeva.
Suhr cleared 4.70 to win two weeks ago at Boston but promised her best was yet to come.
“It’s early in the season,” she said. “I’m still getting my meet legs under me and the timing that I need but I’m really in good shape and it’s a good start.”
The US meet opens with heptathlon and decathlon events today. Field events, sprint heats and the 3,000m finals dominate day two ahead of tomorrow’s championship races.
Rupp, the 10,000m Olympic runner-up at London, faces a tough 1,500m field that includes Millrose Games mile winner Will Leer, 2012 Olympic 1,500 runner-up Leo Manzano and 2008 Olympic US flag bearer Lopez Lomong.
Teen Mary Cain, coming off two wins in as many weeks that included last weekend’s Millrose Games women’s mile, faces two-time Olympian Shannon Rowbury in the women’s 1,500.
Another teen, Ajee Wilson, is the fastest qualifier in the women’s 800 and seeks her first trip to the World Indoors. Two-time defending champion Sharon Day-Munroe will attempt to three-peat in the women’s pentathlon.
Reuters
