by Larry Eder
Tyson Gay, Gateshead DL, July 10, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Gatehead Diamond League, July 10, 2010
The Gateshead meeting provided exactly what the Diamond League promised in its early planning-good competitive races. It did one other thing, world class athletes that resonate with the fans, and also local fans. Yours truly watched the meet over Universal, and while frustrating between the lovely outages on Charter Communications (my wireless), and Universal issues, the meet was pretty darn good. It is not like being there, trust me. Here is how I saw the events:
Men’s
Truly, one of the best 100 meter races that I have ever seen! Asafa Powell had a very strong start, putting a meter on Tyson Gay by twenty meters. Asafa Powell continued to build his lead
thorough fifty meters, and it looked, at that time, like Asafa Powell had the race.
Tyson Gay is training for 200 meters, and he race liked it. Gay began working hard, very hard, about fifty meters into the race, and by 80 meters was about to move on past Asafa Powell. Gay had changed the race, pumping his arms, lifting his legs as Powell and the rest of the field
were decelerating.
Tyson Gay catches Asafa Powell, 9.94 to 9.96, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Tyson Gay started to lean with ten meters to go and pushed himself in front of Asafa Powell, winning in 9.94 to 9.96 over Powell! Daniel Bailey was third in 10.15 and Trell Kimmons was fourth in 10.18. Jaysuma Ndure was fifth in 10.23.
Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, showing why they are world class athletes, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Tyson Gay expressed pleasure at the final. The BBC broadcasters, Tim Hutchings among them noted that ” this may have been one of the best 100 meter races in the past 20 or 30 years.” I would not like to counter Mr. Hutchings!
More below:
200 meters
Walter Dix has been on a roll. He won the 100 meters at the USA Outdoor on June 25, then won a gutty 200 meters at the Nike Pre over Tyson Gay. In Des Moines, Wallace Spearmon
won the 200 meters, with Dix in the field.
This race was interesting. Jaysuma Ndure, from Norway had a great start and was moving, looking for a real upset. Wallace Spearmon was doing his normal thing, taking his time to erupt around the turn. Walter Dix was working hard, and got by Ndure with fifty meters to go. Spearmon got by Ndure just before the finish, but did not move fast enough to get by Walter Dix, who showed his stuff once again, running 20.26 here for the win, after his Lausanne win on Thursday, in 19.86. Spearmon ended second in 20.29 and Jaysuma Ndure was in third
in 20.31.
400 meters
Ricardo Chambers of Jamaica ran a nice 44.98 with Michael Binghams running 45.08 for second. USA’s Jamaal Torrance was sixth in 46.07.
Asbel Kiprop, 1,500m champion, Gateshead DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
1,500 meters
David Krummenacker of the US was the pacemaker for this race, ensuring a quick
time. In the end, Asbel Kiprop won the race in 3:33.34. Augustine Choge took second
in the 1,500 meters in 3:33.51. Leonel Manzano showed his tough finish, taking third
to Choge and Kiprop, running 3:33.51. Mekonnen Gebremedhin of Ethiopia held on
to the fast early pace, taking fourth in 3:33.96. Andrew Baddeley ran a brilliant personal
best, finishing in fifth in 3:34.50.
5,000 meters
This race was to be the race where Mo Farah was to break David Moorcofts’ 26 year old
record at 5,000 meters (it was the world record then). This race may have been one of
meet director Ian Stewart’s best creations!
The pace was strong: 2:32 for the kilo, 5:11 for two kilometers (2:39), and 7:51 for 3 kilometers
(2:40), and 2:40 for the fourth kilometer. Up front, Vincent KIprop Chepkok, Eliud Kipchoge, Imane Merga, and Tariku Bekele were battling most of the race. Galen Rupp was sitting about eighth, with Mo Farah in seventh. Mo ran a 27:28 at the European Cup recently. Chris Thompson, who ran 27:29 at the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1, 2010.
The pace got intense with a lap to go-the bell was hit in 12:03! Chepkok, Kipchoge and Merga went across the track, in an all out sprint for the win. Bekele had looked good at the start of the lap, be he would end fourth.
