Boone-Smith runs 2nd fastest time in the world, Brown ranked 8th in the world

For more information on the World Outdoor Championships, please go to http://www.iaaf.org

Four-time world champion Allen Johnson won one of the greatest 110-meter hurdles races in history, leading the way for an amazing American contingent for Helsinki that ran the three fastest times of 2005 in Friday’s final.

Men 110 Meter Hurdles Open

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       World: W 12.91  8/20/1993   Collin Jackson/Xiang Liu, GBR/CHN
    American: A 12.92  8/16/1989   Roger Kingdom / Allen Johnson - 8/
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals  Wind
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Finals

  1 Allen Johnson                Nike                     12.99   0.2

  2 Dominique Arnold             Nike                     13.01   0.2

  3 Terrence Trammell            Mizuno                   13.02   0.2

  4 Joel Brown                   Nike                     13.28   0.2

  5 David Payne                  Unattached               13.33   0.2

  6 Antwon Hicks                 Unattached               13.35   0.2

  7 Aries Merritt                Tennessee                13.39   0.2

  8 David Oliver                 Ehi                      13.46   0.2

  9 Ron Bramlett                 Nike                     13.58   0.2

On Saturday June 18th, World Express middle distance runner David Freeman (Puerto Rico) ran a seasonal best time in the 1500m race at the V Reuni?n Internacional de Atletismo “Villa de Bilbao” in Spain. Freeman, fresh off his victory at the Puerto Rican National T&F Championships, flew to Spain to compete in this international event. His time of 3:43.28 was good for second place but an improvement over his recent results. Freeman is scheduled next to compete in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) in the II Reuni?n Internacional “Gobierno de Arag?n” track meet.

U.S. athletes Joel Brown and Rachelle Boone-Smith are preparing for the USA T&F Outdoor Championships scheduled for June 23rd - 26th in Carson City, Ca. Further details, schedule and Television coverage can be found at http://www.usatf.org

Rachelle Boone-Smith places 2nd in Paris

In Paris France, Rachelle Boone-Smith battled cold & windy conditions to record a second place finish in the women’s 100m race (:11.32). Though not as fast as her previous season’s performances, Boone ran well into a headwind and hit the tape at the same time as Belgium’s Kim Gevaert who was named the eventual winner. An event recap and meet review can be found at: http://www.iaaf.org/GP05/news/Kind=2/newsId=29742.html

Boone-Smith goes to France, Joseph in the Big Apple and Freeman travels to Canada

Former Kentucky All-American David Freeman hopes to get his season back on track after opening the season with a 3:44 clocking at Mt. Sac then sustaining a slight hamstring injury that prevented him from competing at the Payton Jordan US Open at Stanford Univ. Freeman will be competing in his native country’s (Puerto Rico) national championships in the 800m & 1500m events and then fly to Canada for the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Vancouver for a fast 1500m event. Meet schedule, start list and further details can be found at: http://www.harryjerome.com

At the PreFontaine Classic this weekend in Eugene Oregon, US Indoor hurdle champion Joel Brown placed 4th with a time of :13.52. Though it was not his best time this season, Brown beat a host of the USA’s best hurdlers who are considered the best in the world. Brown’s finish places him squarely in the running for a spot on the USA’s World Championship team. Normally, the top 3 finishers at the US Championships qualify for the World Championships this August in Helsinki Finland but because the USA’s Allen Johnson is the defending champion; he is given an automatic wild card entry. Thus, if Johnson finishes within the top 3 at the US Championships, the 4th place finisher will qualify for the World Championships.

The Reebok Grand Prix track & field event will be televised on NBC SPORTS LIVE at 4:00p.m. to 5:30p.m. EST. For more information, visit the website http://www.reebokgrandprix.com

World Express Athletic Mgmt. has confirmed the participation of US Indoor hurdle champion Joel Brown in this weekend’s Men’s 110m hurdle event at the Prefontaine Classic held at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Brown, will be competing against the world’s best hurdlers which include 2004 Athens Olympic Champion and co-world record holder Liu Xing of China. 6-time World Champion, 2000 Olympic Champion and US record holder Allen Johnson will also be competing as is 2-time Olympic Silver medalist Terrance Trammell from the US. All three of those athletes currently hold the six best times in the world. This will be a huge test for Brown who is ranked 21st in the world and looking to establish himself among the multitude of talented hurdlers from the US.

This track & field event is staged to commemorate the life and accomplishments of famed US distance runner Steve Prefontaine. The event will be televised on Sunday, June 5th from 2:00 - 4:00pm on NBC. For more information, please visit http://www.preclassic.com

This Memorial Day will be memorable for World Express Athletic Management. Four featured World Express athletes will be competing at the Payton Jordan US Open GP-II Track & Field meet scheduled for Monday, May 30th in Palo Alto California on the campus of Stanford University. This track meet will be televised on ESPN2 on May 30th at 10:00pm eastern standard time.

Scheduled to compete from World Express will be the 2005 US Indoor 60m hurdle champion Joel Brown. Baltimore, MD. native Brown recently returned from a 3-meet tour in Brazil with a seasonal best of :13.44 and eager to prove his metal against some of the best hurdlers in the US. Sprinter Rachelle Boone-Smith (Norfolk, Va.) is also eager to prove that she belongs among the best sprinters in the world. She has produced career best this May in both the 100m (:11.21) and 200m (:22.53) events. Those times rank her 8th and 5th respectively on the IAAF World listing. 2004 Olympian Moise Joseph will be representing Haiti and looking for a world ranking performance in the Men’s 800m run against fellow US Olympian Derrick Peterson and World Indoor Champion David Krummenaker. Joesph’s training mate David Freeman will be competing in the Men’s 1500m run for Puerto Rico.

USA sprinter Rachelle Boone-Smith earned a double victory in the 100m and 200m events at the Galatletica Banamex meeting in Hermosillo Mexico on Saturday. In the 200m race, Boone-Smith handily beat 2004 Olympic 400 meter champion Tonique Williams-Darling with the second best time in the world (:22.53). In the 100m dash, Boone-Smith defeated another Olympic Champion, Savetheda Fynes from the Bahamas with a time of :11.31. Both performances were recorded with legal wind readings.

Boone-Smith?s next race will be May 30th at the Payton Jordan US Open in Palo Alto, Ca. The Payton Jordan Open is part of the VISA Championships Series in conjunction with USA Track & Field. She is also confirmed for the 2005 Golden Spike in Ostrava Czech Republic and Meeting Lille Metropole in France.

Moise Joseph runs tune-up meet in Florida. His time of 1:48.32 is a seasonal best and speaks well for his fitness and training. Joseph’s next race will be the Payton Jordan US Open on May 30th in Palo Alto, Ca. against some of the US best middle distance runners. This meet is part of the VISA Championship Series.

Moise Joseph has already been named to Haiti’s Outdoor World T&F Championship team in the Men’s 800 m event that will compete in Helsinki Finland from August 6-14th.