The 2009 Prefontaine Classic: Phillips And Barringer Stand Out

by Yuliya Talmazan | June 7, 2009 at 05:32 pm

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The 2009 Prefontaine Classic, one of the premier track and field meets at the United States, took place on Sunday at the Hayward Field of the University of Oregon. The heroes of the day were the former Olympic champion Dwight Phillips and steeplechase record holder Jennifer Barringer.

Phillips won the long jump, posting the astounding 8.74 meters -- a tie for the fifth-longest jump in history.

"Last week I knew I was jumping far and I was looking at the world record," said Phillips. "I knew I was capable of jumping this far. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. I'm hungry. I'm excited about the sport again."

Phillips, 31, is the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, but a string of injuries combined with advancing age threatened to end his career. This year, he lost his sponsorship.

Barringer came in second to Ethiopia's Gelete Burka with a time of 3:59:90, conceding a mere 1/100 of a second, in the 1,500 m race.

Barringer's performance is the best by an American in seven years, the third-fastest women's 1,500m in the world this year and it betters the previous collegiate record of 4:05.75 by Lindsay Gallo set in 2005

The University of Colorado senior made a late charge from behind in the home straight and almost caught Ethiopian Gelete Burka at the tape in a thrilling finish to the 1,500 meters before 12,841 at Hayward Field.

The Nike Prefontaine Classic is the fifth event of the USA Track & Field Outdoor Visa Championship Series, which will conclude at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, June 25-28.