by Alfonz Juck
David Rudisha, photo by PhotoRun.net
Rudisha 1:43.31, Semenya 1:55.68, German javelin show
BERLIN (GER, Sep 3): Fast times in the 800 m provided some of the highlights of the 75th edition of the ISTAF meeting (IAAF World Challenge). David Rudisha clocked 1:43.31 to defeat world junior champion Kipyegon Bett who set a big lifetime best of 1:43.76 while Caster Semenya dominated the women’s 800m in 1:55.68 ahead of Francine Niyonsaba (1:57.58), Eunice Sum (1:57.95) and Joanna Jozwik (1:58.20). The highlight of the in-field was a top-level men’s javelin with Johannes Vetter improving his PB to 89.57m ahead of Julian Weber who improved his best ever mark to 88.29m. Andreas Hoffmann set a season’s best of 85.42m while Olympic champion Thomas Rohler could only manage fourth behind his three team-mates with 82.55m. In the women’s javelin, Christina Obergfoll ended her illustrious career with victory on home soil with 64.28m ahead of Kathryn Mitchell (62.20m) with Olympic champion Sara Kolak only fourth (59.67m). Lukas Weisshaidinger won the discus with 66.00m ahead of world champion Piotr Malachowski (65.39m) and Robert Harting (63.23m) what was first Austrian win at this meet since 1979. Franck Elemba (20.67m) and Michelle Carter (19.68m) took the wins in the shot put with Carter beating Valerie Adams (19.63m) in a repeat of the Olympics. Other track highlights included Kim Collins’ 10.07 in the 100m, Gina Luckenkemper’s 22.92 in the 200m, Cindy Roleder’s 12.65 in the 100m hurdles ahead of Jasmin Stowers (12.72) and David Omoregie’s 13.24 (13.238) PB in the 110m hurdles just ahead of Pascal Martinot-Lagarde by 0.001 (13.239). World junior champ[ion Caroline Chespol, 17, won the steeplechase with 9:25.49 ahead of European champion Gesa-Felicitas Kruase (9:30.95) while Augustine Choge won the 3000m in 7:43.00 ahead of Bernard Lagat (7:43.63) in his final track race. Elsewhere Kostas Filippidis cleared 5.72m to beat Olympic champion Thiago Braz on countback while Jazmin Sawyers won the long jump with 6.62 (Olympic winner Tianna Bartoletta 3rd 649) and Chris Carter triple 17.01.
