Justin Gatlin, Maurice Greene, Lauryn Williams, Allyson Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Joanna Hayes, Bernard Lagat and Adam Nelson are among the many star athletes who will compete Sunday at the adidas Track Classic, the second stop on USA Track & Field's 2005 Outdoor Visa Championship Series.

Now in its third year, the meet will be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., site of the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships, presented by Visa. ESPN will broadcast the 2005 adidas Track Classic live Sunday from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

In addition to the prize purse of $139,400, athletes will look to score points in the Race for the Visa Championship, where a male and female athlete with the top overall performance in the 2005 Visa Championship Series will be named Visa Champion and receive a $25,000 bonus. In addition, each Visa Champion will be awarded an invitation of their choice to a premiere Visa-sponsored event. The top performances will be determined by assigning point totals to performances, using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics.

Shot putter John Godina and sprinter Angela Daigle, both entered in the adidas Track Classic, were the first-ever indoor Visa Champions, winning their titles at the 2005 USA Indoor Championships in Boston.

Olympic medalists galore

Of the 73 Olympians competing at the adidas Track Classic, 50 have represented the U.S. in one or more Olympic Games. One of the most anticipated events on Sunday will feature a match-up of Olympic champions, where former world record holder Maurice Greene will take on three-time Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin in the Visa men's 100 meters. Greene won the Olympic 100m gold medal in 2000, with Gatlin capturing 100m gold last year in Athens, as Greene picked up the bronze medal. Look for 2004 Olympic 200m silver medalist Bernard Williams to provide a strong challenge to the favorites.

A field worthy of an Olympic final will toe the line in the adidas men's 400 meters. Olympic medalists Jeremy Wariner (gold), Otis Harris (silver) and Derrick Brew (bronze), who ended the 2004 season ranked as the top three performers in the world last season by Track & Field News, will headline the strongest 400m field in the world this year. Fellow Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Andrew Rock also will be in the field, along with three-time World Junior Championships gold medalist and 2005 world leader LaShawn Merritt. As an 18-year-old this past February, Merritt posted the then third-fastest indoor 400-meter time in history at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, when he won the race in 44.93 seconds. Merritt's win in 44.66 seconds May 7 in Jamaica is the fastest time in the world this outdoor season.

More medalists

The men's 1,500 meters will feature many of America's best, including Bernard Lagat, who won the 2004 Olympic silver medal in that event for his native Kenya. He'll be challenged by 2004 Olympic Trials runner-up Charlie Gruber and three-time USA Outdoor 800m champion David Krummenacker.

Other U.S. men to keep an eye on include two-time Olympic silver medalist Terrence Trammell in the 110m hurdles, 2003 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Joey Woody in the 400m hurdles and the #2 ranked javelin thrower in the world following the 2004 season, Breaux Greer, who owns the two best throws in the world this year.

Another strong shot in the arm

Traditionally a highlighted event at this meet, the men's shot put competition will be loaded with four of the top seven throwers in the world from last year. Adam Nelson leads the list following his silver medal performance at the 2004 Olympic Games. Nelson will be challenged by two-time Olympic medalist, three-time world outdoor champion and 2005 indoor Visa Champion John Godina, and 2004 world indoor champion Christian Cantwell, who won 13 consecutive competitions last year on his way to the world's #1 ranking. Also look for 2004 USA Indoor and Olympic Trials runner-up Reese Hoffa, who had his breakthrough performance at this meet two years ago, to challenge for the title.

Showdown in women's hurdles

In women's competition, look for 2004 Olympic gold medalist Joanna Hayes to continue the momentum that carried her to the #1 world ranking at the end of last season. In addition to winning Olympic gold with an Olympic record of 12.37 seconds, Hayes followed her Olympic win with victories in Moscow, Berlin and the Grand Prix Final. She'll face 2003 world indoor and outdoor champion Perdita Felicien of Canada, who owns two of the top three times in the world this year. 2001 world champion Anjanette Kirkland also is in the field, along with two-time World Outdoor Championships finalist Jenny Adams.

Hot fields in women's sprints

The women's 200 meters will feature a head-to-head competition between Team USA's top young female sprinters, Allyson Felix and Lauryn Williams, who each won silver medals in Athens. Felix won silver in the 200 meters (22.18) and ended the year ranked #2 in the world, as Williams brought home the silver medal in the 100 meters (10.96) after winning the NCAA Outdoor title in that event earlier in the season. Also look for Olympic Trials 100m champion LaTasha Colander, who ended the 2004 season ranked #10 in the world at 200 meters, to be a factor.Also in the field is 2004 Olympic 200m gold medalist, and 100m bronze medalist Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, who ended the 2004 campaign ranked #1 in the world at 200m, and #2 globally at 100 meters.

2005 Indoor Visa Series champion Angela Daigle will face many of America's finest sprinters in the women's 100 meters. An Olympic finalist at 200 meters, Muna Lee ended the 2004 campaign ranked #7 in the U.S. at 100 meters and #7 in the world at 200 meters. Veteran Olympians Inger Miller and Angela Williams also are in the field.

A virtual Who's Who of U.S. women's 400m runners will compete on Sunday, led by Dee Dee Trotter, who placed fifth in Athens and ended the season ranked #4 in the world. Also look for Olympic Trials runner- up and Olympic finalist Sanya Richards, along with Moushami Robinson and Crystal Cox, who, along with Trotter and Richards, won 4x400 relay gold in Athens.

Fans can compete, too!

For the first time ever , track & field fans around the country now have a chance to share in the success of their favorite athletes, picking the male the female they believe will be crowned Visa Champions as part of the Visa Championship Series "Watch. Click. Win." Online Sweepstakes. Fans can support their favorite athlete on his/her journey by logging onto www.usatf.org/win and voting for the male and female athletes they think will be the Visa Champions at the end of the outdoor season.

Following their favorite athletes online and via television broadcasts, fans may submit an entry once an hour, once a day, once a week, and may change their entries as the Visa Championship Series progresses. By logging ontowww.usatf.org/win, fans can select the athlete they think will win the title of Visa Champion, and the winning point total that will be assessed to their top performance, using the IAAF Scoring Tables of Athletics. Fans can begin submitting entries on Wednesday, April 27, 2005, with entries closing on June 17.