News07 Jan 2013


Suhr, Rupp and Gebremeskel the latest headliners announced for Boston

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Jenn Suhr en route to her 4.88m clearance in Boston (© Victah Sailer)

Olympic Pole Vault champion Jenn Suhr and 10,000m Olympic silver medallist Galen Rupp are two of the latest stars announced for the 2013 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 2, an IAAF Indoor Permit meeting.

Between them, Suhr and Rupp have set a total of 11 American records in their careers, and are both familiar faces at this event. They join the previously-announced Aries Merritt and Jenny Simpson as the event’s 2013 headliners.

Suhr, who was the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, returned from London with her much sought-after Olympic gold, earned in cold, wet and windy conditions. Suhr is no stranger to Boston, where she won her first national title in the Reggie Lewis Center in 2005 as an unknown.

Now ranked No.1 in the world for the second consecutive year, she has won a staggering 12 US Pole Vault titles in the past eight years and has broken the indoor and outdoor American record seven times – most recently with a jump of 4.88m at last year’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

“My first big performance of 2012 was in Boston and the year turned out to be my best ever,” said Suhr. “So I can’t wait to come back to Boston and start off this World Championships year with one of my favourite crowds.”

Rupp scored his first Olympic medal, a silver, in the 10,000m in London, becoming the first American man to bring home an Olympic medal of any colour at that distance since Billy Mills won gold at the 1964 Games in Tokyo.

Earlier in 2012, Rupp set an American record in the indoor 2-mile before winning the 5000m and 10,000m at the US Olympic Trials. "I can't wait to line up at the Reggie on February 2,” said Rupp.

Rupp will not compete unchallenged in the 3000m as he’ll face Olympic 5000m silver medallist Dejen Gebremeskel. While the Ethiopian also had the 5000m world-leading time of 12:46.81 in 2012, he may be best known for defeating eventual double Olympic champion Mo Farah at the 2011 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix wearing just one shoe, after being stepped on early in the race.

The field will also include Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet, the World junior record-holder at 5000m and the world’s second-fastest man at the distance in 2012.

The 18th annual meet begins at 5:00pm on February 2 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College.

Organisers for the IAAF