Sharika Nelvis, Aleec Harris, Tori Bowie, Jehue Gordon, Tony McQuay, and Jasmin Stowers are all set to compete at the adidas Grand Prix in New York City on 13 June. The six rising young stars will join Ajeé Wilson in giving a close-up look at the future of the sport. Wilson, 20 and a native of Neptune, New Jersey, held the U.S. lead on her 800m leg to help set a world record in the distance medley relay at the 2015 IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas.
Leading the way is Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago, who was just 21 years old when he set the 400m hurdles national record (47.69) in becoming the 2013 IAAF World Champion. He will compete at the adidas Grand Prix with Michael Tinsley and Javier Culson in a rematch amid one of the deepest fields of the meet. Tinsley of the U.S. won a silver medal in both that race and the 2012 Olympic Games, while Culson of Puerto Rico won World Championships silvers in 2009 and 2011 and Olympic bronze in 2012. In 2014, Culson was ranked #1 in the world, and Tinsley was #2.
Gordon is followed closely by Tony McQuay, who turned 25 last month. The American won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2012 Olympics just weeks after winning the NCAA title for 400m for the University of Florida. He then followed that accomplishment with two medals at the 2013 World Championships: silver for 400m and gold in the 4x400m relay. At the World Relays last month, McQuay ran a 44-second split to help his team to victory.
Among the young American stars chasing their first medals is Sharika Nelvis, 24, out of Arkansas State. She is a two-time NCAA Champion in the 60m hurdles indoors and 100m hurdles outdoors in 2014. She ran the fastest time in the world indoors this year (7.83), winning all but one of her eight competitions.
Then there is Aleec Harris, 24, who competed for the University of Southern California. He is the 2015 USATF Indoor Champion in the 60m hurdles and clocked 13.61 in the 110m hurdles at the Drake Relays in April. He was undefeated in 11 finals going back to July 2014; however, he was seventh at the May 29 to 30 Prefontaine Classic.
Tori Bowie, also 24, won the 2011 NCAA long-jump titles indoors and outdoors for the University of Southern Mississippi. As recently as 2014, she represented the U.S. in the World Indoor Championships in that discipline before turning her focus to the sprints last spring. She ran the fastest time in the world for 100m (10.80) and finishing the year ranked #2 in the world at 100m and #5 at 200m. She returns to the adidas Grand Prix after winning the 100m last year.
New sensation Jasmin Stowers is 23 and was the 2014 NCAA runner-up in the 100m hurdles for Louisiana State University. She is the 2015 USATF Indoor Champion over 60m hurdles, with the #2 time of the indoor season in the world (7.84, behind only Nelvis) and owns the fastest time in the world this year in the 100m hurdles with her 12.35 win in Doha mid-May, following two world leads in rapid succession.