Ponce Grand Prix

Not to be confused with Grand Prix de Ponce.
Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo

The host stadium – Francisco "Paquito" Montaner Stadium
First event 2007
Occur every yearly
Last event 18 May 2013
Purpose Track and field sports, athletes worldwide participate
Headquarters Ponce, Puerto Rico
Presidente José E. Costas Loyola[1]
Website http://www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com
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.[2] It is considered amongst the most important athletic events in the Caribbean based on the competitive and organizational quality of the event.[3] It is attended by some one hundred athletes and over 10,000 fans, and corresponds to the Challenge League of Athletism.[4] The event has been carried live via satellite television. The 2013 Grand Prix was carried live on WAPA Deportes.[5] Nearly 20 Olympic and other world medalists compete in the Ponce Grand Prix, "Puerto Rico’s premiere athletic competition".[6]

Competitions

Athletes of international renown, such as Jehue Gordon, Danny McFarlane and Félix Sánchez compete in the event.[7] 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.[6] It is sponsored by the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation (CACAC).[6] The Ponce Municipal Government contributes $100,000 to the costs of celebrating the event.[8]

The 2009 Grand Prix

Sign on the grounds of the Paquito Montaner Stadium announces the Ponce Grand Prix

The 2009 Ponce Grand Prix was witnessed live by some 9,000 fans at the Francisco Montaner Stadium, plus hundreds of thousands more throughout the Americas via satellite television.[9] 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.[7] 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.[7]

The 2012 Grand Prix

Starting with the 2012 season, the Ponce Grand Prix will join the IAAF World Challenge competitions. The events will represent the only other city in the Americas, outside Kingston, Jamaica, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where these IAAF World Challenge events will be presented.[10]

Meet records

Men

Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref
100 m 10.05 (0.0 m/s) Nickel Ashmeade  Jamaica 14 May 2011 [11]
200 m 20.21 (+1.2 m/s) Brendan Christian  Antigua and Barbuda 17 May 2008 [12]
400 m 44.14 Lashawn Merritt  United States 17 May 2014 [13]
800 m 1:44.79 Duane Solomon  United States 17 May 2014 [13]
1500 m 3:36.64 Geoffrey Kipkoech Rono  Kenya 19 May 2007 [14]
3000 m 8:02.71 Andrew Poore  United States 18 May 2013 [15]
110 m hurdles 13.12 (0.0 m/s) David Oliver  United States 8 May 2010 [16]
400 m hurdles 47.72 Javier Culson  Puerto Rico 8 May 2010 [16]
Pole vault 5.60 m Lázaro Borges  Cuba 12 May 2012 [2]
Long jump 8.27 m (+0.9 m/s) Brian Johnson  United States 17 May 2008 [12]
Triple jump 16.85 m (+1.3 m/s) Walter Davis  United States 12 May 2012 [2]
Hammer throw 79.31 m Krisztián Pars  Hungary 17 May 2014 [13]
Javelin throw 75.32 m Curtis Moss  Canada 12 May 2012 [17]
4×100 m relay 38.83 Brian Mariano
Geronimo Goeloe
Prince Kwidama
Churandy Martina		  Netherlands Antilles 17 May 2008 [12]
4×400 m relay 3:04.93 Yoel Tapia
Arismendy Peguero
Pedro Mejía
Félix Sánchez		  Dominican Republic 19 May 2007 [14]

Women

Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref
100 m 11.01 (-0.9 m/s) Tianna Madison  United States 12 May 2012 [2]
200 m 22.37 (+0.3 m/s) Tianna Madison  United States 12 May 2012 [2]
400 m 50.72 Natasha Hastings  United States 12 May 2012 [2]
800 m 1:59.82 Hazel Clark  United States 17 May 2008 [14]
1500 m 4:15.72 Marina Muncan  Serbia 14 May 2011 [11]
3000 m 8:53.38 Gabe Grunewall  United States 17 May 2014 [13]
100 m hurdles 12.71 (+1.0 m/s) Kellie Wells  Puerto Rico 17 May 2008 [12]
400 m hurdles 54.67 Georganne Moline  United States 17 May 2014 [13]
3000 m steeplechase 9:37.62 Genevieve Lacaze  Australia 18 May 2013 [18]
Pole vault 3.75 m Andrea Zambrana  Puerto Rico 8 May 2010 [16]
Long jump 6.77 m (+1.8 m/s) Funmi Jimoh  United States 8 May 2010 [16]
Triple jump 13.66 m (0.5 m/s) Luvia Saldivar  Cuba 18 May 2013 [19]
Hammer throw 72.16 m Amanda Bingson  United States 17 May 2014 [13]
Javelin throw 59.47 m Yainelis Ribeaux  Cuba 12 May 2012 [2]
4×100 m relay 43.58 USA Team A
Kellie Wells
Moushami Robinson
Tianna Madison
Gloria Asumnu		  United States 8 May 2010 [16]

References

  1. ↑ Vuelve el Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo. 3 March 2011. El Sur a la Vista. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Robinson, Javier Clavelo (2012-05-13). Culson runs world lead and Wilson surprises Robles and Richardson in Ponce – IAAF World Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-05-13.
  3. ↑ Delegado de la IAFF al Ponce Grand Prix. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  4. ↑ Reniega amenaza por Ponce Grand Prix . Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Reniega amenaza por Ponce Grand Prix . Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Athletes Face Off in Porta Caribe at the 2008 Ponce Grand Prix. Let’sGoToPonce. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Javier Culson: Más que preparado para el Grand Prix. By Carlos Uriarte González. Periodico La Perla del Sur. April 23, 2010.
  8. ↑ Deportes: ¿existirían sin subsidios? Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Javier Culson: Más que preparado para el Grand Prix. Carlos Uriarte González. La Perla del Sur. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Debuta el Ponce Grand Prix en IAAF World Challenge" (in Spanish). www.elsuralavista.com. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Javier Clavelo Robinson (2011-05-15). "Home win for Culson, fine sprinting by Ashmeade in Ponce". IAAF. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "Ponce Grand Prix 2008 Complete Results" (PDF). www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com. 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Javier Clavelo Robinson (18 May 2014). "Merritt and Ibarguen provide the big thrills in Ponce - IAAF World Challenge". IAAF. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Ponce Grand Prix 2007 Complete Results" (PDF). www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com. 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  15. ↑ "3000 Metres Results". www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Robinson, Javier Clavelo (2010-05-09). "Culson clocks world leading 47.72 in Ponce". IAAF. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  17. ↑ "Javelin Throw Results". IAAF. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  18. ↑ "3000 Metres Steeplechase Results". www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Triple Jump Results". www.poncegrandprixdeatletismo.com. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.

Coordinates: 18°00′09″N 66°37′54″W / 18.002422°N 66.631785°W

External links