The 50th Prefontaine Classic is on Saturday, and as always, it is going to be a banger. We’ve already previewed three of the marquee events of the meet — the Bowerman Mile and men’s and women’s 100s — so make sure to check out those articles if you haven’t already. But the meet is so good — 17 Olympic champions! — that basically every event is going to be must-watch.

 

Here is what else you need to watch for ahead of the meet this weekend.

 

 

What: 2025 Prefontaine Classic

When: Saturday, July 5 (Bowerman Mile at 5:50 p.m. ET)

Where: Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore.

*TV/streaming information *Schedule/entries

 

Could we see the first women’s sub-14:00 on the track?

Nike spent the last month hyping one of its Kenyan stars’ attempts to break a round number barrier, and when Faith Kipyegon‘s attempt to break 4:00 in the mile fell well short, Nike’s tagline became, “Not if. When.”

 

 

That phrase is much more appropriate in the women’s 5,000, where another Kenyan Nike star, Beatrice Chebet, has been knocking on the door of another major barrier, 14:00 Chebet, the Olympic 5k/10k champ, has already broken 14:00 on the roads and has run 8:11 and 14:03 for 3k and 5k on the track in 2025. Chebet almost broke the 14:00.21 world record by accident in Rome last month — the pacing lights were set to 14:15, but she decided to pick it up in the last two kilometers because she was feeling good. After running 14:13 pace through 3k, she finished at 14:03 by going 2:47.8-2:44.7 for her last 2k.

 

After the race, Chebet said what we all knew: the world record is going down soon.

 

“I am capable of the world record,” Chebet said. “So now I am going home and will prepare for it. Everything is possible. If I get someone who will push me up to 3000, it is possible…Soon, I am going for the time under 14.”

 

Chebet headlines the women’s 5,000 at Pre, which doubles as the Kenyan World Championship trials. It is not an ideal situation to run fast — the race is in the middle of the day (1:20 p.m.

 

local), which means it will be sunny, warm (70s Fahrenheit), and a little windy (8-9 mph). But women’s world records have fallen at Pre in each of the last two years (Gudaf Tsegay in the 5,000 in 2023, Chebet in the 10,000 in 2024), and Chebet is so fit right now that she could conceivably break the WR even if conditions aren’t perfect.

 

 

Really what this comes down to is what Chebet — and Nike, who would love to see another world record at its flagship meet — wants to do. If she sets the pace lights to 14:05 or faster, the world record is probably history.

 

Beyond Chebet, there are 23 other runners in this race. That includes fellow Kenyan Agnes Ngetich, who has been brilliant on the Grand Slam Track circuit, as well as Ethiopians Tsegay, Medina Eisa, Birke Haylom, and Hirut Meshesha. Officially, this is the Kenyan trials, but it could end up doubling as the Ethiopian trials as well.

The selection criteria isn’t totally clear — the Ethiopian federation is not the best at communicating with athletes — but season’s bests are usually very important and this may be the best opportunity for the top Ethiopians to run a fast 5,000 in 2025.

 

There is one American in the field, Weini Kelati, and we’ve heard she is very fit right now. She won’t be close to Chebet, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on the clock. Kelati’s pb is 14:35.43 and the American record is Alicia Monson‘s 14:19.45.

 

Will Beatrice Chebet break 14:00 at the 2025 Pre Classic?

 

 

Kenyan (and Ethiopian?) trials in the men’s 10,000. Plus Conner Mantz.

Just like last year, Kenya will hold its men’s 10,000m trials at Pre, but the Kenyan field will not be nearly as strong. Defending champ Daniel Mateiko is not running.

Kenya’s top Olympic finisher, 5th placer Benard Kibet, was just provisionally suspended for ABP violations. 2023 Worlds silver medalist Daniel Ebenyo is not running either. The most intriguing Kenyan entrants are Stanley Mburu (2022 Worlds silver) and 20-year-old Ishmael Kipkurui, who just won the NCAA 10,000 title for New Mexico.

 

As in the women’s 5,000, this may end up serving as a de facto Ethiopian trials as well, and that is where things get really interesting. Olympic silver medalist and Grant Fisher slayer Berihu Aregawi (he’s finished one spot ahead of Fisher in the 10,000 at each of the last two Olympics) leads the way, and though he has not raced in over two months, he is the clear favorite.

