2015 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
This year will be the 20th running of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. This event has hosted 7 World Records and 11 American Records. Here are some of the athletes to look out for while competing on February 7th.
Meseret Defar will be competing in the 2000 meter event for Ethiopia. She is a two time Olympic gold medalist and a two time World Champion at the 5000 meter. Meseret Defar will be competing for the first time since the birth of her daughter. The last race she ran in was in August of 2013. In 2008, she set a World Best in the 2 mile at the Reggie Lewis Track Center, and she still holds the World Best in the 2 mile outdoors and the World Record at the 5000 meter indoors.
Forty year old Bernard Lagat will be competing in the 3000 meter for the United States. While he was competing for Kenya he medaled in the Olympics twice in the 1500 meter. Lagat was also a two time silver medalist in the 1500 meter at the World Championships, and the winner of the 2004 World Indoor Championships in the 3000 meter. While competing for the United States he has been a five time medalist at the World Championships including in 2007 when he won both the 1500 and 5000 meter races. Lagat has not competed at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix since 2010 when he broke the 5000 meter indoor American Record.
Jenn Suhr will be competing in pole vault. She is the 2012 Olympic Champion in the pole vault and the reigning World Indoor Record holder. Suhr has won the USA Outdoor Championships eight times in a row and she has won the USA Indoor Championships seven times. In 2013, with a vault of 5.02 meters she broke the Indoor World Record at the USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships. She is only the second woman to ever vault over 5 meters.
Mary Cain will be competing in the 1000 meter race. In 2014 Cain set a new World Junior Indoor Record in the 1000 meter with a time of 2:39.25. She also improved her American Record in the mile with a new time of 4:24.11 and with that time she missed the World Junior record by .01 seconds. Last year at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix she won the 1000 meter with a time of 2:35.8. In 2014 Cain also won the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 4:06.34 in the 1500 meter. She won the 2014 World Junior Championships in the 3000 meter.
Brenda Martinez will be competing in the Distance Medley Relay as a part of Team New Balance. She was a bronze medalist at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in the 800 meter. Martinez also represented the USA at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 1500 meter. Her team is attempting to break the World's Best Distance Medley Relay time.
Jenny Simpson will be racing in the 2 mile. In the 1500 meter she is the 2011 World Champion and the 2013 World Championship silver medalist. Simpson was the former American Record holder and eight time national champion in the 3000 meter steeplechase. She is currently one of the top 1500 meter runners in the world. She is hoping for a better result than last year when she finished the 2 mile a lap early causing her to lose and miss the American Record.
Meseret Defar will be competing in the 2000 meter event for Ethiopia. She is a two time Olympic gold medalist and a two time World Champion at the 5000 meter. Meseret Defar will be competing for the first time since the birth of her daughter. The last race she ran in was in August of 2013. In 2008, she set a World Best in the 2 mile at the Reggie Lewis Track Center, and she still holds the World Best in the 2 mile outdoors and the World Record at the 5000 meter indoors.Forty year old Bernard Lagat will be competing in the 3000 meter for the United States. While he was competing for Kenya he medaled in the Olympics twice in the 1500 meter. Lagat was also a two time silver medalist in the 1500 meter at the World Championships, and the winner of the 2004 World Indoor Championships in the 3000 meter. While competing for the United States he has been a five time medalist at the World Championships including in 2007 when he won both the 1500 and 5000 meter races. Lagat has not competed at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix since 2010 when he broke the 5000 meter indoor American Record.
Jenn Suhr will be competing in pole vault. She is the 2012 Olympic Champion in the pole vault and the reigning World Indoor Record holder. Suhr has won the USA Outdoor Championships eight times in a row and she has won the USA Indoor Championships seven times. In 2013, with a vault of 5.02 meters she broke the Indoor World Record at the USATF Indoor Track and Field Championships. She is only the second woman to ever vault over 5 meters.
Mary Cain will be competing in the 1000 meter race. In 2014 Cain set a new World Junior Indoor Record in the 1000 meter with a time of 2:39.25. She also improved her American Record in the mile with a new time of 4:24.11 and with that time she missed the World Junior record by .01 seconds. Last year at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix she won the 1000 meter with a time of 2:35.8. In 2014 Cain also won the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 4:06.34 in the 1500 meter. She won the 2014 World Junior Championships in the 3000 meter.
Brenda Martinez will be competing in the Distance Medley Relay as a part of Team New Balance. She was a bronze medalist at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in the 800 meter. Martinez also represented the USA at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 1500 meter. Her team is attempting to break the World's Best Distance Medley Relay time.Jenny Simpson will be racing in the 2 mile. In the 1500 meter she is the 2011 World Champion and the 2013 World Championship silver medalist. Simpson was the former American Record holder and eight time national champion in the 3000 meter steeplechase. She is currently one of the top 1500 meter runners in the world. She is hoping for a better result than last year when she finished the 2 mile a lap early causing her to lose and miss the American Record.
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