by Larry EderDay two of the 2011 AVIVA London Grand Prix will be covered here! Stay tuned! My battery is working, so watch for updates on each event, as they finish, so almost live!
Jenny Meadows, 2010 AVIVA Gateshead, photo by PhotoRun.net
The weather is overcast, a bit windy, so good for throws, interesting for the sprints! Discus Men will be starting soon, then the 100m hurdle rounds! We will update you soon!
Jenn Suhr, 2011 USA Indoor Champs, photo by PhotoRun.netLast night, did not get much time to tell you about Jenn Suhr, the American record holder, WC silver medalist from 2009, who has had injury problems. She jumped 4.91m in a small meet in the US, and came over here and won the AVIVA London GP pole vault on Friday night from the likes of Svetlana Feofanova, Silke Spiegelberg, and Fabiana Murer. Suhr cleared the winning height of 4.79m on her second attempt. Her three attempts at 4.93m, a new American record, if she had cleared it, were close, but showed that, over the next three weeks, she should be in the medal hunt in Daegu, Korea.
Sally Pearson, 2010 AVIVA London GP, photo by PhotoRun.netWomen’s 100m hurdles
Sally Pearson of Australia, who is in dead-on shape for the 100 meter hurdles: her timing is perfection, and she is focused on her racing. Pearson won the first heat. Her time was 12.55.
Pearson will be hard to beat.
Wells, Harper, Carruthers, 2011 FBK Hengelo, photo by PhotoRun.netIn the second heat, Danielle Carruthers went by Tiffani Ofili Porter with four hurdles to go, to take the 100m hurdle second heat in 12.81.
Women’s 1,500 meters
Irina Mracheva of Russia took the pack through the 400 meters in 63.11. Maracheva, with Rowbury, Dobriskey, and Erin Donahue in tow, hit the 800 meters in 2:08.68. Donahue,
Rowbury and Dobriskey were together as they hit the 1,100 meters in 3:01.4 and the 1,200 meters in 3:16.76. Dobriskey was in the lead, with Rowbury on her shoulder, and that was all she wrote.
Lisa Dobriskey came down the straightaway, with Rowbury fading, as Hannah England went by for second. Dobriskey won in 4:04.97, with Hannah England in second in 4:05.38, and Shannon Rowbury in third in 4:05.73, her seasonal best. Gabrielle Anderson of the US ran her personal best in fourth in 4:06.77. Treniere Moses was fifth in 4:08.80 and Erin Donahue, who had lead for a bit, was sixth in 4:09.68.
Lisa Dobriskey told the media afterwards, ” With the field that was out there today and having a pace maker I felt
we had to do something a little bit different and so I’m really excited
about how it went. I was coming down the home straight and thought I
could just about hold on
but then I heard the announcer say that Hannah England was coming up
strong and so I thought, No, the line couldn’t come quick enough.”
Hannah England also commented after her second place : “I’m really disappointed not to win but to even be in a situation where I
could feel like this is great. I have really been working on the last
part of my race and I wasn’t feeling great so I’m quite glad with how it
finished today. Even
when I stood on the start line I could hear the crowd and so even
though there was a slight drizzle it was a great atmosphere.”
Men’s Discus
Virgilijus Alekna, 2009 WC, photo by PhotoRun.net
Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania is a two time Olympic champion and two time World Champion. He is a giant of a man, and at the age of 39, he is throwing as well as ever.
Alekna won the discus at the AVIVA today, with his thow of 66.71m, in the fourth round.
His series was 63.35m, 65.05m, foul, 66.71m, and two final fouls.
Zoltan Kovago of Hungary placed second, with his final throw of 66.29m. His series was foul, foul, 59.22m, foul, 60.59m, and finally a huge 66.29m.
In third, Ehsan Hadadi of Iraq threw 64.76m. His series was 55.58m, 64.01m, 63.83m, 62.56m, 64.76m, and 64.39m. Gerd Kanter, the defending World Champ, finished fifth with a throw of 64.56m.
Lawrence Okaye, the new British record holder, did not have a good day, finishing ninth with a throw of 58.61m.
Alekna was very happy after his win, ” t’s a good result and I am very happy. The young
British guys are bringing a new start in discus so I am happy to have
beaten them today. In Daegu I am hoping to get in the top eight. I
think that a top eight finish would be good, but a top three finish
would be great.”
Men’s 200 meters
Walter Dix took this one, with a fine 20.16. Warren Weir of Jamaica, equaled his pb with a time of 20.43. Alonso Edward finished third here in 20.55. Marvin Anderson of Jamaica was fourth in 20.60. Mario Forsythe of Jamaica was fifth in 20.76.
