It’s official. Dayron Robles, Cuba’s 110m hurdles world record-holder (12.87secs) and reigning Olympic 110m hurdles champion (pictured at left), has been added to the field of strong competitors for the June 9 New York adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island.
Ranked number one in the world for 2011 by Track & Field News magazine, Robles, 25, has never competed on U.S. soil.
His addition gives the adidas Grand Prix the top three hurdlers in the world last year. Americans Jason Richardson (#2) and David Oliver (#3), along with Aries Merritt (#5) will also be competing. Richardson is the reigning World champion; Oliver, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and American record-holder ranked at the top in 2010; and Merritt is the 2012 World Indoor champion, whose time of 13.03secs is the fastest in the world this season.
Challenging them all will be a trio of rising stars. New additions to the field Omo Osaghae, the 2011 U.S. Indoor champion, and Orlando Ortega, the 2011 Pan American Games bronze medalist, also from Cuba, join previously announced Hansle Parchment, the 21-year-old Jamaican, whose time of 13.19 in winning the Jamaica Invitational makes him the fourth-fastest in the world this year.
The adidas Grand Prix is the sixth stop on the international Samsung Diamond League circuit, and is part of the Visa Championship Series.