All-Star cast heading to Birmingham for the Aviva Grand Prix.

Three-way battle to victory.
David Oliver, David Payne and Joel Brown compete Saturday in the 60 meter hurdles at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, which is traditionally one of the largest meets of the indoor season.  David Oliver is coming into the race with a season’s best performance of 7.45 from Stuttgart from a week ago.

What happens when you try something new?
When you try something new is there excitement? Or is there nervousness?   After all it could fail.  Reigning champion Christine Ohuruogu is not accustomed to running indoors and adding to matters, she is running the shorter sprints.  So far this indoor season, the first female British athlete to win 400 meter Olympic gold, is set to run the 60 and 200 meters and so far they have run  7.36 and 23.41 respectively.

A new world record?
Speaking of new things.  Lolo Jones is entering the 60 meter and 60 meter hurdles.  The 2008 Olympian placed first in the Aviva International Match last month, while racking up subsequent wins in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe and is the world’s number one ranked 60 meter hurdles.

Unbeatable?
In two attempts Yelena Isinbayeva vaulted 5 meters, breaking her own world indoor pole vault record in Stuggart, her first competition of the season last Sunday.   The Russian superstar is the 2008 Beijing champion, current outdoor world record holder and number one ranked in the world.

Of course Isinbayeva is the women to beat this week – or any week.  Her competitors won’t deny it.  Will the Russian superstar break her own world record again this weekend?

Keep your eyes on these two
Bernard Lagat is undefeated in the 2009 season and is set to tow the 1,500 meter line against Kenya’s Augustine Choge and Portugal’s Rui Silva.  Last month, Mo Farah set the 3,000 British national record last month at the Aviva International Match.  This meet, the talented British runner is competing in the 3,000 meters, and might lower his national record.

400 meter showdown
Tyler Christopher of Canada, goes head-to-head against Xavier “X Man” Carter and Johan Wissman.  The “X Man” is coming off of a 46.98 second victory at the Tyson Invitational, this race however will give a view into how race ready he is right now.

Drop alert: Pamela Jelimo committed to the meet prior to cancelling the rest of her indoor season. Kelly Sotherton pulled out the competition because of a heel injury and hopes to be ready for the next month’s European Indoor Championships in Turin.

PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show - Episode 7

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe with iTunes | RSS feed | Subscribe via Email

Listen to PreRaceJitters’ Track & Field Radio Show - Episode 7. Read more

Instant Analysis - Tyson Invitational, Day 1

One of the great strengths and attractions of the Visa Championship Series is the variety of the venues.  There is nothing wrong with the boys and girls having fun.  Great events are more about great competition rather than numbers. Read more

Preview Notes - Tyson Invitational

The Visa Championship Series runs to University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville for the final stop on the indoor season before the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships.

Dates:         February 13, 2009
Where:        Randal Tyson Track, University of Arkansas
Television: ESPN, Sunday, February 15 from 5 to 7 pm, EST
Event Site: Tyson Invitational

What difference a year can make.
This time a year ago, the talk was about Jennifer Stuczynski challenging the American indoor record and how the “Big Three” shot putters were dominating the scene.

This year Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa, and Christian Cantwell may not be “slumping” as they have posted three out of the four top marks in the world, but we haven’t seen the outer orbit throws such as Adam Nelson cranking out 72 feet 5 inches to win the 2008 Millrose Games. And Stuczynski has something that she did not have last year - the American indoor record.

Jennifer Stuczynski’s hot streak.
She is the freshly crowned American indoor record holder in the pole vault at the Boston Indoor Games and undefeated so far this season after two outings.  At 26, Stuczynski has a major upside in track and field, on January 30 she handily won the Millrose Games competition. Last year the Olympian won this event at the Tyson Invitational with 15 feet 2.75 feet. Competing against her will be Olympians Stacy Dragila and April Steiner.

Men’s Shot Put
Last year, Adam Nelson rewrote the meet record book, throwing 73-6 to win the competition. With Reese Hoffa and Dan Taylor in the mix, this contest is nearly guaranteed to be an exciting event.

How fast will they go?
In a change of events, Kerron Clement is switching the 400 meter hurdles for the 200 meters, in a field including J-Mee Samuels and former NCAA all-american Lionel Larry.

Tyson Invitational Track
The 200 meter banked mondo track with a 60-meter straightaway is fast. Very fast.  Don’t be surprised to see several ridiculously fast times emerge from the Tyson Invitational meet on Saturday.

In 2006, Wallace Spearmon shattered the 300 meter world indoor record on this track, and the 4×400 meter relay comprised of Kerron Clement, Wallace Spearmon Jr., Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner ran 3:01.96, shattering the previous world indoor record of 3:02.83.

Brianca Knight - attempting the world record
The 2008 NCAA 200 meter indoor champion and second year professional sprinter announced at the Millrose Games that she will be attempting to break the long standing indoor 200 world record at this meet. Knight will have her work cut out for her but the NCAA record holder boasts a personal best time of 22.40 seconds.

Set back in 1993, the current record is 21.87 seconds held by Merlene Ottey of Jamaica. Knight will be competing against Olympian Natasha Hastings, who won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the women’s 4×400 meter relay.

Galen Rupp vs. Sam Chalenga
The men’s college 5,000 meters is a replay of the 2008 NCAA Cross Country Championships in which Galen Rupp won his first individual cross country title against none other than Liberty’s Sam Chalenga.  It may come down in the end to who has the biggest kick.

John McDonnell Mile
This race is loaded with Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand. Last week, he won the Boston Indoor Games in 3:53.54 and narrowly placed second to Bernard Lagat at the Millrose Games.

Entered in the race is Alan Webb, who is coming off running 3:57.64 in his fourth place finish in Boston. Christian Smith and Chris Lukezic make this arguably one of the hottest races at the Tyson Invitational.

Xavier Carter - Year of Redemption?
After running 19.63 in 2006, Xavier Carter has something to prove in 2009. No one is more happy than Xavier Carter to return to the Tyson Invitational, as all eyes will be watching to see if Xavier Carter returns to top form this season.

In 2009, Carter will be competing in his first meet this year on the Visa Championship Series after finishing eighth in the 100 meter final at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and missing the opportunity to run on the Beijing Olympic team. He suffered a knee injury in 2007 at the 2008 AT&T USA Championships, and he did not fully recover until the beginning of 2008.

Sally Kipyego
Is it possible she may be able to parlay last weeks performance into another strong race? Kipyego is now among greats, as she ran into the history books last week setting a new collegiate record of 8:48.77 at 3,000 meters in the Reebook Indoor Games. She placed second in the race behind Kara Goucher.

You won’t want to miss how she stacks up in the women’s mile that includes: Sarah Bowman, Alice Schmidt, Marina Munica, Brie Felnagle, and even more runners at the starting line.

There are a slew of other athletes to keep your eye on at the Tyson Invitational: Nick Symmonds, Khadevis Robinson, Matt Scherer, Lisa Barber, Shalonda Solomon, and Mike Rodgers.

Sprinter Xavier Carter Arrested in Gainesville

Xavier Carter was arrested Sunday in Gainesville, FL for carrying a concealed weapon.

He was released without bail without an attorney on record, according to jail records.

Police found a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol in the pocket of Carter’s driver-side door. Carter told police he shot the gun earlier in the day but didn’t specify where and why, the records stated.

Carter did not make the Olympic team. He was arrested in December 2007 for running from the police.

Jay Hicks