2021 Olympic champion Selemon Barega (running his first track race since making his marathon debut in February), Hagos Gebrhiwet, and 18-year-old Biniam Mehary, who ran 26:37 to just miss out on a spot on the Ethiopian 10,000 team last year, are the other big names. Yomif Kejelcha, 6th at last year’s Olympics, is not running.

 

Conner Mantz is the sole American entrant, because of course he is. Mantz may be America’s best marathoner, but he loves racing on any surface. Why not hop in a fast 10,000 at Pre?

 

“We had a big gap in his calendar, and I think, more than anything, the desire to do it,” Mantz’s coach Ed Eyestone told LetsRun. “Nike thought it would be cool to have him in there, and I think he takes pride in the fact that he’s been able to mix it up very well with international fields.”

 

Eyestone said he believes Mantz, whose pb is 27:25, is in shape to run in the 27:00s. Mantz is always in pretty good shape, but the big focus for the rest of the year is on October’s Chicago Marathon, where Mantz has announced his intention to attack Khalid Khannouchi‘s 2:05:38 American record.

 

“He’d love to go under 27:00,” Eyestone said. “I don’t know that we’ve been doing the work that’s necessarily going to put him in that position.”

 

Athing Mu-Nikolayev runs her first 800 in a year

Outside of the women’s 5,000 and men’s 10,000, which are actual trials races, no event at Pre will have bigger World Championship ramifications than the women’s 800, where Athing Mu-Nikolayev will run her first 800 in a year.

 

After tearing her hamstring last spring, Mu-Nikolayev (she got married over the winter) raced just two 800m finals in 2024: the Olympic Trials final, where she fell; and the Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, where she looked well off her best and finished 5th in 2:00.29.

 

Mu-Nikolayev skipped indoors, and her three outdoor races (she strategically DNF’d one) have all been over-distance efforts, most recently a 4:10 1500 on May 24. We really have no idea what kind of 800m shape she is in right now.

 

That is what makes Saturday’s race so intriguing. Mu-Nikolayev’s rival Keely Hodgkinson is injured and has not raced since winning Olympic gold. But most of the other top 800 contenders will be at Pre, including reigning world champ Mary Moraa, Olympic silver medalist Tsige Duguma, and World Indoor champ Prudence Sekgodiso.

 

Bobby Kersee likened Mu-Nikolayev’s low-key start to the 2025 season to a baseball pitcher doing a few rehab stints in the minors. But given the qualty Mu-Nikolayev faced in those races versus this one, it’s more like a pitcher going from a high school game to an MLB playoff game.

 

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How will Mu-Nikolayev respond? At her peak, she would be expected to win handily. Duguma (1:56.64) and Sekgodiso (1:57.16) are the two fastest women in the world right now, yet Duguma has barely come within two seconds of Mu-Nikolayev’s 1:54.97 pb. Maybe we see that version of Athing Mu-Nikolayev, who is still just 23, on Saturday.

 

But what if we don’t? Mu-Nikolayev was so good early in her career that she did not have to worry much about tactics. How will she adapt if she is “only” a 1:56-57 woman now who can’t dictate races the way she used to?

 

There are a lot of questions in this one. We’ll finally get some answers on Saturday.

 

For more on Mu-Nikolayev, Scott Reid has written a nice profile in the Orange County Register. Read/discuss it here: MB Athing Mu opens up about her love of running, marriage and overcoming 2024 disappointment

 

Where will Athing Mu-Nikolayev finish in the 800 at Pre?

 

 

Olympic podium rematches & possible world record attempts in women’s 1500 and steeple

The women’s 1500 and steeple at Pre both feature the top four from last year’s Olympics. Both world records could conceivably fall on Saturday. These are races that could easily headline a different Diamond League, and yet they may not even crack the top five most exciting events at Pre.

 

But that doesn’t mean they’re not exciting. Faith Kipyegon headlines the women’s 1500 alongside fellow Olympic medalists Jessica Hull and Georgia Hunter Bell and fourth placer Diribe Welteji, and meet organizers are clearly expecting something special as they just announced the women’s 1500 will be the final event of the meet a spot usually reserved for the Bowerman Mile.

