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Will the Indoor World Champion rise above or “blend with the champions”?

Posted February 15th, 2007 at 1:53 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

2006 World Indoor Champion Walter Davis of the U.S. will face Australian Fabrice Lapieere in the inaugural New Mexico Invitational “Blending of Champions” at the Albuquerque Convention Centre, February 16, 2007. Lapieere recently competed in the USA versus Great Britain match as a member of the Commonwealth select team and is one of several world class international athletes invited to compete against America’s best.

The New Mexico Invitational will also play host to national high school talent in the two-day event, sponsored by Vector Sports Management and the University of New Mexico. Meet Director Charlie Wells has assembled some of Track & Field’s top Olympians, bringing in such stars as 2005 World Outdoor 4×100m relay gold medalist and 2005 USA Indoor 60m Champion Angela Daigle-Bowen, who will face Tahesia Harrigan, Central American and Caribbean Games 100m Champion of the British Virgin Islands in the women’s 60-meter dash.

As the event director, Wells believes this meet provides something special for everyone:

“It is essential to have current and future Olympians participate in events such as these to demonstrate to the kids that they too can run as fast and jump as far as some of the Olympians that will participate this weekend.”

Over 500 top ranked high school athletes will compete in events such as the weight throw, pole vault, sprints, hurdles, distance and middle distances as they blend with Olympic and world champions like Walter Davis. “This is an awesome opportunity and I look forward to competing among athletes who are inspired by my performance each time I compete,” said Davis. “I also think it’s a great opportunity to market the sport of track & field in the Southwest.”

There will be more than 40 current and future Olympians participating on the first day of competition in six Invitational events, which could easily produce an American or World leading time. Having already posted the second-fastest time by an American earlier this season, David Payne will compete in the Men’s 60 meter hurdles.

The indoor season will continue for the Olympians the following weekend at the USA Track & Field National Championships in Boston, MA.

For more information on the New Mexico Invitation, please click here.