Team USA in Daegu to include 8 defending champs, 19 medalists

Eight reigning world champions will lead Team USA into the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

USA Track & Field on Wednesday announced its roster for the 13th edition of the Championships, which will be held August 27-September 4 in Daegu, South Korea.

On the roster are a total of 19 World Championships medalists and 16 Olympic medalists.

A total of 66 men and 63 women find their names on this year’s team.

The list of Team USA’s reigning World Champions includes Allyson Felix, who will attempt a difficult double at this year’s World Championships in the 200m and 400m.

The American record holder in the 400m, Sanya Richards-Ross will defend her world title in the one-lap race. She is coming off a season-best time of 49.66 in winning last weekend in London.

Also looking good of late is defending world champion Christian Cantwell in the shot put.

Team USA will be eying as many as three medals in the decathlon, with a lineup that includes defending world champion Trey Hardee, 2011 world leader Ashton Eaton, and 2004 Olympic gold medalist and ’05 world champ Bryan Clay.

Other team members looking to defend their world titles include world indoor and outdoor champion Brittney Reese, who is again leading the world in the women’s long jump this year, Kerron Clement in the men’s 400m hurdles, three-time world champion Dwight Phillips in the men's long jump and LaShawn Merritt in the 400m, who ran an impressive 44.74 July 29 in Stockholm in his first race in almost two years.

(Photo by Péter Zádor)