New York - Guyana's middle-distance champion Marian Joan Burnett has her name making the rounds in the elite track-and-field circles, as she prepares for her Olympic appearance in Athens in August. With the world's grandest sports spectacle seven weeks away, the Guyanese track star is listed as one of the "ones to watch" for today's Nike Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, USA.
Reports from some of the premier sports desks previewing the meet, has Burnett penned in stories listing a virtual who's who of track-and -field stars set to attract the crowds.
Earlier this week CANA Sports, in one of its headliners, reported that the Guyanese is a main contender in the meet's Women's 800m event.
The story titled "Burnett set to tackle Maria Mutola" starts off by stating : "In form Guyanese Marian Burnett tackles World and Olympic 800-metre champion Maria Mutola when she races at the Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix on Saturday."
A story shared on the meet's and the IAAF's websites similarly indicates that eyes are on the Linden-born athlete following her then IAAF World #2 Top List 800m time two weeks ago. In stories captioned "Mutola's available - Enough said," the sites say the World Champion, Olympic Champion and Track & Field News's 2003 Athlete of the Year Mutola is making a record 13th appearance at the Grand Prix. Last year, Mutola was undefeated in every race she ran, and earned a $1 million bonus for winning all the Golden League 800m races on the IAAF circuit. The former Oregon resident has won 11 times here - more than any other athlete. This year, she has the world-leading time of 1:57.72, set last week in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The reports went on, "This will be no exhibition for Mutola, however, as American Nicole Teter has run 1:58.83 in winning the Oregon Track Classic in Portland, and Canadian Diane Cummins finished second to Teter in 1:59.38. Add in Marian Burnett of Guyana (1:59.47) and Jen Toomey of the U.S. (1:59.64 indoors), and five of the nine entrants in the Pre Classic have already broken 2-minutes in 2004. Plus, with fast seasonal times already on the books, Francis Santin (2:00.84), Chantee Earl (2:01.34), Hazel Clark (2:01.46), and Brigita Langerholc (2:01.6) are all capable of dipping under 2-flat at today's meet.
When asked by Stabroek Sports to comment on her billing, Burnett said she is impressed by the high regard as it shores up her psyche and Guyana's image at such a major sports event. "I'll take that for what it's worth, but I wouldn't become complacent by it. I've got work to do it's a tough field as you can see, so I'll be out to get a good performance for myself and country." This will be Burnett's third race of the outdoor season that began 12 weeks ago. She passed up appearances in previous meets because of graduation commitments, as well and classes and exams for another degree, and will receive that credential in December.
Meanwhile, an Oregon newspaper claims that the "stars will add sizzle to the 30th edition of the historic meet" named in honour of late American distance ace Steve Prefontaine. A plethora of American and world-record holders and season-leaders will contest the 16 select events at, what is billed as, "the primo international invitational meet in the western hemisphere this year."
Embattled World and Olympic champion Marion Jones is set for a combat against another World and Olympic champion in the aging Gail Devers in the Women's 100m.
Together the two hold the last three Olympic titles, plus the meet's records. Jones' boyfriend Tim Montgomery who also faces a possible withdrawal from the Olympics, will come up against arch-rival Maurice Greene and a star-studded field in the Men's category.
Almost every competitor in the meet has a qualification for the Olympics. So far advance ticket sales for the Classic are signalling the possibility of a record attendance. As for the weather, the odds are with the meet. Only once since 1984 has rain fallen on the meet, and that was 19 years ago. "We've had several chilly meets with some morning starts," meet director Tom has said, "but where else in the world could you start a meet at 9:30 in the morning and get a record attendance on the track and in the stands?" American sports television ESPN2 will carry a taped, delayed broadcast from 6:30pm EST today.