The host stadium – Francisco "Paquito" Montaner Stadium |
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| First event | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Occur every | yearly |
| Last event | May 8, 2010 |
| Purpose | Track and field sports, athletes worldwide participate |
| Headquarters | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Presidente | José E. Costas Loyola[1] |
| Website | Ponce GrandPrix Website |
| Remarks | Organized by Voluntarios por Ponce. |
The Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo is a track and field competition held yearly in Ponce, Puerto Rico at the Francisco Montaner Stadium. The event started in 2007, after the successful hosting of the 2006 Ibero-American Championships.
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Athletes of international renown, such as Jehue Gordon, Danny McFarlane and Félix Sánchez compete in the event.[2] The event is one of three competitions in the IAAF-NACAC circuit where competitors accumulate points in the IAAF rankings system. The other two events are the Adidas Track Classic in Carson, California, and the Jamaica Invitational in Kingston, Jamaica.
The 2009 Ponce Grand Prix was considered to have initiated “the greatest feat in Puerto Rican sports history”, as new records were established, and a local hero surfaced, Javier Culson, competing in the 400 metres hurdles.[3] He was later crowned Athlete of the Year in Puerto Rico. Culson went on to the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, where he earned second place in the competition with a time of 48.09s. He became the first Puerto Rican ever to win Silver Medal in the Big Games. “Those glory moments in 2009 had their beginnings at the 2009 Ponce Grand Prix,” it has been said.[4]
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 10.05 (0.0 m/s) | Nickel Ashmeade | Jamaica | 14 May 2011 | [5] |
| 200 m | 20.21 (+1.2 m/s) | Brendan Christian | Antigua and Barbuda | 17 May 2008 | [6] |
| 400 m | 45.01 | Ato Stephens | Trinidad and Tobago | 17 May 2008 | [7] |
| 800 m | 1:46.46 | Mark Wieczorek | United States | 14 May 2011 | [8] |
| 1500 m | 3:36.64 | Geoffrey Kipkoech Rono | Kenya | 19 May 2007 | [9] |
| 110 m hurdles | 13.12 (0.0 m/s) | David Oliver | United States | 8 May 2010 | [10] |
| 400 m hurdles | 47.72 | Javier Culson | Puerto Rico | 8 May 2010 | [11] |
| Pole vault | 5.00 m | Alexander Castillo | Puerto Rico | 14 May 2011 | |
| Long jump | 8.27 m (+0.9 m/s) | Brian Johnson | United States | 17 May 2008 | [12] |
| 4x100 m relay | 38.83 | Brian Mariano Geronimo Goele Prince Kwidana Churandy Martina |
Netherlands Antilles | 17 May 2008 | [13] |
| 4x400 m relay | 3:04.93 | Yoel Tapia Arismendy Peguero P. Mejia Félix Sánchez |
Dominican Republic | 19 May 2007 | [14] |
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 11.09 (+0.2 m/s) | Marshevet Myers | United States | 14 May 2011 | [15] |
| 200 m | 22.73 (-0.2 m/s) | Lauryn Williams | United States | 14 May 2011 | [16] |
| 400 m | 50.97 | Natasha Hastings | United States | 14 May 2011 | [17] |
| 800 m | 1:59.82 | Hazel Clark | United States | 17 May 2008 | [18] |
| 1500 m | 4:15.72 | Marina Muncan | Serbia | 14 May 2011 | |
| 100 m hurdles | 12.71 (+1.0 m/s) | Kellie Wells | Puerto Rico | 17 May 2008 | [19] |
| 400 m hurdles | 55.02 | Ajoke Odumosu | Nigeria | 16 May 2009 | [20] |
| Pole vault | 3.75 m | Andrea Zambrana | Puerto Rico | 8 May 2010 | [21] |
| Long jump | 6.77 m (+1.8 m/s) | Funmi Jimoh | United States | 8 May 2010 | [22] |
| 4x100 m relay | 43.58 | USA Team A Kelli Wells Moushami Robinson Tianna Madison Gloria Asumnu |
United States | 8 May 2010 | [23] |