by Larry Eder 
Dayron Robles, Jason Richardson, 2011 Zurich, 110m hurdles, photo by PhotoRun.net
Kirani improves, Robles wins
ZURICH (SUI, Sep 8): Yohan Blake confirmed his talent in the fast 100 m,
Kirani James improved at the 400 m as the Samsung Diamond League was
climaxing in first half of the events. Packed Letzigrung in solid
weather (at the beginning stronger wind and some rain) saw national
record for the men´s 4×100 m relay just before the DL ceremony and
Melanie C performance. Men score in world champions department win and
loss was 4:4 and women score 4:3 in favor of world gold medalists. Two
new meet records in women 5000 m and javelin.
Event by event review
Men
400 m: James confirms his supertalent with improving to 44.36, second
fastest 2011, second best junior ever, national senior record and the
diamond. Merritt beaten with good 44.67.
1500 m: Chepseba who was replaced after selected to Daegu prepared for
this and beat Kiprop (7th) and Kiplagat (2nd) and has the diamond
3:32.74.
Steeple: Kipsiele Koech tried but Kemboi as usual was the stronger after
last barrier. Reward for Koech, he is DR winner. Only top two under
8:10.
110mH: Robles this time without mistake and improves his season best to
13.01. Only Oliver and Liu are faster this year. Cuban is also DR
winner.
HJ: New Greek sensation Hondroukokis cleared for third time in his
career 232 and beat all world medalists. Win in DR goes to Williams (4th
228, but after same points with Silnov and same number of wins he
prevails because of better position in finals).
LJ: Makusha in his pro LJ debut beats the tired field with exactly 8 meters, DR for Watt.
DT: Not totally healthy Harting still wins and remains unbeaten this
year, but Alekna who competed more often in the series gets the overall
win.
4×100 m: Jamaica with excellent finish of Frater over Great Britain, but
third home team runs national record 38.62 and beat USA 38.72.
Women
200 m: Jeter more and more a versatile sprinter and in 22.27 beats Felix
and still improving this year Fraser-Pryce. Jeter with good chance for
a double, today DR at 200 m and attacking the same in Brussels at the
100 m.
800 m: Savinova still has the best finish and won in 1:58.27 over the best possible field. Third Meadows is DR winner.
5000 m: Sally Kipyego was closer than expected in last meters, but
Cheruiyot remained unbeaten and in her last race of the season secured
meet record 14:30.10 and the diamond.
100mH: Sally Pearson dominating here, also unbeaten on the circuit and won in 12.52 (+0.2). This was non-DL event.
400mH: Spencer in 53.36 confirmed the diamond and beat all three Daegu medalists.
PV: Suhr on countback over Spiegelburg (both 472), Isinbayeva tied with
Murer at 462. Nh at 442 for world silver winner Strutz and Spiegelburg
gets the diamond.
LJ: Reese with 672 won for second time the Diamond.
JT: Obergfoll revenge, season best and meet record 69.57 (also the diamond). Viljoen as
second 67.46 beats for first time in her career in one competition top
two from Daegu Abakumova and Spotakova.
OTHER NEWS
CHICAGO (USA): The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced a diverse
group of international athletes–including several national record
holders–who will match strides against Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova,
America’s Ryan Hall, and Kenya’s Moses Mosop on the flat and fast
streets of Chicago on October 9. With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games less than a year away, the 34th annual Bank of America Chicago
Marathon continues to shape up as a pivotal world-class competition for
athletes vying for Olympic team berths. Bidding for her third straight
Bank of America Chicago Marathon title, Shobukhova, the Russian record
holder in the marathon, will face perhaps her fiercest competition from
Kayoko Fukushi of Japan. Christelle Daunay, who set the French record
(2:24:22) with her runner-up performance at the 2010 Paris Marathon, and
Benita Willis, who set the Australian record (2:22:36) with her
third-place finish at the 2006 Chicago Marathon, will also factor
heavily into the mix.
Finish times, not just placement, are of the essence for the Russian
contingent that, in addition to Shobukhova, includes Inga Abitova,
runner-up at the 2010 Virgin London Marathon, and Maria Konovalova,
third-place finisher at last year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The Russian Olympic Federation will select its Olympic Marathon team
based on the two fastest times run by Russian athletes between September
1 and December 31, 2011. China’s Wei Yanan, the two-time Seoul Marathon
champion, and Yue Cao, were also added to the women’s elite field. The
men’s competition will be far from a two-person race between Hall, the
American record holder in the half-marathon (59:43), and Mosop, Kenya’s
second fastest marathoner (2:03:06). Brazil’s Marilson Dos Santos, the
two-time ING New York City Marathon champion (2006 and 2008) and
national record holder in the half-marathon (59:33), returns to the Bank
of America Chicago Marathon for the first time since finishing sixth in
2004 with his eye on Ronaldo Da Costa’s Brazilian and South American
record of 2:06:05. Japan’s Atsushi Sato, the national record holder in
the half marathon (1:00:25), will attempt to break the Japanese marathon
record of 2:06:16, which was set on the same course by Toshinari
Takaoka at the 2002 Chicago Marathon. Columbia’s Jason Gutierrez
(2:13:24) and Diego Colorado (2:16:45) have chosen the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon to post Olympic qualifying performances–and perhaps
challenge their country’s national mark of 2:11:17 set by Carlos
Grisales at the 1996 Boston Marathon.
PRAGUE (CZE): Legendary Czech javelin thrower Jan Zelezny agreed to
support former world winner Tero Pitkamäki of Finland. He will be part
of coaching team of Pitkamaki, giving him advices mainly at training
camps. The Finnish thrower will also from time to time spend days in
Prague with Zelezny´s group which includes Barbora Spotakova and Jarmila
Klimesova on the women side and Vitezslav Vesely, Petr Frydrych and
Jakub Vadlejch on the men´s.
NEW YORK (USA): The New York Road Runners launched a captive news
service which officials asserted would be “the next generation in media
outreach.” The service, called the Marathon News Service, located at
www.nyrrmedia.org, will provide information for sports media and fans
about the ING New York City Marathon, the new NYRR Finish Line Dash 5-K,
and the Fifth Avenue Mile, officials said. The site will be updated
five days a week with feature stories, news, reporting tools, and other
information which would assist reporters with creating stories.
FRANKFURT (GER): Discus world champion Robert Harting is German Sports
Pesonality of the month August. In the vote of sportsmen supported by
“Sportlife” foundation he was the number one.
RESULTS
BUDAPEST (HUN, Sep 8): At 7th Hoppa-Parade special jumping meet at
Vigado Square of Budapest Lithuanian Povilas Mikolaitis leaped to meet
record 792 in the long jump. US Derek Miles with 546 beat Cuban pole
vault world medalist Lazaro Borges (531).
HEFEI (CHN, Sep 8): During Chinese National Championships new 100 m
national record was registered Su Bing Tian clocked impressive 10.16
(+0.7) to beat Zhang Peimeng 10.25. High quality women 10 000 m race was
won by Wang Jiali in 31:38.15 ahead of Zhen Rong 31:39.77 (personal
bests for both). Zhang Xiaoyi leaped to 802 (-0.8) in the long jump and
life-time best for 100 m women winner Ha Xiaping 11.48 (+0.5). Gong
Lijiao was the best in women shot put 19.44 m.