Kipyegon just ran 4:06.91, the fastest mile ever, at Breaking4, passing 1500 in around 3:48.5 — faster than her 3:49.04 world record from last year. Kipyegon had a ton of male pacers in that race, so the times did not count for record purposes, but afterwards she said the splits gave her hope to run under 3:49 in a DL race. That certainly appears to be the aim on Saturday.

 

Behind Kipyegon, the 1500 will serve as a preview of next month’s US championships. Between Nikki Hiltz, Emily Mackay, Sinclaire Johnson, Shelby Houlihan, and Heather MacLean, pretty much all the main American contenders are in this one.

 

The steeple is a similar story. Olympic gold and silver medalists Winfred Yavi and Peruth Chemutai are both running, but the woman to beat this year has been 20-year-old bronze medalist Faith Cherotich, who just ran a world-leading 8:53.37 to win at the Paris Diamond League. Yavi missed the world record by .07 in Rome last year, and Hayward Field has hosted more sub-9:00s (15) than any other track. Don’t be surprised if we see something very fast in this one.

 

As in the 1500, the top Americans are all running here as well: Val Constien, Courtney Wayment, Krissy Gear, Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Gabbi Jennings, and Olivia Markezich are all entered.

 

Will Faith Kipyegon break her 3:49.04 WR in the 1500 at Pre?

 

In each of the past two years, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has come agonizingly close to breaking the American 400m record.

The record is 48.70, set by Sanya Richards-Ross back in 2006. SML ran 48.74 at USAs in 2023, then 48.75 at a windy NYC Grand Prix last year. She hasn’t run crazy fast this year at Grand Slam Track — 50.32 and 49.69 as part of her 400/400H doubles — but the fact that Prefontaine organizers added a 400 specifically for McLaughlin-Levrone suggests she is ready to run fast.

 

Of course, we were meant to see SML race the 400 against Olympic gold and silver medalists Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser in Los Angeles last weekend, but that fell apart when Grand Slam Track cancelled the meet. Neither of them will be in Eugene, with Paulino lining up in the 400 in Monaco next week instead (the 400 is not an official DL event at Pre).

 

There are still some quality athletes in this race — Rhasidat Adeleke, Amber Anning, and Alexis Holmes finished 4th through 6th at the Olympics, and Bella Whittaker just won a couple of Diamond Leagues in Europe. But the key battle could end up being McLaughlin-Levrone against the ghost of Sanya Richards-Ross.

 

Tebogo v. Bednarek in the 200, Hall v. Hudson-Smith in the 400, Benjamin v. dos Santos in 400H

It’s crazy that we’re almost 2,000 words into this preview and haven’t mentioned the Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo taking on Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek in the 200. Bednarek, who went undefeated in Grand Slam Track, has been in much better form than Tebogo, who has battled injury this spring and hasn’t raced since May. If he’s back on track, this could be a great matchup.

 

We also have an Olympic rematch in the men’s 400 between gold medalist Quincy Hall and silver medalist Matt Hudson-Smith — the first time those two have tangoed since Paris. And while there’s no Karsten Warholm in the men’s 400 hurdles, we will get Rai Benjamin against Alison dos Santos, both of whom dipped under 47 seconds their last time out in Stockholm.

 

Talk about Pre on our world-famous messageboard.

 

Thompson expects ‘fireworks’ in next clash with Lyles

Kishane Thompson is looking forward to “fireworks” when he next faces American Noah Lyles in a rematch of the Paris Olympics 100 metre final — whenever that showdown materialises.

 

Lyles edged Thompson by just .005sec in the 100m final in Paris 11 months ago, and they haven’t faced each other since.

 

Alkaline interview left fans disappointed

 

Thompson, in red-hot form ahead of Saturday’s Eugene Diamond League meeting — in which Lyles isn’t entered — said he’s “most definitely” eager to take on the American again.

 

“I’m a very competitive person,” Thompson said. “I might not show it, but when it comes to competing with a phenomenal person, I think he’s a phenomenal athlete, great rival.”

