by Larry EderA few tidbits from over the weekend:
*Meseret Defar ran 31:07 in warm, windy weather-she hit the halfway in 15:43, and ran 15:24 over the last 5k, which means she could run close to 30:00 in normal race conditions!
*Anna Willards’ 800 meters at Reebok GP shows what former coach John Chaplin said to Jim Hiserman two decades ago in American Track & Field: 800 meter runners should be steeplechasers! Willard has run well over the road mile, track 1,500 and 800 meters and the steeplechase. Willard has the talent, brains and focus to medal in Berlin-congrats to her and new coach, Terrance Mahon.
*Christin Wurth Thomas’ brave run from the 900 meter mark in the women’s 1,500 meters, in those blustery conditions in New York was amazing. It was Wurth Thomas’ best race performance in a long time-4:03.96 would have been 3:59 in normal conditions.
*Tyson Gay’s 200 meters was spellbounding! His 19.58 for 200 meters dusted the rest of the field and the guys were all running quite fast!
Photos by Photorun.net.
EME NEWS (MAY 30, 2009) UPDATE
Powell and Dibaba beaten, Gay 19.58 at 200 m
NEW YORK (USA, May 30): It was a evening full of surprises at Icahn Stadium in Big Apple at IAAF GP Meet including six world leading marks.. Can you imagine Asafa Powell only 7th at 100 m with 10.10. Winner of this wind-aided race was Mike Rodgers who posted 9.93 (+3.1) ahead of Travis Padgett (9.96) and Steve Mullings (9.98). Even the olympic medalist Richard Thompson was only fifth (10.01). Another blow for double olympic winner Tirunesh Dibaba at 5000 m. She clocked 14:40.93 and was beaten by Linet Masai of Kenya who achieved world leading and PB 14:35.39. But the main surprise was a winning mark. Tyson Gay is back. He clocked excellent third fastest of the history 19.58 (+1.3) at 200 m, of course a world leader. Wallace Spearmon as second dipped also sub 20 (19.98) ahead of Xavier Carter (20.27) and Jeremy Wariner (20.30). Another world lead for steeple specialist Anna Willard 1:59.26 at 800 m beating Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica (1:59.66). Christine Wurth-Thomas was close to world lead of Gulnara Samitova with 4:03.96 at 1500 m. But Allyson Felix achieved world leading 50.50 at 400 m beating both Jamaican global medalists Shericka Williams (50.58) and Novlene Williams (51.11). Another world lead for Jenn Stuczynski in pole vault as she cleared 481 in pole vault ahead of former champion Stacy Dragila (452). The other world lead possibility was killed by strong wind (+2.8). Carmelita Jeter posted 10.85 at 100 m ahead of Muna Lee (10.88) and world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica (10.91) still beating 2005 world champion Lauryn Williams (10.94). Shalonda Solomon achieved fast 11.04 (+1.3) in the B-heat ahead of long jumper Tianna Madison (11.05 PB). Briton Tasha Danvers won the 400 m hurdles in 55.19 as Olympic winner Melaine Walker was only third (55.29). Also Sweden´s star Carolina Kluft opened the season with 634 (+3.0) fifth place with winner Ruki Abdulai of Canada (678, +2.5). Olympic winner Stephanie Trafton-Brown achieved clear discus win (63.97). In remaining men events Bershawn Jackson posted a close 400 m hurdles win over Javier Culson of Puerto-Rico (both 48.52) with Olympic winner Angelo Taylor only 5th (49.67). Terrence Trammell achieved years second fastest 13.12 (+0.1) at 110 m hurdles over Aries Merritt (13.28). LaShawn Merritt, the olympic champion, confirmed his dominance at 400 m with 44.75 win over Renny Quow of Trinidad (44.89) with hurdles world champion Kerron Clement only 6th (45.76). Leonel Manzano clocked excellent 3:34.15 1500 m win over South African Juan Van Deventer (3:34.30). Kenyan Micah Kogo achieved another world lead 13:02.90 at 5000 m ahead of world champion Bernard Lagat (13:03.06) with World CC Champion Gebre Gebremariam 5th in 13:13.20. Also world leading 22.34 for Lauryn Williams at 200 m (+1.7) beating Shalonda Solomon (22.43).
Ukrainian leaders
GOTZIS (AUT, May 30): Ukrainian olympic top ten placer Oleksiy Kasyanov leads the decathlon at Hypomeeting in Gotzis with 4461 score (10.51-788-14.95-197-48.29) ahead of US Trey Hardee (4391, including fast 10.48 at 100 m) and surprise German Michael Schrader 4341 (with excellent 805 in long jump). Sweden´s Nicklas Wiberg is fourth (4311, mainly with best high jump 212). Multiple winner here Roman Sebrle is fifth with 4257 (specially good the long jump 786). World medalist Maurice Smith of Jamaica had no mark in long jump and is out of contention. In women heptathlon Ukraine is ruling. Lyudmyla Yosypenko leads with 3840 points (13.77-188-13.15-23.68) ahead of Hana Melnychenko 3773 and olympic winner Natalya Dobrynska 3751. Best non-Ukrainian is Yvonne Wisse of Netherlands as fourth (3740) beating provisionally Russian duo Olga Kurban (3706) and olympic medalist and title defender Tatyana Chernova (3701).
