by Larry EderSuppose one goes to Jamaica and Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell are not running? Well, then Tyson Gay runs 9.86, Nickel Ashmeade goes 20.00, Antwon Hicks hurdles 13.26 and Ryan Whiting throws 21.74m for world leaders! And to top that off, VCB runs 11.01 to win the 100m and Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce runs 22.38 for the 200m win! Season is starting to get hot, hot, hot!
Gay is back with 9.86 WL
KINGSTON (JAM, May 4): Five world leads and one meet record highlighted the Jamaica International Invitational Meet in National Stadium of Kingston. Despite the absence of top sprinting stars Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell the meet proved its quality in the sprints specially. US Star Tyson Gay clocked world leading and first sub 10 of the year 9.86 (+0.2), his 35th legal under ten seconds result. Second relay olympic winner Nesta Carter 10.03 over US fast veteran Darvis Patton 10.07 and another relay olympic winner Kemar Bailey-Cole 10.16. Another world lead for Diamond Race winner Nickel Ashmeade 20.00 (-0.3) in the 200 m over olympic bronze winner Warren Weir 20.14 and US world medalist Wallace Spearmon 20.32. Hurdles sprint offered another world lead for US Antwon Hicks 13.25 (+0.3) who beat olympic bronze winner Hansle Parchment 13.26 and another Jamaican Andrew Riley 13.28. World lead number four for shot put world indoor champion Ryan Whiting 21.74 (also a meet record) in clear win over 2009 World champion Christian Cantwell (20.29) who only slowly returns from injury. Last world lead for 2008 Olympic winner Dawn Harper in the 100 m hurdles 12.62 (+0.8) in close duel with Drake winner Queen Harrison 12.64. The highly expected women sprints saw Jamaican stars winning. Veronica Campbell-Brown the 100 m in 11.01 (0.0) after explosive last 10 meters with Kelly-Ann Baptiste second 11.06 and third surprise Carrie Russell 11.08 still ahead of indoor world leader 2013 Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast 11.11 and olympic winner at 200 m Allyson Felix 11.13. The 100 m London gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opted for 200 m and won in 22.38 (+0.5) clearly over team-mates Kerron Stewart 22.71 and Sherone Simpson 22.83. Stephanie McPherson continues in improving and won the 400 m in 50.43 over Briton Christine Ohuruogu who clocked European lead and her fastest opener ever 50.58. Third Novlene Williams-Mills 51.05. In the men 400 m Dominican olympic medalist Luguelin Santos got another win in 45.06 ahead of US Tony McQuay 45.15 and best of Jamaicans Javere Bell 45.57 personal best. Justin Gaymon in 400 m hurdles beat in close finish former world champion Kerron Clement both 49.23 and third close Trinidad star Jehue Gordon 49.26. In women 400 m hurdles US T´erea Brown achieved 54.83 in nearly one second win over Ristananna Tracey 55.66. Two 1500 m races saw Canadian Taylor Milne 3:44.75 and Ethiopian Gudeto Feyne 4:16.51 (over national record holder Kenia Sinclair 4:18.97) winning. In remaining technical events home wins in jumps for Nicholas Gordon 780 (+0.4) and Kimberly Williams 14.00 (0.0) long and triple. In discus Indian Vikas Gowda 61.38 beat Jason Morgan of Jamaica 60.96 and US Gia Lewis-Smallwood was the best in women section 62.41.
