VLASIC 197, POWELL INJURED,
STAMBOLOVA 53.68, LAALOU 2:15.31

RABAT (MAR, Jun 5): The 4th Mohamed VI International
meeting (IAAF World Challenge) registered before around 20 000 crowd three
world leads, three European leads and seven meeting records in cloudy and windy
weather and 23 degrees. Unfortunately the biggest star of the meet Jamaican
sprinter Asafa Powell did not deliver a fast 100 m time. “He felt a cramp
in his right lower hamstring at about 20m. He was able to stop before he did
any serious damage. It’s too early to tell at this moment how serious it is but
we believe at this stage that it is not a serious problem. He feels just a
little soreness in the area and tightness when stretching,” reports his agent
Paul Doyle after Powell was classified with 36.13. Winning home record holder
Aziz Ouhadi posted meet record 10.27 (-0.5) ahead of European indoor champion
Francis Obikwelu 10.31. The other world star Blanka Vlasic of Croatia cleared
in first attempt world lead and meet record 197 and tried three times at two
meters. French Melanie Melfort excellent second 195 (just 1 cm short of her NR) and
third Russian Anna Chicherova who lost her world lead but still good quality
195. Continental Cup home runner Amine Laalou clocked in the 1000 m meet record and world
lead 2:15.31 ahead of European champion Marcin Lewandowski who posted European
lead and national record 2:15.76. Third WL of the evening by Kenyan Viola
Kibiwott 8:46.84 (also MR) in the 3000 m ahead of Sylvia Kibet 8:47.15. Bulgarian
Barcelona medalist Vania Stambolova was fast at 400 m hurdles with 53.68 what
is European lead of the season, meet and national record. US Queen Harrison was
way back in 55.31. Remaining two meet records were achieved by women. Home Halina
Hachlaf won the 800 m
in 2:00.55 (Meadows 5th 2:01.89 and Hak 8th 2:03.11) and Spanish Mercedes
Chilla with 63.77 in
javelin (second Czech Jarmila Klimesova 60.41). In remaining women events
Ukrainian Anna Mishchenko got 4:07.95 at 1500 m on African soil a good win by an
European runner ahead of home national record holder Ibtissam Lakhouad 4:08.11.
Algerian record holder Baya Rahouli achieved at age of 31 her best mark in
triple jump since 2005 with 14.34 (-0.5) ahead of Slovak Dana Veldakova (14.02).
Belgian Jonathan Borlee won the 200
m in personal best 20.42 (+0.7) beating Jamaican Ainsley
Waugh (20.52), US Jordan Boase (20.52) and Ostrava winner Marvin Anderson (20.59).
Surprise winner of 400 m
was Trinidad´s Lalonde Gordon in 45.51 (his first sub 46 of the career) over
Cuban William Collazo 45.57 and Britons Martyn Rooney (46.19) and hurdles Euro
gold medalist Dai Greene (46.29, PB). Kenyan Jacob Cheshari won the 5000 m in 13:10.55 beating
Moroccan talent and Moncton
medalist Aziz Lahbabi who improved hugely to 13.13.68. Abdelkader Hachlaf
scored nice home win in steeple with fast 8:13.04 over Hamid Ezzine (8:21.21).
Kenyan Collins Cheboi was the best in the 1500 m (3:33.82) and second
French Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabaad improved to fast 3:33.86 what is European
lead 2011 and personal best. His aim to attack 8 minutes in steeple in Oslo looks real now.
Third new Moroccan Fouad El Kaam improved to 3:34.01. Europeans also in the
race: Ruiz of Spain 5th 3:34.62, French Carvalho 7th 3:36.03 and German Schlangen
8th 3:36.14.  Dutch Eric Cadee won the
discus (64.06 over Frank Casanas of Spain 63.53) and Moroccan record
holder Yahya Berrabah the long jump (810, -0.2 over Cuban Wilfredo Martinez
807, -0.5).

WINDY RESULTS FROM RUSSIA

YERINO (RUS, Jun 5): Second day of Russian saw again windy results.
Pavel Shalin leaped to 833 (+3.6) in long jump beating Sergey Nikolayev (820,
+6.6) and Sergey Polyanskiy (818, +3.7). Also women long jump had Lyudmila
Kolchanova with 706 (+5.9) over Oksana Zhukovskaya (695, +7.5) and Yekaterina
Koneva (680, +5.5). In the 200
m sprints wins for Roman Smirnov (20.59, +4.3) and
Yelizaveta Savlinis (22.68, +5.7 ahead of Yuliya Gushchina 22.69). Strong wind
was not helpful for distances as Yekaterina Martynova won the 800 m in 2:03.82 and Yelena
Zadorozhnaya the 5000 m
in 16:00.84 (here steeple world record holder Gulnara Galkina third 16:06.09).
Remaining good throws Darya Pishchalnikova 62.03 in women discus and
four men with 20+ in shot put. Ivan Yushkov 20.61, Soslan Tsirikhov PB 20.47,
Maksim Sidorov 20.46 and Anton Lyuboslavskiy 20.31.  Also a correction from Sergey Tikhonov,
Saturday´s fast women 100 m
(11.09 Fedoriva, 11.17 Savlinis) were also aided by strong wind (+4.2).