Ukhov clears 234 cm
CASTELLON (ESP, May 30): Luch Moscow favorite team in European Champion Clubs Cup A group leads in women category with 66 points, but in men competition Portugal´s Sporting Club is the overnight leader with 59 points ahead of Luch (57). Best male result was the european lead for Russian European indoor champion Ivan Ukhov who cleared in his season debut 234 in high jump. Double European champion Francis Obikwelu scored a 100 m win (10.09, +2.2) for the leaders over British Tyrone Edgar (10.16) and Italian Fabio Cerutti (10.27). Another win for European indoor champion Rui Silva at 1500 m (3:48.14), Marco Fortes in shot put (19.92) and 4×100 m (39.22). Also to note the long jump of Chris Tomlinson who leaped to 815 (+1.6) beating Czech Roman Novotny (800, +2.7). In hammer former olympic medalist Nicola Vizzoni of Italy (78.67) beat Slovak world medalist Libor Charfreitag (77.56) who´s team Spartak Dubnica suffered for not allowing Kenyan Collins Kosgei competing as one of two foreigners. In women races Russian European indoor champion Anna Alminova clocked european lead 8:40.63 at 3000 m. It is also new competition best and she beat clearly olympic medalist Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey (8:41.85). Other meet record for Anastasiya Kiryashova in pole vault with 460. Another Russian win for former olympic winner Natalya Sadova in discus (61.58) and javelin olympic silver winner from Beijing Mariya Abakumova in javelin (63.41). Morrocan Hasna Benhassi scored another win for Spanish Valencia team at 800 m in 2:01.97. Kazakh olympic finalist Olga Rypakova won the triple jump for Turkish club with 14.16 (+2.2 and 14.07 +1.3 legal). Italian Elena Romagnolo posted steeple win in 9:41.73. Two Spanish wins for Digea Murillo at 100 m (11.43, +1.8) over olympic relay gold medalist Aleksandra Fedoriva (11.51) and at 4×100 m for Valencia (44.74 over Luch Moscow 44.89).
Plätzer and Borchin winners
KRAKOW (POL, May 30): Norway´s 37-year-old Kjersti Plätzer, silver medallist from Beijing, won her fourth IAAF Race Walking Challenge this year at 10 km in 41:41. She was faster on the finish only by 1 sec as olympic and world winner Olga Kaniskina of Russia. Both achieved two best results of the year. Plätzer won the first time with Kaniskina (warned twice), for Russian it was the first start on the road in this distance. More than two minutes behind this pair finished Italian olympic medalist Elisa Rigaudo with 43:44 and Vera Santos, the second in the current IAAF challenge standings, 44:07. Solid results next three walkers finishing closely each other: Romania´s Claudia Stef 44:21, Portugal Ines Henriques 44:22 and Irish Olive Loughnane 44:27. In the men’s race seven first walkers went faster than the leader of current world list. Valeriy Borchin, Olympic Champion from Beijing, won easily with 38:11. Second Erik Tysse, brother of Kjersti, 38:38, finishing ahead of European Champion Yohan Diniz 38:46. Personal bests for the next three walkers, Joao Vieira 39:12, Alex Schwazer 39:15 and Hatem Ghoula 39:23. The best Pole was Grzegorz Sudol with 39:27. One of the favourites Francisco Javier Fernandez, coached by Robert Korzeniowski – the organizer of the meeting, withdrew very early.
Chambers with sprint double
KALAMATA (GRE, May 30): European indoor champion Dwain Chambers ruled the sprints at Papaflessia European Athletics Classic meeting in Greece. He won the 100 m in 10.06 (+0.3) what is European lead of the season and also the 200 m in 20.58 (+0.6) beating strong Scandinavian rivals Johan Wissman (20.67) and Jaisuma Saidy Ndure (20.67). But he was not the only one former drug cheater at the meet. Bulgarian Vanya Stambolova the European champion 2006 returned after two years ban with 51.85 400 m win and her team-mate Venelina Veneva was second in high jump (191). That was won by Marina Aitova of Kazakhstan who cleared 194. Excellent the 833 (+0.9) by world indoor champion Khotso Mokoena in long jump ahead of Algerian Issam Nima (800, +0.6). European junior champion Oleksandr Nartov of Ukraine cleared 224 to win the high jump and Russian Anna Pyatykh 14.37 (+0.6) to be the best in triple jump. In throws very solid javelin marks. Poland Olympian Urszula Piwnicka improved to 63.53 to win the women competition and Russian Ilya Korotkov achieved 80.80 as the winner.
