NEW YORK, NY - The Millrose Games returns for its 98th year of competition on Friday 4 February at the famous Madison Square Garden arena with the event's organisers defiantly declaring that, 'the show will go on!'

The meet, which has produced over 80 World Indoor records or bests in its distinguished history has been without a title sponsor since Verizon's decision not to renew its agreement last summer. Therefore Pro Sports & Entertainment, which bought the Millrose Games in September 2003 is holding this year's meet in collaboration with the American national federation, USATF.

"I'm highly confident there is more than adequate financing to hold the meet, as far as I know." USATF CEO Craig Masback said. "(A title sponsor) is not crucial to the meet taking place, so whether it happens or not won't affect the meet."

Quality vault competitions are awaited

The regular star athletes who attend this meeting each year have been undeterred by the uncertainty and have rallied round. Pole vaulter Stacy Dragila, who set a World Indoor record at the 2001 Millrose Games, will again compete in this year's meet. "If it came down to it, I would have been willing to negotiate a different price," confirmed Dragila. "I would have done anything to keep it going. It's not always about the money. It's about keeping our sport alive."

The Millrose Games will be among the few U.S. indoor appearances for Dragila, who opened her season at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno on 21 January but who will skip this year's USATF Indoor Nationals.Dragila has been undefeated in the new millennium at the Millrose Games. The 2000 Olympic champion set a World record of 4.63m at the 2001 event and in 2003 broke her American record with an effort of 4.72m. Tomorrow the 33 year-old will face 2000 and 2002 NCAA champion Tracy O'Hara, Lindsay Taylor, the 2004 USATF Indoor third-place finisher and twin sister of 400m hurdler Brenda Taylor, and April Steiner.

The field also includes Mary Saxer of Lancaster High (NY), who has broken the national high school record three times this season, including a 4.27m effort in the Dartmouth Relays to become the first high school girl to clear 14 feet indoors or outdoors.

Olympic silver medallist Toby Stevenson also returns to "The Garden"

Stevenson used his victory in the 2004 Millrose Games as a springboard for an outdoor campaign in which he cleared 6.00m, and later went on to take second place behind Tim Mack in Athens and at the IAAF World Athletics Final, when his conqueror was himself over that magical mark with a 6.01m best.

Despite Mack being sidelined for the indoor season by injury, Stevenson, who is nicknamed "Crash" for his trademark roller hockey helmet and for his energetic celebrations, will still face a deep field with American and Millrose Games record holder Jeff Hartwig, 2003 Millrose Games and USATF Indoor champion Derek Miles, and Tye Harvey, the 2001 World Indoor silver medallist on parade.

Lagat and Rotich are the ones to beat, as Webb makes Wanamaker Mile debut

American middle distance hero Alan Webb will make his Millrose debut against 2004 Olympic 1500m silver medallist Bernard Lagat of Kenya in the featured Wanamaker Mile.

Webb, 22, is coming off a breakthrough 2004 season in which he won the 1500m at the U.S. Olympic Trials and ran career bests of 3:50.73 in the mile and 3:32.73 in the 1500m. However, it is by no means just a two way tussle as also in the field is another Kenyan, Laban Rotich. Lagat who also won the 2000 Olympic 1500 bronze medallist was edged by Rotich, 3:53.18 to 3:53.61, in the Mile at last weekend's Boston Indoor Games. Lagat and Rotich are both two-time Wanamaker Mile winners.

Trammell opts for the flat

Terrence Trammell, the 2000 and 2004 Olympic silver medallist in the 110m Hurdles, will run in the flat 60m dash at the Millrose where he will be seeking his fourth Millrose title. He won the 60m in 2003 and the 60m hurdles in 2001 and 2002. Trammell will be challenged by Darvis "Doc" Patton, a 2003 World outdoor 4x100m relay gold medallist, 2003 NCAA 100m champion Mardy Scales, Leonard Scott, and Marcus Brunson.

Johnson versus Doucoure in the High Hurdles

Reigning three-time World Indoor champion Allen Johnson, 33, will face 21-year-old Ladji Doucoure of France in the men's 60m Hurdles.

The Millrose Games will mark the 2005 debut for Johnson, the 1996 Olympic 110m champion and four-time World outdoor champion who fell in the first round of the 110m heats in the Athens Olympics.

Doucoure, 21, who finished fourth in the 2003 World Indoor championships, is one of the rising stars of the event having set a French national record of 13.06 in the Athens Olympics 110m hurdles semi-finals.

Hayes makes season debut in Women's 60m Hurdles

Olympic 100m Hurdles champion Joanna Hayes will make her season's debut in the 60m Hurdles. Hayes, the women's winner of the 2004 Jesse Owens Award for the top American athlete, set an Olympic record of 12.37 in Athens, and had three of the six fastest times in the world in 2004.

Hayes will be challenged by 2000 and 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Melissa Morrison, a four-time U.S. indoor champion in tomorrow night's 60m Hurdles.

Cantwell, Godina, Nelson and Hoffa in the Shot Put

The men's Shot Put includes the top four on the 2004 world outdoor list - Christian Cantwell (22.54m), John Godina (21.71m), Adam Nelson (21.68) and Reese Hoffa (21.67m).

Cantwell, the defending Millrose champion, was undefeated in 13 meets and won the 2004 World Indoor title before finishing fourth in the U.S. Olympic Trials las year. He has a best this season so far of 21.06. However, Nelson, the 2000 and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, opened the season with a 21.66m effort - the longest in the world so far in 2005 - to triumph at the Boston Indoor Games.

Godina, a three-time World outdoor champion, is coming off a ninth- place finish in the 2004 Olympics. He has a best in 2005 of 20.68. Hoffa, a training partner with Nelson under University of Georgia throws coach Don Babbitt, finished second in the 2004 World Indoor Championships, USATF Indoor Nationals and U.S. Olympic Trials. He has a best so far this season of 20.12.

Felix and Colander to do battle at 60m

LaTasha Colander and Allyson Felix, the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials champions at 100m and 200m, will duel in the 60m dash.

Colander, 28, a former hurdler and 2000 Olympic Trials 400m champion, ventured into the short sprints in 2004 with great success finishing 8th in the Olympic 100m final. Felix, 19, made her professional debut at the 2004 Millrose Games and went on to win a silver medal in the 200m in Athens as the youngest member of the U.S. contingent.

Millrose Hall of Fame

Dwight Stones, Martin McGrady. J. Gregory Rice and Cheryl Toussaint will be inducted into the Millrose Games Hall of Fame during a ceremony following the Wanamaker Mile.

Stones, a three-time Millrose Games High Jump winner and former World record holder, was a bronze medallist at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, while McGrady set a World Indoor best in the 600m in 1970 that stood for 22 years.

Rice, who died in 1992, won four consecutive Millrose titles in the Two- Miles from 1939-43. Toussaint was a four-time Millrose winner in the Quarter Mile, Half Mile and 400m from 1970-73 and was a silver medallist in the 4x400m relay in the 1972 Olympics.

The Millrose Games Hall of Fame was created in 1999 to recognize the meet's greatest performers. Past inductees have included Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carl Lewis, Mary Decker Slaney, Glenn Gunningham, Joetta Clark Diggs, Bo Richards, Diane Dixon and Cornelius Warmerdam.

This year's meeting is the second stop on the USATF Visa Championship Series that culminates with the national indoor championships in Boston from 25 - 27 February.