OTHER RESULTS

WALNUT (USA,
Jun 4): Ginnie Crawford clocked fast 12.75 (+1.4) at 100 m hurdles during the
Southern California USATF Championships ahead of Yvette Lewis 12.89 and Candice
Davis who got her fastest 12.91
in three years. Puertorican Hector Cotto won men´s
hurdles in 13.62 (+1.5). Great display of shape by Greg Nixon who achieved
20.43 (+1.4) and 45.14 double. In the latter second Australian John Steffensen
46.10 ahead of hurdler Felix Sanchez 46.30. Rubin Williams was the fastest in
the 100 m
in 10.31 (+1.0) and Leslie Cole posted 22.91 (+0.9) in women 200 m. Jasmine Baldwin-Foss
won the women 100 m
in windy 11.08 (+3.4, her legal best is 11.29). Solid throws by Noah Bryant 20.52 in shot put and
Briton Carl Myerscough 63.23
in discus.

POSTOJNA (SLO, Jun 5): New Slovenian javelin record at national GP meet
by Matija Kranc with 79.72 m.
Another top Slovenian mark was the 228 high jump clearance by Rozle Prezelj, a
Daegu B-qualifier. Gregor Kokalovic beat with 10.40 (+0.7) in the 100 m Matic Osovnikar
(10.47). From foreign athletes to note the 190 in high jump by Nigerian
Doreen Amata (and close attempts at 195), 13.59 (+0.4) by US Jeff Porter at 110 m hurdles and 13.12
(+0.3) by Italian Marzia Caravelli at 100 m hurdles. Legendary Merlene Ottey was not
running because there was danger of bad weather, but fortunately at the end it
was ok, but she did not start her drive from Ljubljana to Postojna.

ARGENTAN (FRA. Jun 5): At the Meeting National D2 Aziz Zakari of Ghana
won the 100 m
in 10.32 (+1.0) over US William Perry 10.33. Jamaican Edino Steele got the 400 m in 46.41 and Algerian
Othman Hadj Lazib the 110 m
hurdles (13.65, +0.7).

FIRENZE (ITA, Jun 5): Barcelona
hammer medalist Nicola Vizzoni (38) showed top shape during second day of Coppa
Italia meet with 80.29 what is his third best mark of the career. The better
two are coming from 2001. He is only fourth 80+ thrower of the year.

SCHONEBECK (GER, Jun 5): The Sole Cup throwing meeting registered fine
20.78 shot put win by young David Storl over Ralf Bartels (20.20). Martin
Wierig was the best in discus (65.72) ahead of Markus Munch (64.36). French win
in hammer as Frederick Pouzy got 76.47 and Mark Frank was the best in javelin
(82.54). But the result of the day was the 67.98 women discus improvement by
Chinese Li Yangfeng ahead of Nadine Muller (65.38) and Ma Xuejun (63.68). Zhang
Wenxiu was the best in women hammer (70.53).

KAUNAS (LTU, Jun 5): During second day of National
Cup Zinaida Sendriute achieved 61.89
in women discus.

KAWASAKI (JPN, Jun 5): Keisuke Ushiro scored 8076
Japanese decathlon record at the National Championships in combined events.

BERNHAUSEN (GER, Jun 5): Patrick Spinner scored 7818 in decathlon at
combined events meeting, in the U20 heptathlon Sara Gambetta qualified with
5907 points to Tallinn.

KOBENHAVN (DEN, Jun 5): Morten Jensen leaped to 791 (0.0) and Anders
Moller 16.84 (+2.1) and legal 16.52 (+1.3) in long and triple jump at Lyngby
Games.

BEDFORD (GBR, Jun 5): England
combined events championships saw former world under 18 heptathlon champ
Katarina Thompson won the national U20 title with 5571 to qualify for European
junior champs. This made up for the fact that at Desenzano last month she got
no mark in High jump (and yet still scored 4919 then). Senior men’s decathlon
title was won by Daniel Awde with personal best 7869 (including 46.71 in the 400 m).

KHANIA (GRE, Jun 5): Stella Ledaki cleared new personal best in pole
vault with 445 cm
clearance.

MATARO (ESP, Jun 5): At Catalonia Open Championship
Angel Muller achieved 8:27.70 in men steeple and Ethiopian Firehiwot Goshu
15:27.14 in women 5000 m.

VARAZDIN (CRO, Jun 5): Best result of second day Croatian Cup again in
discus, Roland Varga 62.88 m.

NITRA (SVK, Jun 5): New deaf world record in women
shot put by Slovak Ivana Kristoficova during regular athletics meeting with 15.53 m.

CLOVIS (USA, Jun 4): Amy Weisenbach clocked
fast 2:02.04 at 800 m
during California High School Championships. In men sprints Remontay McClain
posted 10.39 (but 10.31 in
heats) at 100 m
and 20.95 (but 20.92 in
heats) at 200 m