 

The Best Dressed Chicken x Mystic Thai

 

“So, yeah, of course, when he’s ready to step back on the track and we meet it’s going to be fireworks for sure.”

 

It remains to be seen whether they will meet before the World Championships, which will be held in Tokyo from September 13-21.

 

 

Lyles has yet to race a 100m or 200m this season, but 23-year-old Thompson is riding high after winning the 100m at the Jamaican national athletics trials in a blistering 9.75sec on June 27.

 

“I’m really grateful for that race,” he said. “So far we’re just working on the execution, bit by bit trying to put everything together.

 

“For early season it’s just trying to find that sweet spot, how it feels to compete at a high level while doing the best execution out there as possible.

 

“Also getting that competition vibe going and just enjoying myself.”

 

Thompson’s career-best time made him the sixth-fastest performer in history.

 

Only Justin Gatlin (9.74), Asafa Powell (9.72), Yohan Blake (9.69) Tyson Gay (9.69) and world record-holder Bolt (9.58) have gone faster.

 

“I think I’m aware subconsciously,” he said of climbing a list topped by sprinters he calls “the gods of their time”.

 

“But I don’t let it overshadow anything that I’ve got to think about.”

 

 

 

So far this year, the three medalists from the 2024 women’s Olympic 100-meter final have been siloed from each other. Gold medalist Julien Alfred has been dominating the Diamond League. Bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has been dominating Grand Slam Track.

Meanwhile, silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson, the biggest name in American track, has raced on neither circuit. Halfway through 2025, the mercurial Richardson has run a grand total of one (very slow) race. But, as we’ve seen in the past, it only takes one race for her to turn things around.

 

On Saturday, the 100m stars will be siloed no more as they face off in a loaded women’s 100 at the Prefontaine Classic, a race which will also feature 20-year-old Tina Clayton, fresh off a 10.81 personal best victory at last week’s Jamaican championships. The men’s 100 also features a big-time matchup between Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson, who just ran the fastest time in the world in 10 years (9.75) at the Jamaican champs, and US leader Trayvon Bromell (9.84 in Rome on June 6). Preview of both races below.

 

Meet details

What: 2025 Prefontaine Classic

When: Saturday, July 5 (Bowerman Mile at 5:50 p.m. ET)

Where: Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore.

*TV/streaming information *Schedule/entries

 

Women’s 100: Who’s the favorite with 10 weeks to go until Worlds?

Entries

 

Julien Alfred (LCA) 10.75 sb

Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) 10.93 sb

Tina Clayton (JAM) 10.81 sb

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) 10.73 sb (world leader)

Favour Ofili (NGR) 10.87 sb

Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) 11.47 sb

Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) 10.92 sb

Twanisha Terry (USA) 10.85 sb

 

Julien Alfred broke out by winning the Olympic title in 2024 and might be even better in 2025. Alfred chose not to defend her World Indoor 60m title in March, but she has shown no signs of rust, running her fastest early-season times ever this year.

Her 21.88 in Gainesville on April 18 was her second-fastest ever, behind only her 21.86 pb from July 2024. She has also won both of her 100m races this year — 10.89 in Oslo on June 12, then 10.75 (+0.9) in Stockholm on June 15. The latter time was also her second-best ever, behind only her 10.72 from the Olympic final. She enters Prefontaine as the favorite.

 

Yet despite all that, you can’t call Alfred a lock for the win. That is how good Melissa Jefferson-Wooden has been this year.

MJW won all three 100m races at Grand Slam Track, including a windy 10.75 (+2.4) in Miramar and a wind-legal, world-leading 10.73 (+1.3) in Philadelphia. That’s a nice improvement on her 10.80 pb from the Olympic Trials last year. Plus she has drastically improved in the 200, dropping her pb from 22.46 to 21.99, which she ran to beat Olympic champion Gabby Thomas in Philly.

 

And even though she is facing two red-hot stars, you can’t count out Sha’Carri Richardson either. To this point, Richardson’s entire 2025 season consists of one race, an 11.47 (-0.9) in Tokyo in which she lost to the likes of Bree Rizzo and Sade McCreath.