A strong fast race, but just over thirteen minutes! Vincept Chepkok won in 13:00.28, with Eliud Kipchoge, the 2003 World Champion in 13:00.24, and Imane Merga in third in 13:00.48.
Tariku Bekele ran 13:01.32, with Moses Ndiema Kipsiro in 13:02.10. In sixth was Mathew KIpkoech KIsorio of Kenya in 13:04.79. In seventh, Mo Farah ran a new pb for the 5,000
meters, running a fine 13:05.66. Micah Kogo, who won the 2009 Rbk GP 5,000 meters,
was eight today in 13:07.62. Galen Rupp was in ninth, with a new PB of 13:10.05. Chris
Thompson was hanging on for dear life, and was rewarded for eleventh place in a pb of
13:11.51. Ireland’s Alastair Cragg ran 13:21.16 for thirteenth place.
3,000 m steeplechase
LInus Kipwmbok Chumba and Michael Kipyego battled over the first six laps. On the last lap, Chumba hurdled the last barrier well and sprinted to the win, in a modest 8:19.72. Kipyego was second in 8:21.91. But the gutty performance of the day was Ben Bruce, who, now steeplecoaches, get this tape and show this to your team, moved up, lap after lap, staying out of trouble, hurdling well and moving up, lap after lap.
Bruce ran his last lap in just under 64 seconds, moving up from six seconds back with two laps to three seconds, and getting a well earned personal best! Remember, Ben took second at the US champs in Des Moines two weekends ago.
110 m hurdles
Dwight Thomas won this one, in 13.38, wth Andrew Turner running 13.41 for second.
High Jump
Linus Thornblad of Sweden won the high jump in 2.29, clearing on his second attempt. Osku
Torru, Jesse Williams and Jaroslav Burba, and the Bahamas Donald Thomas all cleared 2.26 meters, Torru took second, with Williams in third, all based on earlier clearances.
Fabrice Lapierra, Long Jump champion, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Long Jump
Fabrice Lapierre is one of the most dangerous long jumpers on the circuit. He won here today in 8.29m, with Irving Saldino, the Panamanian world champ, in third.
Triple Jump
Phillips Odowu, the 2009 World Champion in the triple jump, won today in 17.38m, with Randy Lewis in second in 17.29m. Sounds to me like UK has two great chances for the Europeans.
Discus
Piotr Malachowski of Poland won the discus in 69.83m, Casey Malone of the US was in third with a throw of 65.60. Brett Morse was top GBR thrower, in seventh, in 61.69m.
Women
Carmelita Jeter, 100m champion, Gateshead DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
100 meters
Carmelita Jeter won a very tight race from Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and
Sherone Simpson of Jamaica. Shalone Simpson was fourth in 11.24. Debbie
Ferguson-McKenzie of Bahamas was fifth in 11.25, and Sheri-Ann Brooks was
sixth in 11.28.
Jeter won in 10.95, Baptiste was second in 11.00 and Simpson in 11.02.
200 meters
Bianca Knight, won a big race for her, in 22.71. Rosemarie Whyte of Jamaica
was second in 22.81. Anneisha McLaughlin was third in 22.95. Christine Amertil
of Bahamas was fourth in 23.27. Cydonie MOthersille was fifth in 23.30.
400 meters
Shericka Williams took down Debbie Dunn, 50.44 to 50.66. Dunn had won at
Lausanne on Thursday night, in the world leader. Novlene Williams-Mills
took third in 50.90 and Natasha Hastings took fourth in 51.15.
Jenny Meadows, sixth, 800 meters (on injury comeback), photo by
PhotoRun.net.
800 meters
In a hugely tactical race, US champ Alysia Johnson negative splitted and won
this race in 1:59.85. Halima Hachlaf of Morocco, always a tough competitor,
took second in 2:00.49. Yuliya Krevsun of the Ukraine was third in 2:00.67
and Christin Wurth-Thomas was fourth in 2:00.75. Jenny Meadows, the British
star, was sixth in
2:00.97.
