by Larry EderThe Monaco Herculis meeting is the last big meet before the Moscow World Championships. Seven World Leads, 4 Meet records, Four Diamond League records and an European record over 1,500 meters!
7 World leads, plus European 1500 m record by a long distance runner
MONACO (MON): What a Herculis. 7 World leads, 4 meet records, 4 Diamond League records added by an European 1500 m record by a long distance runner Mo Farah. Christian Taylor and Amantle Montsho confirmed their Diamond Race wins, just need to compete in the finals. Justin Gatlin won the sprint battle, but the result of the day was Asbel Kiprop 3:27.72 1500 m winning time.
Event by event
Men
100 m: Gatlin was close but won in 9.94 (-0.4), surprise in the outside lane young Locke 9.96 PB second and third Vicaut confirmed his recent sub 10 times with another one 9.99.
800 m: Solomon with good front-running confirmed his number one lists position 1:43.72, but European U23 Champ Bosse improved again to 1:43.76 French U23 record and European lead, more Europeans followed Lopez 1:43.93 and Lewandowski 1:44.20. Kenyans for Moscow beaten.
1500 m (non-DL): Asbel Kiprop confirmed he will be beat hard to beat in Moscow. His great 3:27.72 WL and DL record is also 14th best performance ever (and 4th best perfomer ever). Second Mo Farah who wants to switch to marathon in near future showed super speed as second in European record 3:28.81. Also personal bests for Ndiku, Birgen, Ozbilen (also Turkish NR), Cheboi and Tahri.
5000 m: Top four sub 13, winning Edwin Soi WL and MR 12:51.34, second Rop Asian record 12:51.96, Isiah Koech 12:56.08 and Longosiwa 12:59.81 sent Kenyan warning for Ethiopian rivals. L. Lalang improves as 5th to 13:00.95.
400mH: Gordon of Trinidad could be a force for Moscow with 48.00 win. Without Tinsley the rest of the elite was beaten. Senegalese Hanne improved to 48.50 as fourth.
PV: Air Lavillenie was flying again, nice world lead 596 and three good attempts at 602. Walker (578) beat rest of the field.
TJ: Taylor confirms Diamond Race win with 17.30, the only one coming close Greco 17.25 (+0.3), world leader Pichardo distant third 16.94 (+1.3).
JT: Vesely had two throws enough to win with 87.68 WL. He was careful afterwards due to his recent injury. Tarabin 84.33 and Thorkildsen 83.71 chasing him.
4×100 m (non-DL): USA red Silmon-Rodgers-Salaam-Gatlin clocked world leading meet record 37.58. Second USA Blue 38.26 and third close Canada 38.33 clearly over France 39.06.
Women
200 m: Ahoure with national record 22.24 (-0.5) could be a force in Moscow. Second Townsend PB 22.26, third WLeader Fraser-Pryce 22.28 and fourth Duncan 22.46. Jeter was not running after the relay.
400 m: Speedy start by Montsho, at the end 49.33 NR and Diamond League record. But behind her first sub 50 for McPherson 49.92 and McCorory 49.96. Montsho is confirmed DR winner.
1500 m: Reigning world champ Simpson 4:00.48 wins over tough field. Second Obiri 4:00.93 and third Martinez PB 4:00.94. Top 8 under 4:04.
Steeple: Chemos ruled in expected meet record 9:14.17 over world leader Chepkirui 9:15.18.
100mH: Harrison in first DL win 12.64 (-0.5) in a close race over Lewis 12.69, oly medalist Wells 12.70, European leader Porter 12.70 and olympic winner Pearson 12.75.
HJ: Barrett is the special one. Cleares 201 and wins and thanks to God. Chicherova and Vlasic remained with 198.
LJ: Finally Okagbare gets legal 7 meters (0.0, plus windy 704) over Russian model Klishina 698 (+2.4, legal 675).
DT: It looked a sensation will happen, but in fifth round Perkovic gets winning 65.30. Second Barrios 64.24.
4×100 m (non DL): USA red with Gardner-Felix-Freeman-Jeter gets world leading, Diamond League meet record 41.75. Just ahead of US Blue 41.78.