That’s an objectively awful result and Richardson’s slowest time in four years…and yet it’s not completely different from how Richardson started 2024. Last year, Richardson went to China ran two slow Diamond League 200s, then came back and ran 10.83 to beat everyone convincingly at Pre (including Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden). We know Richardson has the talent, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see her show up to Pre and run something fast in 2025.

 

The wild card is 20-year-old Jamaican champ Tina Clayton, twin sister of Tia. Tina began as the faster of the two, winning back-to-back world U20 titles in 2021 and 2022, but struggled mightily in 2023 and 2024, failing to even make the final at the Jamaican champs.

She has been much improved in 2025, running back-to-back pbs of 10.93 and 10.81 in the semi and final to win the Jamaican champs last weekend. Tia, who was 7th in the Olympic final last year, tied her pb with a 10.86 in the semi at the Jamaican champs but pulled up midway through the final and is no longer on the start list on the Pre website (she still appears on the start list on the Diamond League site).

 

JG prediction: Alfred holds the crown as the fastest woman in the world. As good as Jefferson-Wooden has been this year, I’m picking Alfred FTW until she gives me a reason not to.

 

Who wins the men’s 100 at Pre?

 

Kishane Thompson

Trayvon Bromell

Ackeem Blake

Other

Men’s 100: The Kishane Thompson show heads north

Entries

 

 

Jeremiah Azu (GBR) 10.17 sb

Ackeem Blake (JAM) 9.88 sb

Trayvon Bromell (USA) 9.84 sb

Christian Coleman (USA) 10.06 sb

Brandon Hicklin (USA) 9.93 sb

Zharnel Hughes (GBR) 10.05 sb

Lachlan Kennedy (AUS) 9.98 sb

Kishane Thompson (JAM) 9.75 sb (world leader)

Bayanda Walaza (RSA) 9.94 sb

 

Kishane Thompson only ran four 100-meter finals in 2025. He only finished three of them. But when he did race, he delivered. Thompson finished the year with three of the five fastest times in the world (9.77, 9.79, and 9.80) and an Olympic silver medal. There is no doubting his ability.

 

 

 

Donovan Bailey believes Kishane Thompson delivered the kind of performance that many had been waiting to see, but it came a little bit late.

Canadian-Jamaican legend Donovan Bailey has explained why he was not surprised by Kishane Thompson’s scintillating run at the Jamaican Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston but believes he should have that time earlier.

 

Kishane Thompson was in a class of his own as he clocked a stunning 9.75 seconds, the fastest time since 2015, to win the race.

 

The Olympic 100m silver medallist crossed the finish line first ahead of Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake, who clocked 9.83 and 9.88.

 

Pay Attention: Don’t miss today’s predictions from Bet of the Day (Check Out)

 

Kishane Thompson Relishes Showdown with Bayanda Walaza, Christian Coleman and CO in Stacked 100m Field

Kishane Thompson Relishes Showdown with Bayanda Walaza, Christian Coleman and CO in Stacked 100m Field

Donovan Bailey: I’m Not Surprised

Donovan Bailey and Kishane Thompson

Donovan Bailey advises Kishane Thompson

The double Olympic champion explained that Kishane Thompson has been working behind the scenes, and he is impressed by how he has gained confidence thus far.

 

Speaking on the Donovan Bailey YouTube Channel, the double world champion pointed out that Kishane Thompson should have run that time at the Paris Olympic Games.

 

At the Olympic Games, Kishane Thompson finished five thousandths of a second behind Noah Lyles, both clocking 9.79 seconds in the men’s 100m final.

 

“I’m not surprised…I think that what Kishane and his team have been doing is putting together his execution,” Donovan Bailey said.

 

‘Everything Else is Noise’ – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Silences Critics as she Eyes World Championships

‘Everything Else is Noise’ – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Silences Critics as she Eyes World Championships

“His time today reflects a young man who is exceptionally talented and is finally relaxed, and he’s executing throughout the race, so the time itself wasn’t shocking at all for me because the race that he ran in Jamaica at trials was what he should have run at the Olympics.”

 

Donovan Bailey: It’s a Different Level of Calmness

Donovan Bailey and Kishane Thompson

Donovan Bailey

Donovan Bailey added that after watching the race, he saw a more mature Kishane Thompson, who was able to handle the pressure throughout the race.