Rodgers wins the 100 m clearly, Chicherova 195
TOKYO (JPN, May 5): The Seiko Golden Grand Prix Japanese leg of IAAF World Challenge moved from Kawasaki to Tokyo´s National Stadium. Three world leading marks and three meet records highlighted the programme. Jairus Birech of Kenya clocked 8:15.26 in the steeple what is also new meet record. Under 8:20 also other Kenyans Olympic medalist Abel Mutai 8:19.31 and Bernard Nganga 8:19.63, fourth US Cory Leslie improved to 8:20.08. First event of IAAF Hammer Challenge saw winning Czech olympic finalist Lukas Melich with world leading 79.00 ahead of Dilshod Nazarov 77.61. Third world lead by Russian Olympic and World winner Anna Chicherova who cleared easily 195 and attacked two meters. Behind her two solid 192 clearances for Kamila Stepaniuk of Poland and Kazakhstan´s Marina Aitova. But the most expected event on a windy day was men´s 100 m which was clearly dominated by US sub 10 runner Mike Rodgers who clocked 10.19 against -1.2 wind. Second 2007 world medalist Derrick Atkins of Bahamas who was closing well in 10.24. Only third young sensation Yoshihide Kiryu in 10.40. Another top duel in women hurdles as Lolo Jones in 12.92 against -1.2 wind beat olympic medalist Kellie Wells 13.07 and versatile Janay De Loach Soukup 13.11 PB. She then won the long jump with 682 (-0.6) what was another meet record. Second Funmi Jimoh 668 (+0.9). Third meet record in men 800 m when Kenyan Anthony Chemut posted 1:46.51 over his team-mate Robrt Biwott (17 years old) 1:46.98. In other men events Canadian Jared Connaughton won the 200 m in 20.70 (-0.3, fastest Japanese Shota Iizuka did not compete), US wins for Omo Osaghae 13.45 (-1.4) at 110 m hurdles and former World champion Bershawn Jackson 49.11 at 400 m hurdles over all best Japanese runners. European 100 m champion Ivet Lalova from Bulgaria in her season opener won in 11.46 (-2.4) with US Candyce McGrone second 11.49. Ethiopian juniors Haftamnesh Tesfay (19) in 15:34.39 and Alemitu Haroye (will be 18 next week) 15:34.73 ruled in the women 5000 m, for both personal bests. In remaining technical events World indoor champion Mauro Vinicius of Brazil won the long jump (799, -1.3) ahead of current world leader Zarck Visser of South Africa (784, +0.4). Japanese wins for Yukifumi Murakami in javelin 81.16 and Seito Yamamoto in pole vault 550 (favorites Walker, Scott and Sawano no-heighted). Romanian Anca Heltne won the shot put (18.43) over German Nadine Kleinert 18.35 and in javelin Madara Palameika of Latvia 60.92 was better then Japanese record holder Yuki Ebihara 60.79.
US SATURDAY RESULTS
WACO: Olympic medalist Erik Kynard cleared 230 in the high jump at the Big 12 Championships. But the best results came from German Johannes Hock who scored great personal best 8293 points in decathlon. Charles Silmon clocked 10.20 (-0.1) and 20.69 (+1.7) in sprint heats. Tia Brooks won the shot put 18.51 and Jamaican Francine Simpson leaped to personal best 667 (-0.7) in the long jump.
CLEMSON: Spencer Adams clocked 13.53 (0.0) over the hurdles at the Bob Pollock Spring Invitational as the meet was staged in bad weather.
MADISON: Lithuanian Aleksas Abramavicius (28) got 63.09 in discus at the Twilight meet.
TOWSON: David Verburg scored a good double at the CAA Championships with 20.69 (+2.7) and 45.37 in the 200/400 m.
GREENSBORO: French European 4×400 m medalist Lenora Guion-Firmin won 200 m and 400 m at the MEAC Championships with 23.02 (+1.6) PB and 52.48.
EAGLE ROCK: 2008 Olympic medalist Walter Dix returnd at the Oxy Invitational with 10.11 (+1.0) win in his first 100 m race since the Olympic trials final. Second Canadian Sam Effah 10.14 and third Asian record holder Samuel Francis of Qatar 10.19. Josh Mance posted good 45.08 in the 400 m. Kenyan Felix Kitur won the 800 m in 1:46.54. Keshia Baker won the women 400 m in 51.15 and Lakeisha Lawson the 100 m in 11.29 (+1.7). In throws Joe Kovacs achieved 20.65 in the shot over Leif Arrhenius of Sweden 20.04 outdoor PB. Jarred Rome won the discus 63.57 ahead of Estonian Mart Israel 62.40.
LEVELLAND: At South Plains College Open meet former world medalist at 400 m Rennie Quow from Trinidad won the 200 m in 20.70 (+0.1). New life-time best for US Jarvis Gotch 809 (+1.1) in the long jump.
OTHER RESULTS
CHODOV (CZE, May 4): After Jaroslav Prasil also another Czech Martin Stasek registered a big shot put improvement with 20.98 at the meet in Chodov.
RIGA (LAT, May 4): National record holder Igors Sokolovs achieved good season best 76.20 in hammer.
TARNBY (DEN, May 4): Sensational Danish junior and youth 100 m record during first day of Tarnby Games. Only 15 years old Kristoffer Hari posted 10.53 (+1.0) to improve the 10.66 youth record (30 years old by Lars Pedersen) and 10.55 junior record (last year by Frederik Thomsen). Hari posted already in heats fast 10.75 (+2.9). In the senior 100 m final the 400 m specialist Nick Ekelund-Arenander improved to 10.82.
DUFFEL (BEL, May 4): Belgian 10 000 m champions Abdelhadi El Hachimi (38) 29:00.02 and in women race Els Rens 35:14.84.
INDIANAPOLIS (USA, May 4): Reta Alemu 1:03:58 and Sarah Kiptoo 1:12:26 won the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon what is the US largest half-marathon, having sold out with 35,000 participants for the past 11 years. On Saturday the race registered 30 063 finishers.
