Allyson Felix is focusing on speed

Returning to her hometown, three-time Olympic medalist and USC graduate Allyson Felix says today’s Adidas Track Classic at Home Depot Center is “important for me because my family and friends are going to be here.”

Felix expressed more concern, however, for “seeing where I’m at” with her speed rather than her overall finish as she prepares for the IAAF World Championships at Berlin in August.

“I would like to have both, but the time is really important,” said Felix, who will compete in the women’s 200 meters. “With world championships being the goal, the time is going to tell me where I’m at, so that is what I’m focused on more.”

There are some notable absences in today’s meet. Officials learned this week that two-time Olympic 200-meter champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and American sprinter Tyson Gay scratched from the event.

Campbell-Brown, who won the 200 meters at both the Athens and Beijing Olympics, has a lingering left toe injury that also kept her out of last week’s Jamaica Invitational. Despite Gay’s running in the 400 meters at the Texas Invitational this month, his management group said he’s not ready to run a 100- or 200-meter race after suffering a knee injury that hindered six weeks of his training at the beginning of the season.

“The good news is that we have great fields,” said Rich Kenah, the director of marketing for Global Athletics & Marketing. “That’s one of the reasons that we build the deep fields that we do.”

That includes Olympic medalist Jeremy Wariner (400 meters), 1,500-meter champion Bernard Lagat and fellow American Shalane Flanagan, who earned a bronze medal at Beijing in the women’s 10,000 and will run in the 5,000. Two-time Foot Locker national champion and Mission College Prep senior Jordan Hasay will run in the women’s 1,500 meters.

Pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski has thrived in such an environment by setting American records six times in the last two years, including going 16 feet 3/4 in last year’s Classic. But like Felix, Stuczynski maintained a big-picture outlook for 2009.

“My goals are to be strong at the end,” Stuczynski said. “I think I always get very tired at the end of the season, especially right around the world times, and I’m worn down and my body is breaking down. This year, I want to come in there fresh.”

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mark.medina@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Adidas Track

Classic

When: Today, 4 p.m.

Where: Home Depot Center.

Featured competitors: Allyson Felix (200 meters; three-time Olympic medalist), Jeremy Wariner (400 meters; won gold medal in 4x400-meter relay and silver medal in 400 meters at Beijing Olympics), Jenn Stuczynski (pole vault; broke American record six times in last two years).

Featured event: Men’s 1,500 meters, which features 2008 Olympians Bernard Lagat, Lopez Lomong and Leonel Manzano.

Tickets: $10-$40.