 

He was impressed with how Kishane Thompson did not lean in the race, noting that he controlled the race from start to finish and showcased a different kind of maturity.

 

Bailey noted that following Kishane Thompson’s run, and also having Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake clock such fast times, Jamaica is back to the top in sprinting and all those who had doubted the nation’s potential following Usain Bolt’s retirement should be ready for a tough show.

 

“I watched the race and saw the breakdown, you know, but also what I saw after, which really impressed me, was his interview,” Donovan Bailey said.

 

“It’s a different level of calmness, it’s a different level of confidence, and I think that, you know what Kishane was doing was he’d be out in front of everybody and then at 80m or you know 70m, he would try to run fast you would you know it’s almost like you’re trying to pull the finish line closer to you as opposed to relax and let it come to you.

 

“There was no looking for the line, there was no leaning. For all those people who said that you know, I guess Jamaica had lost it in the male sprinting side, you know, sorry. Kishane showed fantastic maturity in the race, allowing himself out of his drive phase, hitting top speed, and then relaxing going home.”

 

With his calm demeanour and blazing speed, Kishane Thompson has not only silenced doubters but also signalled the return of Jamaica’s sprinting dominance, and according to Donovan Bailey, this is just the beginning.

 

Julien Alfred defeated Sha’Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson to clinch Olympic 100m gold in Paris. i Julien Alfred defeated Sha’Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson to clinch Olympic 100m gold in Paris.

Sha’Carri Richardson faces Julien Alfred, Melissa Jefferson and Shericka Jackson in the highly anticipated women’s 100m at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic.

The stage is set for one of the most anticipated sprint battles of the year as the 2025 Prefontaine Classic brings together a star-studded field in the women’s 100 meters.

 

Headlining the event is Sha’Carri Richardson, who will take on Olympic champion Julien Alfred, world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Shericka Jackson and several other global sprint powerhouses on Saturday, July 5.

 

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

 

OFFICIAL: Government Officially Hands Over Kasarani Stadium Ahead of 2024 CHAN

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The Sha’Carri Rollercoaster: Which Version Will Show Up?

Sha’Carri Richardson

Sha’Carri Richardson became the world 100m champion at the 2023 world championships in Budapest

Sha’Carri Richardson’s history at the Prefontaine Classic is as unpredictable as she finished last place in 2021 to winning in 2024.

 

This year, her season has been nearly invisible, with just one appearance, running a flat 11.47 for fourth in Tokyo.

 

While that performance raised eyebrows, it would be unwise to count her out as Richardson is known to thrive under pressure and often saves her best for the biggest stages.

 

‘It’s Over’ – Lionel Messi Breaks Silence After Shock Club World Cup Exit

‘It’s Over’ – Lionel Messi Breaks Silence After Shock Club World Cup Exit

Julien Alfred and Co Ready to Challenge Richardson

Julien Alfred

Julien Alfred is among those set lineup against Sha’Carri Richardson. Photo. Imago

However, waiting for her at the finish line will be the in-form Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, who bested Richardson to take gold at the Paris Olympics.

 

Alfred remains undefeated in 2025 with Diamond League wins in Oslo and Stockholm, and her season-best of 10.75 makes her the woman to beat.

 

Another name to watch is Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who, despite staying out of the Diamond League until now, has completely dominated the Grand Slam Track circuit.

 

She’s won all three Slam meets and holds the world-leading time of 10.73, clocked in Philadelphia.

 

The race is far from a three-woman duel as veterans such as Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and emerging stars like Tina and Tia Clayton will make this one of the deepest 100m fields of the season

 

‘She Showed That I Should Have Stayed Longer’ – Usain Bolt Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

‘She Showed That I Should Have Stayed Longer’ – Usain Bolt Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

How to Watch the 2025 Prefontaine Classic

Streaming: Watch on FloTrack with pre and post shows from Eugene.

 

 

 

Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson. i Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson.

Jamaican sprint star Shericka Jackson expressed her feelings on running the second-fastest 200m time in history, just behind Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record.

Jamaican sprint sensation Shericka Jackson has opened up about her emotions and reflections after clocking the second fastest time ever in the women’s 200m, trailing only the legendary American Florence Griffith-Joyner, famously known as Flo Jo.

