Jeshua Anderson set to make European pro debut at Herculis meeting in Monaco...
Anderson will run against a field that includes fellow Americans and the reigning Olympic and world champions in Angelo Taylor and Kerron Clement; a former world champion in Bershawn Jackson; Johnny Dutch, Anderson's long time rival in the collegiate ranks and the man who beat him for the 2010 NCAA title; the current Samsung Diamond League leader in the event in David Greene from Great Britain; and, current world leader LJ van Zyl from South Africa.
Meet director Jean-Pierre Schoebel believes the strength in depth of the start list might see the 47.60 meet record set by the USA's Kevin Young five days after winning the 1992 Olympic gold. "They're all here,” Schoebel said. “It's not going to be too warm and I hope not windy. If that's the case I'm hoping the meeting record and world lead for the year will both be broken."
Washington State hurdles coach Mark Macdonald is accompanying Anderson on his European debut, and will be with him for the World University Games in China, as well as the IAAF world championships in Daegu.
Kicking off the meet is the women's discus, featuring Federal Way's three-time Olympian Aretha Thurmond, who is currently fourth in the season-long Samsung Diamond League trophy race in that event. She'll go against Cuba's Yarelis Barrios, Germany's Nadine Muller, reigning world champ Dani Samuels of Australia, and Olympic and US champ Stephanie Brown-Trafton.
Former world champ and University of Washington alum Brad Walker is entered in the men's pole vault against current Samsung Diamond League leader Renaud Lavillenie of France, world and Olympic champ Steve Hooker of Australia, American Derek Miles, and Daichi Sawano.
Walker returns to Stade Louis II, where he injured himself two years ago, forcing him to withdraw from the 2009 world championships in Berlin where he was unable to defend his world title.
Vancouver's Kara Patterson, the four-time USA national javelin champ, goes into the Herculis meeting looking to turn around her international competitive season, which so far has not been to the standards she set last year.
Washington State alum, and 2009 world championship silver medalist Bernard Lagat will run the men's 5000 in perhaps the most stacked field of the 2011 season, as he goes against current Samsung Diamond League leader Imane Merga of Ethiopia along with compatriot Tariku Bekele, Mo Farah of Great Britain, former world champ Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, and Americans Galen Rupp, Chris Solinsky and Matt Tegenkamp.
Former University of Washington standout Ingvill Måkestad will run in the women's 1500 against Americans Shalane Flanagan, Jenny Simpson, Shannon Rowbury, and Samsung Diamond League leader Morgan Uceny; Hind Dehiba of France, Maryam Jamal of Burundi, Gelete Burka and Meskerem Assefa of Ethiopia, and Lisa Dobriskey of Great Britain.
UniversalSports.com will have live coverage of the Herculis meeting Friday beginning at 11 am pacific time (pay-per-view). In the meantime, the start list for the Herculis meeting is available here.
Meanwhile, in Luzern, Switzerland, former Huskies Martin Bingisser and Norris Frederick competed in Thursday's Spitzen Leichathletik meet in Luzern, Switzerland.
Bingisser finished second in the hammer with a toss of 211-7 (64.49m) as Lorenzo Rocchi of Italy took home the victory at 219-8 (66.96m).
Frederick finished ninth in the long jump with a best of 25-2.5 (7.68m), as Yahya Berrabah of Morocco won at 26-10 (8.18m).
Complete results from the Spitzen Leichathletik meet are available here.
The Pan American Junior Championships gets underway Friday in Miramar, Florida, and incoming University of Washington freshman JJ Julifs from Eugene, the reigning USA junior champion, competes in the pole vault Friday night at 6:20 pm, eastern time.
On Saturday, fellow incoming UW frosh Derrick Daigre will run in the semis of the 800, with the finals on Sunday.
Also competing on Saturday are Renton's Derek Eager and Vancouver's Sean Keller in the javelin trials and finals.
The time schedule for the Pan Am Junior Championships is available here.
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