Thiam 6298 great heptathlon
RIETI (ITA, Jul 19): Records tumbled on the second evening’s action at the Raul Guidobaldi Stadim in Rieti where nine new European junior champions were crowned, none more welcome to the home crowd than Italy’s triumphant triple jumper Ottaviao Cestonaro in girls triple 13.41 (-0.5) in last round. But the most impressive Belgian heptathlete Nafissatou Thiam who not only smashed her own national junior record but took Tia Hellebaut’s senior record too with 6298 points (637 long jump PB and 46.94 javelin PB). Second Sofia Linde 6081 PB for Sweden and bronze for Dutch Marjolein Lindemans 5831 PB. “I love the heptathlon. I will probably go to Moscow [for the IAAF World Championships] but as I said my main goal was Rieti. I am glad I could win and not succumb to the pressure and expectations of others,” said Thiam for European Athletics. National junior records for both 400 m winners Russiqan Pavel Ivashko 45.81 and Poland´s Patrycja Wyciskiewicz 51.56. High quality second places for Patryk Dobek of Poland 46.15 and Bianca Razor from Romania 51.82, both personal bests. Third French Thomas Jordier 46.21 national junior record. Britain’s Chijindu Ujah was perhaps a surprise winner of the men’s 100 m 10.40 (-1.5) ahead of pre-championships favourite Denis Dimitrov 10.46, while French Stella Akakpo lived up to expectations by taking the women’s crown in 11.52 (-1.0) despite the strong challenge of another Briton, Sophie Papps 11.72. There was a second gold for Britain in the men’s long jump thanks to Elliot Safo who produced a super series to win a tense tussle with Belgium’s Mathias Broothaerts who had topped the qualifiers yesterday, 786 (-0.3) to 784 (-1.9) both in round five, both personal bests. Russian Valeriy Pronin dominated hammer final 78.34 ahead of Hungarian Bence Pasztor 77.35 PB. Russian Natalya Shirobokova won the girls discus 54.21. Huge cheers greeted Italian sprint hurdler Lorenzo Perini’s return to the Rieti track where he set a championships record this morning 13.32 (+1.6) but headwinds and drizzly conditions mitigated against a repeat this afternoon, and Perini had his work cut out to beat Frenchman Wilhem Belocian in 13.53, more than two tenths slower than this morning. Swiss Noemi Zbaren was the fastest in heats 13.29 and semifinals 13.37 of girls hurdles. Fastest 200 m heats by Brits, Dina Asher-Smith 23.14 (-0.5, equaled her PB) and Leon Reid 20.85 (-0.2).
Makhloufi not in Moscow
FONT ROMEU (FRA): Olympic winner Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria announced he will not compete at the World Championships in Moscow. He got a virus during training camp in Ethiopia and is behind his training plan while currently at another training camp in Font Romeu.
Strutz injured
NEUBRANDENBURG (GER): Pole vault silver winner from Daegu Martina Strutz is ending the season. She will not be able to jump in Moscow because of broken right middle part of the leg. The injury happened during a training camp in Kienbaum, Germany. It is possible she will need a surgery.
MONACO (MON): Former Olympic 100 m champion Justin Gatlin insisted that sprinting does not have a problem with its credibility following this week’s revelation that both Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell had failed doping tests. “I don’t think there is a problem with credibility in track and field,” the American, who has returned to the sport after serving two doping suspensions, said ahead of the Herculis meeting. Earlier in a series of press conferences, Jamaica’s double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – a training partner of Powell’s – and Carmelita Jeter, the world 100m champion from the United States – walked out after questions about doping were raised by the press. Their respective managers had told officials they would not answer doping questions but would only talk about their impending competition. Gatlin, after a long discussion involving his own manager, did take part in his conference and answered all questions posed to him. Gatlin’s US teammate Brigetta Barrett, the Olympic high jump silver medallist, commented that she had been “shocked” to learn of the latest doping positives, but added that she felt more needed to be done to support athletes and prevent them from coming under undue pressure from sponsors. Sally Pearson, Australia’s Olympic 100m hurdles champion, added: “It’s disappointing that these things happen, but at the same time it shows the doping authorities are on top of the athletes. We like to compete fairly and cleanly.” Informs insidethegames.
TALLINN (EST): On Saturday July 27 Harry Marra, the coach of Ashton Eaton, will speak at a coaches seminar in Tallinn. Thanks to the Estonian Olympic Committee seminar is free to all coaches.
RIETI (ITA): Anita Hinriksdottir was front page news all across Icelandon Monday after she became her country’s first global champion in athletics following her 800m win at the 2013 World Youth Championships on the final day in Donetsk on Sunday. Now already competing for another success in Rieti at European Junior Championships. Her style may look awkward, with her arms flung out wide and a noticeable tilt forward when she runs, but it is effective, writes the IAAF. Hinriksdottir has also qualified for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow next month but she, and her coach Gunnar Paul Joakimsson, have now decided not to overstretch her young legs and lungs. “I’m not going to Moscow. Me and my coach have decided that it’s not the right time. I think the first big senior championship outdoors I will run in will be the Europeans next year, although I did run at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg this year.”