 

The World Champion known for her poise and power on the track, shared her thoughts in a recent interview, beaming with pride over the milestone.

 

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Gor Mahia Sack Entire Technical Bench and Team Security Members After Nightmare Season

Gor Mahia Sack Entire Technical Bench and Team Security Members After Nightmare Season

“I feel good,” Jackson said with a smile, referring to the monumental achievement.

 

“I saw a video where I expressed what I wanted to achieve, and just to see it, seeing that I’m achieving all of those one step at a time, I’m actually feeling really good.”

 

Shericka Jackson From Goals to Glory

Shericka Jackson

Shericka Jackson Image source: Imago

Shericka Jackson’s journey in the 200m has been one of remarkable progression, evolving from a 400m specialist to one of the fastest women in history over the half-lap distance.

 

Her time of 21.41 seconds, recorded at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, was not only a championship record but also a clear message that Flo Jo’s long-standing world record of 21.34 seconds is not unreachable.

 

Despite the immense pressure that comes with being compared to icons of the sport, Jackson remains grounded.

 

Her focus is not solely on chasing records, but on enjoying the process, improving with each race, and staying consistent in her performances.

 

Government Reveals When Nyayo Stadium Will Be Handed Over With CHAN 2024 Four Weeks Away

Government Reveals When Nyayo Stadium Will Be Handed Over With CHAN 2024 Four Weeks Away

 

As the world turns its gaze to the upcoming Tokyo 2025 World Championhips, Jackson will be one of the key athletes to watch.

 

With a gold medal already in her collection, fans and analysts alike are optimistic that she may challenge the world record in the right conditions.

 

“I’m achieving everything I set out to do. Step by step,” she reaffirmed.

 

For Shericka Jackson, it is about legacy, longevity, and the quiet confidence of a woman who knows exactly where she’s headed.

 

 

Kenyan athletes among the stellar line-up for Oregon Prefontaine Classic

Kenya’s gold medalist Beatrice Chebet (L) and silver medalist Kipyegon Faith (R) compete during the Women’s 5000m – Final during Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France. Mehmet Murat Onel / Anadolu (Photo by Mehmet Murat Onel / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP)

 

Kenya’s road to the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo takes a decisive turn this Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, where the Prefontaine Classic will serve as the national trials for the women’s 5,000m and men’s 10,000m.

 

Leading the women’s line-up is world 5,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet, who headlines a loaded field that includes world 10km road record holder Agnes Ng’etich, former African 10,000m champion Caroline Nyaga, Margaret Akidor, Maurine Jepkoech, Janeth Chepngetich, Sarah Wanjiru, Caroline Kariba, and Hellen Ekalale.

 

After taking bronze in Budapest last year, adding to her silver from Eugene in 2022, Chebet is on a mission to complete the set with gold in Tokyo.

 

“Eugene is about punching the World Championships ticket, that’s the main goal,” said her coach Peter Bii of Asics Iten.

 

Unbeaten in the 5,000m this year, Chebet began her 2025 campaign with a commanding 14:27.12 win in Xiamen, followed by a world-leading 14:03.69 victory at the Rome Golden Gala.

 

Ng’etich, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent distance runners on both track and road. She set the 2025 women-only 10km world record in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and earlier broke the mixed 10km world record in Valencia last year, clocking 28:46. On Grand slam track this season, she was second in both the 3,000m (8:28.75) and 5,000m (14:49.80) at the Kingston Grand Slam, before winning the 5,000m in 14:25.80 at the Miami Slam and dominating the 3,000m in 8:43.61 at the Philadelphia Slam.

 

Ng’etich’s recent form makes her a serious threat to Chebet, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive races of the meet.

 

Notably absent is reigning world champion Faith Kipyegon, who is expected to receive a wild card to defend her 5,000m title. Fresh off her historic sub-4-minute mile attempt in Paris, Kipyegon is listed in the 1500m at Eugene.

 

In the men’s 10,000m, Kenya will be led by 2022 world silver medallist Stanley Waithaka, former Diamond League trophy winner Nicholas Kipkorir, NCAA champion Ishmael Kipkurui Rokitto, and former World U20 champion Benson Kiplangat.