Women’s 400 meters
Sanya Richards-Ross, coming around in perfect time, ran her best in two seasons with a fine 49.66 to win here. Rosemarie Whyte of Jamaica was working hard to catch Richards-Ross, but just could not catch her, running 49.66, her personal best. Novlene Williams-Mill of Jamaica was third in 50.46. Shericak Williams was fourth in 50.64, her seasonal best, and Lee Mcconnell was fifth in 51.01.
For Richards-Ross, this is a big deal, as she is defending WC and Daegu is only three weeks away!
Men’s Triple Jump
Christian Taylor, photo by PhotoRun.netChristian Taylor, the NCAA champion, showed his stuff in London. Jumping a fine 17.68m, his personal best, Taylor won the triple jump here, with 2009 World Champ Phillips Idowu taking third here with a jump of 17.07m. In second was Tosin Oke of Nigeria, with a jum pof 17.21 in the fourth round.
Taylor’s series was 16.95m, 17.21m, and 17.68m on his third jump, he fouled in four , passed in five and fouled in sixth round. Today’s story is Christian Taylor, who is now in the medal hunt for Daegu!
Women’s Steeplechase
Milcah Chemos continued her superb build up to Daegu, with her win here in 9:22.80. Hiwot Ayalew of Ethiopia took second in 9:23.88, her personal best. In third, Mercy Wanjiku Njoroge of Kenya was third in 9:27.45. Lydia Jebet Rotich was fourth in 9:32.95.
Emma Coburn, the NCAA champ, took eighth in 9:37.16, her personal best. Brigit Franek was tenth in 9:40.24.
Emsley Carr Mile
This mile is a tradition. Emsley Carr was a huge fan of athletics, and as his job was publisher of the now defunct News of the World, Carr presented a mile award each year. Some of the greatest middle distance runners of all time have won this race: Bernard Lagat, Gordon Pirie,
Ian Stewart, Chris Stewart, Steve Cram, Seb Coe-they all have been here.
A great field was taken through the 400 meters in 55.1 and through the 800 meters in 1:53.44, by pace maker Jack Bolas. The pack of Choge, Lagat, Lomong were right behind the pace makers.
Choge, Lagat, Lomong hit the 1,200 meters in 2:53.33, and the race stayed that way, as Leonel Manzano came from mid pack and was up on Choge’s shoulder with 200 meters to go.
Manzano went by Choge on the mid point of the final straight and then went by Bernard Lagat with about 20 meters to go!
Manzano, who finished twelfth last weekend in Stockholm, ran his heart out, winning the Emsley Carr mile in 3:51.24. Bernard Lagat was second in 3:51.38, and in third, Augustine Kiprono Choge was third in 3:51.50. Eight men under 4:00.
Women’s 100m
What can you say about Carmelita Jeter? The second fastest women of all times won here, coming from behind, running 10.93 over Kelly-Ann Baptiste (10.97), and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 11.10. A nice day late birthday gift for Jeter’s coach, John Smith, who turned 50 yesterday.
Men’s high jump
Jesse Williams has been very hot this summer. The Diamond League ranking of 1 is now shared between Andrey Silnov.
Jesse Willliams cleared 2.22m, 2.25m, 2.28m, 2.31m, 2.34m, all on his first attempts. Silnov cleared 2.36m on his first and Jesse missed at 2.36m, and took his last two attempts at 2.38m. He missed both.
Women’s 5,000m
Lauren Fleshman, 2010 USA champs, photo by PhotoRun.net
This race was about making the A standard, and did they! Kaila McKnight took the pack through the 1k in 2:59.47, and 2k in 6:00.56. Grace Momanyi took the pack through 3k in 9:05.57, and Genet Yalew kept them on pace at 4k in 12:10.13.
The need then, for the final kilometer, was a sub three minute last kilometer, and Lauren Fleshman and Desi Davila pushed the pace, making the A standard a reality.
With 500 meters to go, Lauren Fleshman, who told us she was fit last night, let er rip! Building a strong lead over the last lap, Fleshman had the best race in the past two years, since she won the US champs at 5,000m in 2010. Running 15:00.57, Fleshman
took the win.
Helen Clitheroe took second, also getting the A standard, runing 15:06.75. Grace Momayi ran her seasonal best, 15:07.49. Desiree Davila ran her pb in fourth in 15:08.64, and Jennifer Rhines ran her seasonal best, in fifth in 15:10.44.
U.S. runner Amy Hastings, finished seventh in 15:17.22, just missing the A standard.
Women’s 100m hurdles
Sally Pearson of Australia, the world leader at 12.48, shows her world leading style winning here in 12.58. Danielle Carruthers, mouth open, charged over the last four hurdles to take second in 12.67. Tiffany Ofili-Porter, the British record holder (12.60), ran 12.78 tonight and took third.
Women’s shot put
Valerie Adams won here in 20.07m, with Nadezhda Ostapchuk was second in 19.52m.
More to come later!
