Indianapolis (USA), Aug 14: Defending world champions Allen Johnson, John Godina, Stacy Dragila, Maurice Greene and Anjanette Kirkland head the US track and field roster for the Aug 23-31 world championships in Paris. Johnson is the three-time champion in 110-metre hurdles. Godina has won the men's shot put three times. Dragila is the Olympic and world champion and world record-holder in the women's pole vault. Greene is the three-time defending champion in the men's 100 and Kirkland is the world indoor and outdoor gold medallist in the women's 100.
As defending champions, all five athletes received automatic byes to the worlds from the IAAF, so team USA, which was announced yesterday, will field four athletes in each of their events instead of three.
Silver medalists from the 2001 world championships include world record-holder Tim Montgomery in the men's 100, three-time world champion Gail Devers in the 100 hurdles, Savante Stringfellow in the men's long jump and Olympic silver medallist Adam Nelson in the men's shot put.
Also on the roster are Kelli white, who won both the 100 and 200 US titles in June and defeated current world leader Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas in Berlin on Sunday, and Bernard Williams, who won his first US title in the men's 100 in June. Both were bronze medalists in the 2001 worlds.
Also on the roster are five other 2003 world indoor champions: Regina Jacobs in the women's 1,500, Tyree Washington in the men's 400, David Krummenacker in the men's 800, Dwight Phillips in the men's long jump and Tom Pappas in the decathlon. Bureau Report