The race got hopping when Meadows moved with about six hundred to go. Then Christin Wurth Thomas charged to the front, with Meadows falling back. Alysia Johnson ran one
of the smartest races she has ever run, staying up near the front, out of trouble and put it
down to the peddle with fifty meters to go, eaking out a smart tactical victory.
Jenny Meadows is two weeks back to training after an achilles injury. Marily Okaro,
past British champion, just back from some injuries, was seventh in 2:01.07.
Maggie Vessey finish twelfth in 2:02.71. This was a perfect race for Vessey, in terms of
pace and tactical nature. One of these days, Maggie Vessey is going to run that
1:55 that most keen observers think she is capable of performing.
Lisa Dobriskey, 1,500m champion, Gateshead DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
1,500 meters
As Yogi Berra, the philosopher of American baseball once said, “It’s
like Deja-Vu all over again.”
On Thursday night, Lisa Dobriskey was fourth in the 1,500m in 4:01.83, and
Morgan Uceny was fifth in 4:02.40, with a personal best!
With the European Championships just two weeks away, Lisa Dobriskey ran
a brilliantly tactical race, winning the 1,500 meters in 4:03.69, held off Morgan
Uceny, just off a personal best from Lausanne on Thursday night.
In a race full of well matched athletes, Lisa Dobriskey started to increase the pace at 1,100 meters, and increased it enough to slow down Morgan Uceny’s gutty move over the last
200 meters. Dobriskey held off Uceny and Hannah England.
After Dobriskey’s 4:03.69, Morgan Uceny took second in 4:04.26, Hanah England took third in
4:04.33, Helen Clitheroe in 4:06.04 in fourth, and Ann Karindi Mwangi, in fifth in 4:06.58.
The championship finals, like Dobriskey is possibly to experience in Barcelona in two weeks, will call on skills such as Lisa used here today. Increasing the pace over the last 800 meters, cutting down the kickers, is a viable tactic. We shall see how it is employed in two weeks! For Lisa Dobriskey, it sure worked in Gateshead.
LoLo Jones wins the 100 m hurdles at Gateshead, photo by PhotoRun.net.
100m hurdles
LoLo Jones is running as if she is the best 100m hurdler in the world! Oh, darn, she is!
Jones is handling the pressure well, and taking on all comers. Getting a strong start,
Jones took on a strong field and won here in 12.79. Danielle Caruthers was second in
12.98 and Perdita Felician, the 2001 World Champ, was third here in 13.01. In 13.06,
Priscilla Lopes-Schleip was fourth. Lopes-Schleip had run 12.56 on Thursday,
at the Lausanne meet.
400 meter hurdles
Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica ran 54.10 in the 400m hurdles for the win. Zuzana Henjow
of the Czech Republic was second in 54.83. Angela Morosanu of Romania was third in
54.87.
Pole Vault
Svetlana Feofanova of Russia won the pole vault with a strong jump of 4.71m. This was a big win for the Olympic, World and European champs medalist. Fabiana Murer of Brazil cleared 4.61 for second. Silke Spiegel burg of Germany was third, only clearing 4.61. and Jillian Schwartz of Isreal was fourth in 4.51m.
Feofanova looks very good to take a silver or gold at the European championships.
Shot Put
Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus won this shot competition in a 20.57m throw. Olympic and World Champ, Valerie Vili was second with a 20.06m throw. Nadine Kleinart of Germany was
third in 10.01m.
Kara Patterson, javelin, Gateshead DL, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Javelin
Sitting in Heathrow, waiting for the bus to the Crystal Palace meeting, the AVIVA
London GP, I met Kara Patterson, a new professional athlete, throwing the
javelin.
Kara was experiencing her first season throwing in Europe, and was going to the
Berlin World Championships.
This past June, Kara Patterson broke the AR for the javelin, and put herself in the
global world of possible future javelin deities.
Sunette Viljoen of South Africa took the javelin in 64.32m, with Kara Patterson moving into
second in the fourth throw, with a throw of 63.11m. Among the athletes Patterson beat were
Barbora Spotakova, who is overcoming injuries, took third with a 62.02m throw.
