U.S. Distance Squad Set For Daegu

Eight reigning world champions will lead Team USA at the 2011 IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Daegu, Korea, August 27 to September 4. On the roster are a total of 19 World Championships medalists and 16 Olympic medalists. The IAAF World Championships are the third biggest global sporting event after the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup, and the 13th edition will be the largest sports gathering on the planet in 2011.

More than 2,000 athletes from 200-plus national teams, 10,500 officials and volunteers, 4,000 media representatives, 500,000 spectators and an $80 million economic impact are expected at the host city, Daegu, which is located in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula and has a population of approximately 2.5 million. In addition, more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded including $100,000 for a world record.

The Team USA distance squad is led by multi-World Championship medalist Bernard Lagat and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan. In 2009 Berlin, Lagat, 36, earned bronze and silver medals in the 1500m and 5000m respectively. In Daegu, the two-time Olympic medalist will run the 5000m, while Flanagan, 30, will contest her specialty the 10,000 meters.

The marathon course starts and finishes at the historic Gukchae-bosang Memorial Park in downtown Daegu and features two 15K loops followed by a final 12.195K lap (most of the previous 15K loop). The 26.2 mile course passes by some of the most scenic and famous Daegu attractions including Suseong Lake (twice).

At the most recent 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, Team USA won a total of 22 medals, well ahead of runner-up Jamaica (13). Of the 22 medals, 10 of them were gold for Team USA, which was also ahead of second place Jamaica (7). At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Team USA tied its own record from 2005 by winning a total of 14 gold medals and equaled the best ever for total medals won by an American team with 26.

Below is the U.S. distance team for the Worlds with racing schedules and U.S. medal(s) or best finish at the global championship:

MEN
1500 meters
Tuesday, August 30, 11:20am (heat)
Thursday, September 1, 7:55pm (semi)
Saturday, September 3, 8:15pm (final)

Matthew Centrowitz (Eugene, OR), 2011 USA & NCAA 1500m champion; 3:34.46 personal record (PR)
Leonel Manzano (Austin, TX), 2008 Olympian 1500m; 2005 & 2008 NCAA 1500m champion; 3:32.37 PR
Andrew Wheating (Eugene, OR), 2008 Olympian 800m; 2010 NCAA 800m and 1500m champion; 3:30.90 PR

Medals (4): Gold, Bernard Lagat, 2007 Osaka; Silver, Steve Scott, 1983 Helsinki; Bronze, Jim Spivey, 1987 Rome and Bernard Lagat, 2009 Berlin

3000 meter steeplechase
Monday, August 29, 10:40am (semi)
Thursday, September 1, 8:25pm (final)

Billy Nelson (Longmont, CO), 2011 USA 3000m Steeplechase champion; 2008 Olympian; 8:17.27 PR 
Dan Huling (Columbus, OH), 2010 USA 3000m Steeplechase champion; 8:13.29 PR
Ben Bruce (Eugene, OR), 2011 USA 3000m Steeplechase runner-up; 8:19.10 PR

Best Finish: 4th by Brian Diemer at 1987 Rome

5000 meters
Thursday, September 1, 10:05am (semi)
Sunday, September 4, 7:40pm (final)

Bernard Lagat (Tucson, AZ), 2007 world champion & 2009 World Championships silver medalist; set U.S. 5000m record (12:53.60) in July 2011
Galen Rupp (Portland, OR), 2008 Olympian 10,000m; 2009 NCAA 5000m champion; 13:07:35 PR
Andrew Bumbalough (Portland, OR), 4th at 2011 USA 5000m Championships; 13:16.77 PR

Medals (2): Gold, Bernard Lagat, 2007 Osaka; Silver, Bernard Lagat, 2009 Berlin

10,000 meters
Sunday, August 28, 7:30pm (final)

Galen Rupp (Portland, OR), 2009-11 USA 10,000m champion; 2008 Olympian; 27:10.74 PR, second fastest U.S. 10,000 all-time
Matt Tegenkamp (Portland, OR), 2008 Olympian at 5000m; 4th at 2007 World Championships; 2011 USA 10,000m runner-up; 27:28.22 PR
Scott Bauhs (Mammoth Lakes, CA), third 2011 USA 10,000m Championships; 27:48.06 PR

Best Finish: 6th by Dathan Ritzenhein at 2009 Berlin; 7th by Todd Williams at 1993 Stuttgart and Abdi Abdirahman at 2007 Osaka

Marathon (part of World Cup team competition / World Marathon Majors series)
Sunday, September 4, 9:00am

