The five Olympians, three of them medalists, highlight one of the most star-studded events in this year's 108th NYRR Millrose Games at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center.
As athletes, ambassadors for track and field, and cross-over personalities, it's hard to beat a 60m men’s field that includes David Oliver, Jason Richardson, Jeff Porter and Ashton Eaton.
Oliver, who responded from a disappointing Olympic Trials in 2012 by coming back to win the 2013 IAAF World Championships title in the 110-meter hurdles, opened 2015 with a third-place finish at the Hilton Invitational/Camel City Elite Races in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Jan., 31, running 7.69 seconds.
A week later, also at Winston-Salem's JDL Fast Track, was the David Oliver Invitational – a high school event that the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist is actively involved with as an initiative to give back to the sport.
Richardson, the Olympic silver medalist in 2012, placed second at the Hilton/Camel City meet with 7.60. Aleec Harris, another entrant in the Millrose field, won that race with 7.55 seconds, second-best in the world so far in 2015. Harris ranked sixth in the world in 2014 in the 110 hurdles outdoors.
Jeff Porter, a 2012 Olympian and 2013 Millrose Games winner, manages a full-time job, training and is pursuing a PhD degree at the University of Michigan.
Eaton, a world-class elite in a handful of his 10 decathlon events, returns to the 60 hurdles at The Armory after placing fourth last year. Eaton, the world's greatest athlete by virtue of his world record in the decathlon, is one of the most popular and engaging athletes in the sport.
“What could be better than the in-form Ashton Eaton, the world’s greatest athlete, taking on two world champions David Oliver and Jason Richardson in the 60-meter hurdles,” NYRR Millrose Games Meet Director Ray Flynn said.
Additionally, Syracuse grad Jarret Eaton, third at Millrose last year, is part of a field that also 2014 world indoor champion Omo Osaghae, who lives and trains in Texas, and Barbados Olympian Greggmar Swift.
Earlier this month, USA Track & Field announced that both the Armory Track Invitational, held last weekend, and the NYRR Millrose Games will make up half of this season’s indoor USATF Championship Series. The NYRR Millrose Games is scheduled to be televised live nationally by NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) from 6-8 p.m. USATF.tv will carry live events from both meets as well.
This year’s NYRR Millrose Games promises to be one of the best ever and features the likes of 2014 World 800m leader Ajee' Wilson along with the “fast and fashionable” Sanya Richards-Ross, who will attempt to break her own Armory Track record of 50.89 in the 400m, Olympic pole vault gold medalist Jenn Suhr, Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp in the 5,000m with last week’s ATI champion Cam Levins, The men’s all-time NYRR Wanamaker Mile champion Bernard Lagat will try to win his ninth title in the elite mile field that includes defending champion Will Leer, 2012 champion Matthew Centrowitz and five-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek, while the women’s NYRR Wanamaker Mile will feature defending champion Mary Cain and her Nike Oregon Project teammates Shannon Rowbury, Treniere Moser and Jordan Hasay.
This marks the fourth NYRR Millrose Games at The Armory and will include the country’s premier professional, college and high school track & field athletes competing on one stage.
Tickets for the NYRR Millrose Games can be purchased at http://Tickets.NYRRMillroseGames.org.
Further questions about both meets can be answered by calling The Armory at (212) 923-1803 ext. 7200.