TALLINN (EST): Estonia plans to have in Moscow Team two sisters from triplets. Leila Luik and Liina Luik. Their third sister Lily Luik is a also a marathon runner. Their coach is Harry Lemberg and they have a motto on their facebook page Trio to Rio. The trio is born on O
ctober 14, 1985. Leila has 2:40:12 marathon PB from Amsterdam last year and Liina 2:42:27 from this year Dubai. Lily not enough for Moscow with 2:50:33 in Rotterdam this year.
ATHENS (GRE): This weekend in Olympic Stadium the Greek National Championship will be held. Big names taking part: Men: Lykourgos Tsakonas 100m, 200m, Kostadinos Baniotis, Antonis Mastoras high jump, Kostadinos Filippidis pole vault, Louis Tsatoumas long jump, Dimitrios Tsiamis triple jump, Spyridon Lebesis javelin. Women: Antonia Stergiou high jump, Nikol Kyriakopoulou, Stella-Iro Ledaki pole vault, Athanasia Perra, Voula Papachristou, Niki Panetta triple jump. In the non-participation department to mention: Periklis Iakovakis 400 m hurdles (injury), Eleni Filandra 800m (pregnant), Alexandra Papageorgiou hammer throw (pregnant).
RESULTS
BOTTROP (GER, Jul 19): At the Bottrop Gala (German Meetings member) three new meet records were registered. Diana Sujew clocked 4:06.89 to win the 1500 m, but missed the 4:05.50 A-standard for Moscow. The other Germans followed, Corinna Harrer was third4:07.53 and Elina Sujew fourth 4:08.82. New German Homiyu Tesfaye won the men 1500 m in a solo 3:36.23. Matthias Buhler won the 110 m hurdles in meet record and season best 13.45. Behind him Erik Balnuweit 13.51 and Alexander John 13.52. Melanie Bauschke won women long jump with 653. In the men 100 m Lucas Jakubczyk dominated in 10.27. Another German win for Inna Weit 23.10 at the 200 m. Qatari Alex Kibet won the 5000 m in meet record 13:21.17, in women steeple Katarzyna Kowalska from Poland clocked 9:42.38 and in women 800 m Australian Kelly Hetherington 2:03.40.
TORUN (POL, Jul 19): Anita Wlodarczyk with season best in hammer 76.93 (and three more 75+ throws) and Piotr Malachowski with good 66.87 in discus (over Robert Urbanek 65.30) highlighted the first day of Polish Championships. Lukasz Michalski cleared 560 in the pole vault and Anna Jagaciak 14.20 (+0.8) in the triple. Sprints winners were Marika Popowicz 11.29 (+0.8, also 11.29 in heats +1.0) and European U23 Champ Karol Zalewski 10.31 (+0.5, windy 10.24 +2.4 in heats). National record holder Karolina Jarzynska won the 5000 m in 15:47.31. In dramatic steeple top 3 went sub 8:30. Mateusz Demczyszak 8:26.30 personal best, Krystof Zalewski 8:26.60 and Tomasz Szymkowiak8:28.00.
VALMIERA (LAT, Jul 19): President´s Trophy Baltic countries meet first day had good javelins. Risto Matas of Estonia 81.39 over home Ainars Kovals 80.46. In women competition Latvian Madara Palameika 62.72. In the women 100 m Lithuanian Lina Grincikaite 11.49 (+1.1).
UTRECHT (NED, Jul 19): Poland´s Konrad Bukowiecki won with meet record 21.41 boys shout put during last day of athletics at the European Youth Olympic Festival. Romanian Gabriel Bitan was the best in the long jump 741 (+1.7) and France topped the relay 42.33. In the girls Swiss Angelica Moser won the pole vault 407, Tasa Jiya of Netherlands 24.10 (+1.5) in the 200 m and Turkish Eda Tugsuz javelin girls with meet record 56.61.
RIETI (ITA, Jul 18): In addition to Thursday report the 10 000 m was won by Turkey´s Ali Kaya (Kenyan Stephen Kiprotich) in new meet record 28:31.16. He was the clear winner, second Italian Lorenzo Dini 29:31.11 and third Croatian Dino Bosnjak 29:59.07 were the only ones under 30 minutes. Russian Mikhail Strelkov believed he’d beaten Dini to silver but finished one lap earlier, at the end was 4th 30:58.49.
MINSK (BLR, Jul 18): Pavel Lyzhyn achieved at national meet 20.12 in the shot put. Solid triple jumps by Ksenia Detsuk 14.00 (+0.1) and Aleksey Tsiapik 16.67 (+1.2). Aleksandr Linnik clocked hand-timed 13.5 (+0.8) over the hurdles.
NOVO MESTO (SLO, Jul 17): At the Krka 2013 meet good shot put by Bosnian Kemal Mesic 19.97 beating Croatian Marin Premeru 19.60.
