by Larry Eder
Bryan Clay, WIC, gold medalist, heptathlon, March 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Six world leads at Pepsi Florida Relays numero 66! In the men’s 100m, 200 meter, 110m hurdles, womens’ 200m, 400m and 100 hurdles! In Texas, they had the women’s long jump world best! 2008 Oly champ Bryan Clay threw 49.88m for the discus at the Fresno Pacific Relays! The outdoor relay season is starting off with a bang!
US FRIDAY ACTION
SIX WORLD LEADS
GAINESVILLE: The 66th Pepsi Florida Relays in good conditions registered six world leads in the early stages of the season (men 100, 200, 110H, women 200, 400, 100H). Olympic medalist David Oliver posted 13.32 (+0.4) at 110 m hurdles and clearly beat Jamaican record holder Dwight Thomas (13.50). Impressive also the life-time best 12.65 (+1.5) by NCAA Champion Queen Harrison at 100 m hurdles. Second Olympic fourth placer Damu Cherry was close with 12.66 and third Kellie Wells still sub 13 (12.95). Harrison also won the 400 m hurdles in 56.06. Shana Cox got 400 m world lead (51.42), the same for Evander Wells in the men´s 200 m 20.47 (+1.8) and US indoor 400 m record holder Francena McCorory (22.92, +0.3, also PB for her). Jeff Demps confirmed his 100 m qualities in another seasonal best 10.11 (+1.4). The previous weekend reported 10.10 by Manteo Mitchell is now considered as irregular. Also to note the 49.52 by Johnny Dutch in the 400 m hurdles and excellent 45.55 by Christian Taylor in the 400 m (he is World youth champion 2007 in triple jump). St.Kitts sprinter Marecia Pemberton was fastest in women 100 m but her 11.20 was aided by +3.1. Big improvements for winning Slovakian brother/sister hammer duo. Marcel Lomnicky achieved 74.83 in men´s hammer and Nikola Lomnicka 66.07 in women´s to win. Also to note 200 m times for world medalists in other events, Trinidad´s Reny Quow got 20.88 and Bahamian Derrick Atkins 21.25 (both in +2.7 aided race).
OKAGBARE 688
AUSTIN: The best result of Friday action at 83rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays was the 688 (+1.9) world lead and meet record of olympic medalist Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria. The current NCAA champion achieved also new facility best and her second best ever. She was better only when winning the bronze in Beijing (691). Lucky with wind was also sprinter Luther Ambrose as his 10.22 personal best was aided by +2.0 in the 100 m heats. Jamaican Samantha Henry posted fastest women´s heat time 11.20 but with +3.7. Texas AM women clocked 43.76 in the 4×100 m heats.
CLAY IN DISCUS
FRESNO: Olympic gold medalist Bryan Clay competed in discus at Fresno Pacific Invitational and won with 49.88 m. His so far known decathlon for summer is the one in Kladno, Czech Republic in mid-June. His best is 55.87 from 2005.
NEARLY 70 M
DURHAM: World finalist Amber Campbell achieved 69.46 in hammer throw during Duke Invitational meet.
DEFAR FOR 5 KM ON THE ROAD
CARLSBAD (USA): Fresh world indoor champion Meseret Defar will return to 5 km on the road. She will go for an unprecedented third Carlsbad 5000 women’s title on April 11 in the 25th anniversary edition of the race. “Now, I will focus on world records at 5000 meters and 10 000 meters outdoors!†said Defar following her win in Doha. The Carlsbad 5000 marks the first of those record opportunities, notes www.trackandfieldnews.com. Defar has the world road 5 km best 14:46 from Carslbad 2006. But she will not have it easy. Newly crowned World CC champion 24 year-old Emily Chebet of Kenya will compete also. And not to be forgotten is defending Carlsbad 5000 champion Aheza Kiros of Ethiopia, who looks to join Defar (2006, 2007), England’s Liz McColgan (1988, 1991), and America’s Deena Kastor (2000, 2002) as a two-time Carlsbad 5000 champion. The race saw already 16 world records since its inception in 1986.
BUNGEI SPEAKS FOR RUDISHA AND KAKI
NAIROBI (KEN): Olympic 800 m champion Wilfred Bungei believes it is possible to break the world record in his distance. Bungei, who has captained the national team to two major events, bets on David Rudisha is one of the likely candidates to lower the mark. Writes The Nation. The other runner, according to Bungei, who also has the potential of breaking the record of 1:41.11 currently held by Wilson Kipketer of Denmark, is Abubaker Kaki of Sudan. “With best advice, Rudisha can do it. He is young, the same as Kaki,†the Beijing Olympics 800m champion said in Nakuru on Friday. Bungei, whose wish is to become an entrepreneur in future, said close and regular interaction between members of the media and athletes can do a lot in development of the sport. Bungei spoke when he officially opened a two-day seminar for sports writers in Nakuru. He also touched another issue of athletes changing nationalities. „This is what will kill global athletics. The defection of athletes from some nations, especially Kenya, to Qatar, Bahrain, United States, Finland, France etc,“ Bungei also told reporters. „You will soon find 12 Kenyans in the final of 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m or 10,000m in the Olympic Games or world championships. So that will be a Kenyan championships, not Olympics or world championships. And who is interested in that situation?“ Bungei asked. He also confirmed he no longer plans for big championships, just selected invitational meetings.
VCB FOR KANSAS RELAYS
LAWRENCE (USA): This year at the 83rd Kansas Relays, fans, coaches and athletes will get a chance to witness 200 m olympic winner Jamaican Veronica Campbell Brown. She will run at the 2010 Kansas Relays in the 200 m dash and 4×400-meter relay on April 17. The meet website informs.
WATT YES, HOOKER NO
STAWELL (AUS, Apr 3): Canberra runner Tom Burbidge (25) was the fastest in the heats for the 129th edition of the Stawell Gift. Running in the 20th and final heat off a handicap of 8.75m, Burbidge clocked a time of 12.48 seconds. Australian media are informing. On a blustery day in Stawell where the overall times were slower than usual, no other runner was able to break 12.7 seconds. Defending Gift champion Aaron Stubbs was also impressive, clocking 12.77 off a 4m mark. World championships long jump bronze medalist Mitchell Watt was a close second in his heat in 12.88, although that was still good enough for 18th place overall, with the top 42 advancing to the semis on Monday. But Olympic and world pole vault gold medallist Steve Hooker failed to advance, fading late to finish third in his heat in 13.34.