Defar debut at 10k
STOCKHOLM (SWE, May 30): World athlete of the year 2007 and world champion Meseret Defar debuted in Stockholm at 10 000 m with world leading 31:07.34. She beat her team-mates Worknesh Kidan (31:19.00) and Aheza Kiros (31:52.99). A disappointed Defar complained about the weather conditions after the race. “I´m not happy at all. It was very windy. I want to race on both 5000 and 10 000 meters in Berlin, but this time is not enough,†she was quoted. The Ethiopian trio of Defar, Kidane and Kiros run together to an unexpected slow 15:43 halfway through the race. They suffered the high temperature of 26 degrees and it wasn’t until the last two kilometres that Defar stepped up the pace and left her two compatriots behind her. Defar’s next race will be the 5000 metres at the Bislett Games but she plans to race once more on 10 000 if an oppurtunity turns out. Splits provided by Lorenzo Nesi: 3:05/3:07/3:08/3:10/3:13(!)/3:07/3:09/3:09/3:03/2:56.
OTHER RESULTS
STOCKHOLM (SWE, May 30): Defeat came quickly for all of the contenders in today’s Stockholm Marathon, except for two: Paul Kipkemei Kogo and Isabellah Andersson. Kogo, a 26 year-old Kenyan who had won the 2007 Maratona di Sant’ Antonio in Padova, Italy, when as a pacemaker he decided to finish, broke away from the field just past half-way and was never seriously challenged. Splitting halfway in just over 67 minutes, he was able to slow down a little in the second half and enjoy his victory as his lead was never threatened. He finished in 2:15:35. Compatriot Benjamin Serem was a distant second in 2:22:51. Andersson, a 28 year-old Kenyan who is acquiring Swedish citizenship through marriage with her Swedish coach, had an even lonlier run than Kogo. The defending champion was well clear of the field by halfway (1:17:26), and had a three and one-half minute lead over Swedish record holder Lena Gavelin, her nearest rival, by the 30 km mark. Increasing her speed in the second half, she breezed to victory in a personal best 2:33:52. Gavelin finished second for the second year in a row, clocking 2:40:52, nearly the same time as last year. Informs Race Results Weekly.
HONGKONG (HKG, May 30): At third Asian GP meet (also IAAF WAT scoring) Xie Limei leaped to 14.25 (+1.6) season best in triple jump. Also Gong Lijiao (18.87 in shot put) and Song Aimin (62.91 in discus) scored the expected chinese throwing wins. But unexpected was the 191 high jump win for Zhang Xingjan. On the other hand both Chinese 4×100 m relay lost their races. Women (44.80) to Thailand (44.05) and men (39.67) to the same country (39.48). Gizel Khubbieva of Uzbekistan won also the third meet at 100 m with 11.39 (-0.4). The same goes for Korean Kim Deok-Hyung in triple jump (16.97, +0.8). Sergey Zasimovich of Kazakhstan cleared 228 to win the high jump. In the 110 m hurdles world finalist Shi Dongpeng this time lost (13.69) to Xie Wenjun (13.63, +0.3) as Tilastopaja informs.
NEW YORK (USA, May 30): Athletes from Africa dominated this morning’s Freihofer’s Run for Women, a 5 km invitational road race in Albany, N.Y. African women, led by Ethiopia’s Teyba Erkesso, filled the first five positions and eight out of the top-10. For Erkesso, 26, it was her fourth road racing victory of the year in North America, good for a $10,000 payday. She clocked 15:27 (15:26.1) to finish three seconds ahead of compatriot Mamitu Daska, last Monday’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Bolder Boulder 10-K champion. Kenya’s Rose Kosgei was third in 15:39. Three-time defending champion, Benita Johnson of Australia, finished sixth. In all, there were 3685 finishers, up from 3097 last year, says Race Results Weekly.
MINSK (BLR, May 29): At Belarus National Cup fast 100 m by Oksana Dragun 11.34. Olympic winner Yulia Nesterenko did not compete, presented the prizes and said she will soon open the season.Vera Epimashko won the shot put with 18.07. Veteran discus thrower Irina Yatchenko posted solid 62.66. In women hammer Mariya Smolyachkova achieved 69.36. But the prize for the best result of the meet was given to long jumper and world junior 2008 medalist Anastasiya Mironchik who leaped to 665 cm. Natalya Koreyvo posted solid 2:02.73 at 800 m.
SOCHI (RUS, May 30): During second day of Russian Team Championships olympic relay winner Yulia Gushchina clocked another european lead of the season 22.63 at 200 m. She also had fast 22.97 in heats. Another European lead 2009 for Yuliya Zarudneva with 9:34.47 in steeple.
REGENSBURG (GER, May 30): Tim Lobinger won the pole vault on square here with clearing 563 cm ahead of Slovenian Jure Rovan (553).
MOSCOW (RUS, May 30): At Moscow City U23 Championships former world medalist Tatyana Andrianova posted first this year sub 2 minutes at 800 m with 1:59.60 (later during the day improved in New York). Former world champion at 200 m Anastasiya Kapachinskaya clocked in heats 23.18.
MANCHESTER (GBR, May 30): At British Milers Club meeting in Manchester in fifth place in the mens 1500 m was 17 year old Niall Brooks in 3:41.63, only Steve Cram (3:40.09) is faster at that age in Britain.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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