Olympian Oliver Is Man To Catch In Millrose 60m Hurdles

Trammell, Payne Figure To Be Main Challengers At Armory

NEW YORK, January 25, 2012 - American record holder and Olympic Bronze medal winner David Oliver will be one of eight standout 60m Hurdles participants in the 105th Millrose Games, February 11 at the Armory.

Oliver owns the American record in the 110m Hurdles and captured the Bronze in the 110m in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Last February he turned in his personal best in the 60m Indoor Hurdles with a 7.37. He won the Bronze in the 60m Hurdles during the World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The Millrose Games' all-time mark is 7.43 by Allen Johnson in 2004.

"This is a big year for me as I prepare for London and I am really looking forward to competing in the Millrose Games at the Armory," Oliver said.

He'll face a strong challenge from Terrence Trammell (two-time Gold medal winner in 60m Hurdles World Indoor Championships and two-time Olympic Silver medal winner in 110m), David Payne (Silver Medal in 2008 Summer Olympics whose 13.17 mark in the 110m Hurdles edged Oliver's 13.18), Omo Osaghae (winner of 2011 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in 60m Hurdles), Richard Phillips (2011 World Championships finalist in 110m Hurdles and Jamaica 110m Hurdles champion), Aries Merritt (Seven-time All-American at University of Tennessee, 2006 NCAA champion and 13.12 in 110m Hurdles to claim second at the 2011 USA Outdoor Championships), Lehan Fourie (2011 South African champion in 110m Hurdles) and Ryan Wilson (runner-up to Oliver in 2010 U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships 110m Hurdles).

Merritt has enjoyed success at the Armory. He is a two-time champion of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in the 60m Hurdles and still holds the meet record at 7.62.

American record-holder David Oliver will face a strong challenge in the 60m Hurdles in this year's Millrose Games at the Armory. Photo credit: Universal News and Sport. 

MORE ABOUT THE 105th MILLROSE GAMES: The country's top men's and women's track & field athletes along with the finest college and high school student-athletes will showcase their talents in the Millrose Games at the Armory.

The Armory previously announced 22-year-old Matthew Centrowitz, the 1,500m Bronze medal winner in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, will be in this year's NYRR Wanamaker Mile. Other celebrated track & field representatives confirmed for the Millrose Games include 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner LaShawn Merritt, who will compete in the 500m event, and eight-time Wanamaker Mile champion Bernard Lagat will be running in the 5,000m.

Three U.S. National records in the 5,000m event could fall and also the Millrose Games all-time mark. Lagat is attempting to break Galen Rupp's American Indoor record of 13:11.44. The other two American records at stake in the race will be the collegiate and high school marks as 11 ``super'' runners square off in one of the night's most anticipated events. A fourth record - the Millrose mark of 13:20.4 - could be eclipsed. Suleiman Nyambui of Tanzania established that record in 1981 when he edged Alberto Salazar (13:22.6) to set a World Indoor record.

Contender for an Olympic Gold medal and current Outdoor High Jump World Champion Jesse Williams joins 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Allyson Felix and World Champion/2008 USA Olympian Jennifer Simpson as confirmed athletes in the nation's premier indoor track & field event. Felix will compete in the Women's 60m event and Simpson will participate in the Millrose Games' first New York Road Runners' Wanamaker Metric Mile for Women along with two-time U.S. champion and 2008 Olympic finalist Shannon Rowbury.

Seven-time Wanamaker Mile champion and ``Chairman of the Boards'' Eamonn Coghlan returns to be part of this year's Millrose Games. Coghlan will be the honorary coach of Ireland's ``Dream Team'' from Dublin City University to compete in the Byron Dyce College Men's Distance Medley Relay against national college power Villanova, coached by five-time Wanamaker Mile champion Marcus O'Sullivan of Ireland, and Duke, Providence, Iona, LaSalle, Albany and Brown.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.armorytrack.com. Click on to Millrose Games for more information, including ticket prices and seating chart. Note: there is an 8 ticket limit for online sales. For group sales of more than 8 tickets please call the Group Sales at (818) 276-6790 (818-ARMORY-0).

For more information on the Millrose Games, click to www.millrose-games.org.

CREDENTIALS FOR THE MILLROSE GAMES: Members of the media must go to http://www.armorytrack.com/credential/Create. Please fill out the form. Deadline to sign up for the Millrose Games is 5 p.m., Feb. 7.

ABOUT THE ARMORY FOUNDATION:

A New York City non-profit, the Armory will be the proud home of the Millrose Games beginning in 2012.  With more than 100 additional indoor track & field meets, the Armory will welcome over 125,000 individual athletes. Besides its many youth sports and educational programs, the Armory runs the Hispanic Games, the New Balance Games, and the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, the largest indoor college meet in the United States. The Armory is also the home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.  

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