2006 PREFONTAINE CLASSIC OUTLOOK.

Byline: The Register-Guard

WOMEN'S HAMMER, 1:34 p.m.

The rundown: Meet record guaranteed because event making its debut at Pre Classic. Erin Gilreath owns American record of 242-4. Italy's Ester Balassini threw 241-5 in 2005. Croatia's Ivana Brkljcic has national mark of 232-11. Canadian national record-holder Jennifer Joyce (224-8) and Bethany Hart, ranked No. 2 in U.S. last year, also in field.

Bottom line: Gilreath and Brkljcic likely to hammer their way into event's title fight.

MEN'S DISCUS, 1:57 p.m.

The rundown: National, Olympic and World champions fill the field, led by Lithuania star Virgilijus Alekna, the World Champion in 2003 and 2005, the Olympic champion in 2000 and 2004 and six times ranked No. 1 in the world, including last year. Estonia's Aleksandr Tammert was ranked No. 3 in the world in 2005. Ian Waltz defending USA champion and No. 1-ranked American.

Bottom line: Alekna, ranked No. 1 in the world six times, including last year, the man to beat but Tammert has world-leading throw of 232-4 this year and Waltz threw 226-0 at recent Hartnell Throwers meet.

MEN'S 400 HURDLES, 2:01 p.m.

The rundown: Defending Olympic champion Felix Sanchez out of meet because of injury but Bershawn Jackson, ranked No. 1 in the world and the Pre Classic record-holder (47.91), returns to defend his meet title. James Carter ranked No. 2 with PR of 47.43. Defending USA champion Kerron Clement, ranked No. 3 in world, has PR of 47.24. Angelo Taylor, 2000 Olympic champion, has PR of 47.50.

Bottom line: Jackson has world-leading time of 47.60, is defending World Champion with PR of 47.30 and has a 30-plus meet win streak to continue.

WOMEN'S LONG JUMP, 2:04 p.m.

The rundown: Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva won Olympic gold in 2004. She won triple jump at 2005 World Championships and is ranked No. 1 in that event. Another from Russia, Tatyana Kotova, is 2005 World Championships silver medalist and ranked No. 1 in world. Tianna Madison of the U.S. defending World Champion in long jump and ranked No. 1 in world last year. Bronwyn Thompson of Australia has world-leading mark of 22-10 1/2 .

Bottom line: Grace Upshaw of U.S. competed a year at Oregon and will be fan-favorite but Lebedeva, Kotova and Madison likely to fight for first.

MEN'S 200 METERS, 2:10 p.m.

The rundown: Wallace Spearmon was silver medalist at World Championships last year, set WR indoors for 300 this year and was ranked No. 2 in the world behind Justin Gatlin. Jamaica's Chris Williams ranked No. 5 with PR of 20.02. Coby Miller was on U.S. 4x100 relay that won 2004 Olympic silver and has PR of 19.96 - one-hundredth of a second behind Michael Johnson's Pre meet record.

Bottom line: Spearmon ran a world-leading 20.06 at adidas meet a week ago and recorded the fastest time in the world last year at 19.89 at London Grand Prix.

MEN'S TRIPLE JUMP, 2:14 p.m.

The rundown: Tough lineup with Walter Davis, 2005 World Champion, 2006 World Indoor champ and current American leader at 57-9 3/4 ; Brazil's Jadel Gregorio, ranked No. 2 in the world last with PR of 58-2; and 2004 Olympic champion Christian Olsson of Sweden. Olsson returning after injury last year. Kenta Bell won silver at USA meet. He has PR of 57-10 1/4 .

Bottom line: Tough call. Olsson had World Indoor record of 58-6 and outdoor PR of 58-4 1/2 but Davis, Gregorio and Bell could take down field record of 57-2 by Charles Simpkins in 1986 and meet mark of 56-3 1/4 by China's Yanxi Lii in 2005.

WOMEN'S 800 METERS, 2:18 p.m.

The rundown: Mozambique's Maria Mutola has owned the event - she has the meet and field record of 1:57.57 from 1997 - and is the crowd favorite, but her season-best time of 1:58.96 in 2005 was not the fastest last year. Hazel Clark ran 1:57.99. Four others - Jamaica's Kenia Sinclair, Alice Schmidt and Jen Toomey of the U.S., and China's Qing Liu - ran sub-2-minute 800s last year.