 

Rokitto, fresh from representing the University of New Mexico, returns to Hayward Field—the same venue where he won the NCAA title last month in 29:07.70. Others in the field include Richard Etir, Mathew Kipsang, Matthew Kipkoech, Edwin Kurgat, Gideon Rono, Samwel Chebolei, and Vincent Langat.

 

World silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo will be absent after officially requesting not to be included.

 

“Ebenyo requested to be left out of the team to Oregon. That letter is in our files,” confirmed an Athletics Kenya official.

 

The Kenyan men will face a stern test from Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Selemon Barega and Berihu Aregawi amongst others.

 

Athletics Kenya rules indicate that the top two athletes in each race will automatically qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo, with the third slot left to the discretion of the Panel of Selectors.

 

 

 

Usain Bolt has emphatically shut down suggestions that last year’s Olympic 100 metres final was superior to the 2012 edition which featured names such as Yohan Blake, Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin.

 

Last summer, at a capacity Stade de France, Noah Lyles won the 100m title by five-thousandths of a second as he defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in one of the most dramatic races in Olympic history.

 

It was soon described as the greatest race in history as all eight men finished within 0.12 seconds of the gold medal.

 

 

 

But on an episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, Bolt argued that the 2012 final in London was better as he joined former sprinter Rodney Green and fellow Olympic gold medallist Justin Gatlin to discuss the ‘then and now’ of sprinting.

 

Speaking on the episode, Bolt began the discussion by asking: “Do you guys really think the last 100m was the best one? I’m curious, do you really think so after what we performed in 2012?”

 

Gatlin, who won bronze in 2012 after losing out to Yohan Blake and Bolt, also gave his take on the debate.

 

“The line up in that race was unheard of. When you look at any other sport and the greatest of those sports NBA, NFL – they’re in generations. [Michael] Jordan didn’t play with LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] played some with LeBron,” he said.

 

 

 

“But the fact of our line up is we were all in the same generation and we lined up at the same time.

 

“That was the most epic race when it came to legacy. Time wise, I can understand where you’re coming from when it comes to numbers but you won’t ever replicate that race ever again in life. The top five men in history were in that race.”

 

Bolt soon brought up the current crop of sprinters, and suggested they wouldn’t have been able to complete with five-time Olympic medallist Gatlin, who once recorded a 100m time of 9.74 seconds – the fifth-fastest in history.

 

“Nobody in that race (2024 final) would have gotten a medal (in the 2012 final),” said Bolt. “Justin, they wouldn’t have caught you, they’d have been chasing tails.”

 

 

 

Gatlin agreed, saying: “If I’d have lined up with them at that period of time, I would have won that.”

 

Bolt wins the 100m final in London. Image credit: Getty

Bolt wins the 100m final in London. Image credit: Getty

Reflecting on the 2012 race, Bolt added: “In 2012, I was right beside him (Gatlin) when the gun went, he was one step ahead of me and I was like, how is this even possible.

 

“It’s a good thing I’m mentally tough because if you’re not mentally tough, you see that your vibe is broken immediately.”

 

Usain Bolt snubbed Gout Gout and Noah Lyles when naming the man he thinks can beat his 100m world record

In an interview on The Fix Podcast in February, Bolt named his compatriot Oblique Seville as the man that could finally smash the 9.58 barrier.

 

 

 

Seville competed in the men’s 100m event in Paris and won his semi-final, running a time of 9.81 to finish ahead of Lyles, but during the final, he suffered a flare-up of a previous groin injury.

 

That restricted him to running 9.91, meaning he finished in eighth place out of eight runners.

 

Bolt still feels he can make history, though. “I feel like Oblique can do it [break my record],” he said. “If he can stay fit during the season and get it right, I feel he can do it. Because I am sure there is something there, the ability to do it.

 

“Some of the time Oblique can be fragile. It’s a matter of the work situation or whatever, but if he’s doing enough work, he can do it. It’s a matter of time because he’s not missed the finals yet, so it’s just to get over the hump.”

 

 

 

Hypothetically speaking, Bolt believes the current crop of sprinters wouldn’t have stood a chance in the 2012 final. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.