Nicholas Arciniaga (Flagstaff, AZ), 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon runner-up (2:11:30 PR)
Mike Morgan (Rochester Hills, MI), 2:14:55 PR
Sergio Reyes (Palmdale, CA), 2010 USA Marathon champion (2:14:02 PR)
Jeffrey Eggleston (Flagstaff, AZ), 2010 USA Marathon runner-up; 2011 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon winner (2:16:40); 2:13:12 PR
Mike Sayenko (Bellevue, WA), 2:14:27 PR

Medals (2): Gold, Mark Plaatjes, 1993 Stuttgart; Bronze, Steve Spence, 1991 Tokyo

WOMEN
1500 meters
Sunday, August 28, 10:40am (heat)
Tuesday, August 30, 8:35pm (semi)
Thursday, September 1, 8:55pm (final)

Morgan Uceny (Mammoth Lake, CA), 2011 USA 1500m champion; 4:01.51 PR
Jenny Simpson (Colorado Springs, CO), 2008 Olympian in steeplechase and U.S. record holder; 3:59.90 PR
Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco, CA), 2009 World Championships bronze medalist; 2008-09 USA 1500m champion; 2008 Olympian; 4:00.33 PR

Medals (4): Gold, Mary Decker, 1983 Helsinki; Silver, Regina Jacobs, 1997 Athens and 1999 Seville; Bronze, Shannon Rowbury, 2009 Berlin

3000 meter steeplechase
Saturday, August 27, 10:35am (semi)
Tuesday, August 30, 9:20pm (final)

Emma Coburn (Boulder, CO), 2011 USA & NCAA Steeplechase champion; 9:37.16 PR
Bridget Franek (Eugene, OR), 2011 USA 3000m Steeplechase runner-up; 2010 NCAA champion; 9:32.35 PR
Stephanie Garcia (Charlottesville, VA), 4th 2011 USA Steeplechase; 9:41.12 PR

Best Finish: 5th by Jenny Barringer at 2009 Berlin

5000 meters
Tuesday, August 30, 10:20am (semi)
Friday, September 2, 8:25pm (final)

Molly Huddle (Providence RI), 2011 USA 5000m champion; U.S. record holder (14:44.76)
Amy Hastings (Mammoth Lakes, CA), 2011 USA 5000m runner-up; 15:14.31 PR
Lauren Fleshman (Eugene, OR), 2006 & 2010 USA 5000m champion; 14:58.48 PR

Medal: Gold, Mary Decker, 1983 Helsinki (3000m became 5000m in 1995)
Best 5000m Finish: 7th by Libbie Hickman at 1997 Athens and Jen Rhines at 2007 Osaka

10,000 meters
Saturday, August 27, 9:00pm (final)

Shalane Flanagan (Portland, OR), 2008 & 2011 USA 10,000 champion; 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist; U.S record holder (30:22.22); two-time Olympian
Kara Goucher (Portland, OR), 2011 USA 10,000 runner-up; 2008 Olympian and 2007 World Championships 10,000m bronze medalist; 30:55.16 PR (#3 U.S. all-time)
Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes, CA), third 2011 USA 10,000 Championships; three-time Olympian; 2002 USA 10,000m champion; 31:17.31 PR (#5 U.S. all-time)

Medal: Bronze, Kara Goucher, 2007 Osaka

Marathon (part of World Cup team competition / World Marathon Majors series)
Saturday, August 27, 9:00am

Kathy Newberry (Ann Arbor, MI), 2:35:23 PR
Alissa McKaig (Blowing Rock, NC), 2:37:39 PR
Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, CO), four-time Olympian; 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion; 2:26:35 PR
Tera Moody (Colorado Springs, CO), fifth 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials; 2:30:53 PR
Zoila Gomez (Alamosa, CO), fourth 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials; 2:32:51 PR

Medal: Silver, Marianne Dickerson, 1983 Helsinki

Universal Sports and NBC to broadcast meet
The 2011 World Championships will be broadcast in the United States daily online at UniversalSports.com and via television on NBC and Universal Sports.

Go to universalsports.com for the complete Universal Sports schedule – online and television.

Watch on Television
All times Eastern; subject to change; check local TV listings.
Sat, Aug 27, 1:30pm – NBC
Sun, Aug 28, 12:30pm – NBC
Sat, Sept 3, 2:00pm – NBC
Sun, Sept 4, 1:30pm – NBC

For more World Championships information including the full Team USA roster by event and the media guide, visit: www.usatf.org