Bottom line: Mutola, a five-time Olympian and gold medalist at Sydney who lived and trained in Eugene-Springfield for a decade, seeks to add another win to her Pre Classic record of 13 straight victories.

WOMEN'S 100 HURDLES, 2:28 p.m.

The rundown: Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes has scratched, but 2005 World Champion Michelle Perry ran season-best 12.43 last year and was ranked No. 1 in the world. Canada's Perdita Felicien is defending Pre meet champion and has PR of 12.46. Brigitte Foster-Hylton of Jamaica won bronze at World Championships in 2005, won this year's Commonwealth Games and holds Pre meet record of 12.45, her PR.

Bottom line: There may not be an edge in this one. Perry, Foster-Hylton and Felicien likely to lead the way.

MEN'S POLE VAULT, 2:32 p.m.

The rundown: Brad Walker ranked No. 1 in world last year after claiming USA title and World Championships silver. He has PR of 19-6 1/2 - one-quarter inch better than Sergey Bubka's Pre Classic record vault. Derek Miles ranked No. 5 in world with PR of 19-1. Tim Mack won Olympic gold in 2004 with PR of 19-8 3/4 . Nick Hysong was the 2000 Olympic champion and has PR of 19-4 1/4 .

Bottom line: Walker likely the man to out-vault but Russ Buller, an NCAA champion from LSU, is the American leader this season at 19- 1/4 .

MEN'S 110 HURDLES, 2:36 p.m.

The rundown: Allen Johnson is the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, is a five-time USA champion, a four-time World Champion and co-holder of the American record of 12.92. China's Liu Xiang is co-holder of the world record at 12.91, won the 2004 Olympic gold and was second at World Championships. Ladji Doucoure of France ranked No. 1 in world last year, won world title and ran 12.97.

Bottom line: Liu Xiang shares the world-leading time this year at 13.22 but clocked 13.06 at 2005 Pre Classic to set meet record.

WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP, 2:40 p.m.

The rundown: Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist was injured in 2004 but rebounded to win World Championships last year and jumped 6-9 3/4 indoors this year. Chaunte Howard was silver medalist at USA Championships and World Championships, and ranked No. 2 in world. Amy Acuff shares Pre meet record of 6-6 and owns PR of 6-7. Russia's Yelena Slesarenko had PR of 6-9, and another Russian, Marina Kuptsova, has jumped 6-7 1/2 .

Bottom line: Bergqvist has been the dominant force but Howard is a real threat after posting her world-leading jump of 6-6 3/4 this year.

WOMEN'S 100 METERS, 2:42 p.m.

The rundown: There is no Marion Jones, but her meet record of 10.90 is there to chase. Chandra Sturrup of Bahamas leads a field that includes four sprinters ranked in Track & Field News top 10 last year - Sturrup at No. 4, Jamaica's Sherone Simpson at No. 6, Muna Lee at No. 7 and LaTasha Colander at No. 10.

Bottom line: Sturrup the front-runner with PR of 10.84 and experience of three Olympics and four World Championships.

MEN'S SHOT PUT, 2:46 p.m.

The rundown: Can the shot put guys put on a show like the one in 2002 when three throwers had marks at or beyond 71 feet? You never know, but Adam Nelson was ranked No. 1 in the world last year, Denmark's Joachim Olsen is No. 3 and Christian Cantwell is the world leader this year with a toss of 72-6 1/4 . Nelson also is reigning World Champion.

Bottom line: Nelson is crowd favorite and known for big throws at big meets but Reese Hoffa won World Indoor title this year with put of 72-6 1/2 , and Cantwell, the USA champion in 2005, is off to great start in 2006.

WOMEN'S 1,500 METERS, 2:49 p.m.

The rundown: Showdown looms between Bahrain's Maryam Jamal, ranked No. 1 in the world last year, and Russia's Tatyana Tomashova, winner of World Championship gold in 2005 and ranked second in world. Eugene Olympian Marla Runyan has withdrawn from field because of injury but Australia's Sarah Jamieson has world-leading time of 4:03.51 and Christin Wurth-Thomas has American-leading time of 4:08.91.

Bottom line: Keep your eyes on Jamal-Tomashova matchup but France's Hind Dehiba, ranked No. 9, and Ethiopia's Geleta Burka, ranked 10th, will give whoever wins a run for her money.

MEN'S LONG JUMP, 2:57 p.m.

The rundown: Dwight Phillips is the 2004 Olympic champion and World Champion in 2003 and 2005, explaining his No. 1 world ranking for the past three years. Miguel Pate ranked No. 2 and Brian Johnson No. 9. Joan Lino Martinez of Spain won Olympic bronze in 2004.

