Canada's Gabriela Stafford scores win, world standard at Prefontaine Classic

Toronto's Gabriela Stafford met a world standard, finishing first in the women's 1,500 metres at the Prefontaine Classic track meet on Friday evening in Eugene, Ore. 

• Andre De Grasse has unfinished business at Prefontaine Classic

The 21-year-old crossed the line with a time of four minutes and 7.43 seconds while fellow Canadian Sasha Gollish placed fourth (4:08.41). The world qualifying standard is 4:07.50.

Stafford was coming off a season-best 4:08.41 set last week at the USATF Distance Championships in Los Angeles. 

American Charlene Lipsey won the 800 in 1:59.87. Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba won the 5,000 in 14:25.22. 

Celliphine Chespol of Kenya, who is just 18, won the women's steeplechase Friday night in a meet record 8 minutes, 58.78 seconds. It was the third-best time ever in the world, and Chespol pulled it off despite adjusting her shoe during the race. Montreal's Genevieve Lalonde finished ninth.

Christabel Nettey of Surrey, B.C., finished seventh in long jump while Vancouver's Liz Gleadle was last of the nine competitors in javelin throw.

Doping allegations surround Farah

Farah has said that 2017 will be his last year on the track, with an eye on the world championships in London this August. The 34-year-old plans to transition after that to marathons.

Farah defended his 5,000 and 10,000 titles at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last August, becoming the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.

But at a news conference for the Prefontaine, Farah faced questions about allegations that paint his team, Nike's Oregon Project, in a bad light.

Details have emerged from a 2016 report prepared by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on practices by the team, led by decorated U.S. marathoner Alberto Salazar. Allegations have also surfaced recently based on information obtained by the hacking group known as Fancy Bears.

"I just get sick of it, really, to be honest with you," Farah said. "As an athlete you just want to do the best as you can, and that's what I want to do. But it's nothing new. It's something the press likes to be able to twist it and add a little bit of spices and add stuff on it. Being an Olympic champion, four-time Olympic champion, you do get a lot of that stuff. But at the same time you just have to do the best that you can. I believe in clean sports."

He said he has not read the USADA report that has shown up online.

"It's nothing new. You tell me something new. Since 2011 it's the same stuff," Farah said, clearly exasperated. "It's all right. That's what you get being an Olympic champion, and what we do."

Farah has been training for the past five months in Flagstaff, Ariz., for the outdoor season and his final bow at the Worlds. He hopes to run both of his signature races, the 5,000 and 10,000, if his body lets him, he said.

Saturday's Prefontaine will be bittersweet.

"I don't like to think like that, but it will be, my last," he said. "It will probably be very emotional knowing that will be my last track racing in the U.S. But you know, tomorrow [I] just can't be worrying about anything. I just have to concentrate on the race and getting the job done."

Farah will be part of a stellar field that includes Paul Chelimo, the 5,000 silver medallist in Rio, and Kenyan Paul Tanui, the Rio silver medalist in the 10K.

Visa issues

Earlier on Friday, the Associated Press reported that some 10 athletes, including 2015 world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov, encountered issues with obtaining visas to compete.

The meet is the only U.S. stop for the international Diamond League series.

Organizer Tom Jordan said it was the first time in nearly a decade that athletes had encountered visa problems traveling to the United States for the meet. He said the athletes were from various countries, including Russia and Ethiopia.

Shubenkov's visa was approved Thursday, too late for him to travel to Eugene according to the athlete's Instagram post. No reason was given for the delay.

The Russian was supposed to be part of a start-studded field for the 110m hurdles, which includes Rio Olympic gold medallist Omar McLeod of Jamaica and U.S. star Devon Allen.