Stephanie Brown-Trafton
The stars and stripes are coming to Western Australia with the Go for 2 & 5 Perth Track Classic on 11 February set to welcome Olympic discus champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton (USA), US javelin record holder Kara Patterson (USA) and former US pole vault champion Mark Hollis (USA).
The hat-trick of Americans will go head-to-head with three of Australia’s best athletes including reigning Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker (WA), former discus world champion Dani Samuels (NSW) and Commonwealth silver medallist in javelin Kimberley Mickle (WA).
The Go for 2 & 5 Perth Track Classic is the second-stop of the 2012 Australian Athletics Tour and promises to showcase the best Australian athletes against top international competition.
Inthe women’s discus fans can expect a tremendous competition between Samuels and Brown-Trafton whose first head-to-head meeting came at the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, where the American claimed gold.
Since then Samuels has beaten the 32-year-old 10 consecutive times, but Brown-Trafton broke that run this year having finished ahead of the Australian in both Monaco and Daegu.
They have met on Australian soil twice before, in 2009, but this will be their first duel in Perth.
Samuels said: “Stephanie is a great competitor, having the reigning Olympic champion from USA here is great for me and my Olympic preparations but also obviously her preparation as well as she aims to defend her title. It’s a great credit to the Australian Athletics Tour. We enjoyed some good competition during my 2009 world championship preparation in bothSydney and Melbourne.
“Having someone of her quality here is important for me plus the fans get to see a defending Olympic champion before the Games are in London.
“The Australian Athletics Tour is always a big part of my season. I love competing in Perth, I’m excited to challenge the reigning Olympic champion, I can’t wait.”
2012 Australian Athletics Tour
28/01/12 Adelaide Track Classic
11/02/12 Go for 2 &5 Perth Track Classic
18/02/12 Sydney Track Classic
02/03/12 – 03/03/12 IAAF Melbourne Track Classic
2012 National Athletics Series
14/01/12 Brisbane Athletics Classic
21/01/12 Hunter Track Classic
04/02/12 Briggs Athletics Classic (Hobart)
25/02/12 Australian 20km race walking championships
14/03/12 – 18/03/12 Australian Junior Athletics Championships
13/04/12 – 15/04/12 Australian Athletics Championships
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