Bottom line: Phillips has been the dominant force in his event for several years. He has PR of 28-2 3/4 . Three others - Pate, Johnson and Martinez - in field have cleared 27 feet.

WOMEN'S 400 METERS, 3 p.m.

The rundown: Sanya Richards, ranked No. 1 in world last year, leads fast field that does not include No. 2. Tonique Williams-Darling of Bahamas who scratched because of injury but has No. 3 Ana Guevara of Mexico, No. 4 Dee Dee Trotter, No. 5 Monique Hennagan and No. 8 Christine Amertil.

Bottom line: Richards is two-time USA champion, second at 2005 World Championships and has world-leading time of 49.89 this year. Guevara, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, owns Hayward Field and meet records of 49.34.

MEN'S 400, 3:06 p.m.

The rundown: Tough race to call because five of last year's top 10 runners are in the field - No. 2 Tyler Christopher of Canada, No. 9 and defending Pre meet champion Michael Blackwood of Jamaica, No. 6 Tyree Washington, No. 8 Darrold Williamson and No. 10 LaShawn Merritt.

Bottom line: Merritt has run 44.67 this year, Congo's Gary Kikaya 44.72, Australia's John Steffenson 44.93 and Williamson 44.88. Michael Johnson's meet and field records of 43.92 and 43.74, respectively, may be safe, but race still in a fast lane.

MEN'S TWO-MILE, 3:12 p.m.

The rundown: Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya ran a 4:01 first mile en route to an American All-Comers record (best on U.S. soil) of 8:07.68 at the 2005 Pre Classic, and he's back. The 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in 5,000 must deal with powerful field that includes Kenya's Ben Limo, ranked No. 2 and 2005 World Champion in 5,000; Ethiopia's Sileshi Sihine, No. 3 and World Championships silver medalist; and No. 5 Craig Mottram of Australia, World Championships bronze medalist.

Bottom line: Kipchoge's race at Pre in 2005 was eighth-fastest of all-time but five of event's entrants have run faster than 12:56 for 5,000 meters - a time equal to 8:05 for two miles.

MEN'S 100, 3:27 p.m. and 3:37 p.m.

The rundown: Always a highlight, wind or no wind. The co-world record-holders - Justin Gatlin and Jamaica's Asafa Powell - will be in different sections of the two-section event. Each has run 9.77, the latest by Gatlin, the current Olympic and World Champion, whose adjusted time from the Doha meet tied Powell's 1-year-old mark. The two 100s will be run consecutively and treated as separate races with prize money paid for each place in each race. Defending Pre meet champion Shawn Crawford in Powell's section.

Bottom line: Anything can, and often does, happen, but despite the two-section approach, and if the weather is right, Crawford's field and meet records of 9.88 - set in 2004 - could fall.

MEN'S BOWERMAN MILE, 3:46 p.m.

The rundown: It was a fast field before Kenya's Daniel Kipchirchir Komen joined the race. Now it's even faster - Komen was ranked the No. 1 miler in the world by the IAAF and Track & Field News last year. American 1,500 record-holder Bernard Lagat ranked No. 2, World Champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain No. 3, defending Pre meet champion Alex Kipchirchir of Kenya No. 5 and No. 7 Alan Webb, becoming a Pre Classic legend with his prep national mile record (3:53.43) in 2001 and two-mile AR of 8:11.48 last year. Australia's Craig Mottram apparently has withdrawn.

Bottom line: Komen won three Golden League meets and six Grand Prix meets in 2005, and brings PR of 3:48.49 to his Pre Classic debut. Will more than the 1995 record of 13 runners finish under four minutes? Are meet and field records of 3:49.92 by retired Morocco star Hicham El Guerrouj in jeopardy?

- Compiled by Bob Rodman

When: 1:30 p.m. PDT 

Where: Hayward Field. Capacity 10,700.

TV: Live telecast on ESPN2 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets: Reserved-seat tickets are sold out, and general admission tickets sold out Saturday. Standing room only tickets ($12 adults, $2.50 children 2-10) are on sale at all Hayward Field ticket booths, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

CAPTION(S):

Maria Mutola has dominated the 800 meters, but she'll have plenty of competition this year. Chris Pietsch / The Register-Guard China's Liu Xiang leads a talented field in the men's 110-meter hurdles.