by Larry Eder
In a fantastic final day to the World Championships, jumps, middle distance races, sizzling sprints and really close 4 x 400m relays reminded this writer what our sport is all about! A great facility, (3 meter base so we all could see the track better), great Polish crowds, and a well presented global meet showed a healthy indoor sport.
Sunday, March 9
60 meter hurdles, Semi-finals
Men’s 60 m hurdles,
Semi-finals 1/2: 1. Omo Osaghea, USA, 7.49a, PB, 2. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, FRA, 7.50q, 3. Williams Sharman, GBR, 7.53, PB,q, 4. Erik Balnuweit, GER, 7.54q, #sopot2014
Semi final 2/2:
1. Garfield Darien, FRA, 7.52, q, pb, 2. Andrew Pozzi, GBR, 7.56q, pb, 3. Gregor Traber, GER, 7.58q, PB, 4. Andrew Riley, JAM, 7.59q, SB, #sopot2014
Women’s 60 meters, semi-finals:
1/3: 1. Murielle Ahoure, CIV, 7.06aq, 2. Gloria Asumnu, NGR, 7.11q, SB, 3. LaKeisha Lawson, USA, 7.18, #sopot2014
2/3
1. Verena Sailer, GER, 7.12q, PB, 2. Tianna Bartoletta, USA, 7.14q, 3. Veronica Campbell-Brown, JAM, 7.17q, SB
3/3
1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, JAM, 7.08, q SB, 2. Asha Philip, GBR, 7.09, PB, 3. Michelle Lee-Ahye, TTO, 7.10, q, NIR, #sopot2014
Women’s Long Jump
Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson used a PB of 6.81m to take the lead on her third leap. On her fifth attempt, France’s Eloyse Leseur leaped 6.85m and it held on, for the final round, for bold! #sopot2014
Women’s Long Jump, Final, 1. Eloyse Leseur, FRA, 6.85m, 2. Katarina Johnson-Thompson, GBR, 6.81m, PB, 3. Ivana Spanovic, SRB, 6.77m, 4. Shara Proctor, GBR, 6.68m, 5. Tori Polk, USA, 6.61m, 6. Teresa Dobija, POL, 6.52m, 7. Darya Klishina, RUS, 6.51m, 8. Erica Jarder, SWE, 6.36m,
Men’s 3000 meters
With 400 meters to go, Caleb Ndiku has lead, with Dejan Gebrmeskel, Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp flying. With 300 to go, Bernard Lagat is moving past Rupp, with Dejan Gebrmeskal in third and Rupp in fourth, flying. Ndiku, Lagat, Rupp, Gebrmeskel start to break away from Gebrhiwet, as Caleb Ndiku holds off Bernard Lagat and wins the 3000 meters in 7:54.94, with Bernard Lagat in the silver and Dejen Gebremeskel, ETH, in the bronze position!
Men’s 3000 meters, final, 1. Caleb Ndiku, KEN, 7:54.94, 2. Bernard Lagat, 7:55.22, 3. Dejen Gebremeskel, ETH, 7:55.39, 4. Galen Rupp, USA, 7:55.84, 5. Hagos Gebrhiwet, ETH, 7:56.34, 6. Hayle Ibrahimov, AZE, 7:56.37, 7. Elroy Gelant, RSA, 7:57.31, 8. Cam Lewis, CAN, 7:57.37, 9. Augustine Choge, KEN, 7:57.46, 10. Collis Birmingham, AUS, 7:57.55, 11. Andrew Vernon, GBR, 7:58.25, 12.Zane Robertson, NZ, 8:01.81,
Women’s 800 meter final,
Chanelle Price took the lead early and did not let up. Like a metronome, Chanelle Price ran 27.88 for 200 meters, 57.73 (29.85) for 400 meters, 1:28.91 (31.18) for 600 meters, and held on as the entire field took their shots, running 31.18 for the final 200 meters, and taking gold in 2:00.09, the WL. A near fall at the end, Angelika Cichocka, POL, took the silver in 2:00.45 and Marina Arzamasove, BLR, took the brone in 2:00.79, a PB.
Women’s 800 meters, Final, 1. Chanelle Price, USA, 2:00.09, WL, 2. Angelika Cichocka, POL, 2:00.45, 3. Marina Aramasove, BLR, 2:00.79, PB, 4. Selina Buchel, SUI, 2:01.06, 5. Nataliia Lupu, UKR, 2:01.17, 6. Lenka Masna, CZE, 2:02.46, #sopot2014
Women’s 3000 meters
Hiwot Ayalew lead through 1000 meters, as Genzebe Dibaba moved through the pack, hitting in 3:24.50. Dibaba took the lead, running 2:51.60 for the second kilo, hitting 2k in 6:16.10 and they were off. Running a fine 2:38.94 final 1000 meters, with a 29 second last 200 meters to cap it off, Dibaba took her gold medal for Ethiopia!
Women’s 3000m final, 1. Genzebe Dibaba, ETH, 8:55.04, 2. Hellen Onsando Obiri, KEN, 8:57.72, 3. Maryam Yusuf Jamal, BRN, 8:59.16, 4. Irene Jelegat, KEN, 9:02.67, 5. Sifan Hassan, NED, 9:03.22, 6. Betlhem Desalegn, UAE, 9:04.06, 7. Renata Plis, POL, 9:07.05, 8. Shannon Rowbury, USA, 9:07.82, 9. Margherita Magnani, ITA, 9:10.13, 10. Gabrielle Grunewald, USA, 9:11.76, 11. Hiwot Ayalew, ETH, 9:12.51, 12. Alia Saeed Mohammed, UAE, 9:21.23,
Women’s Pole Vault
Yarislay Silva of Cuba showed her talent as the 2012 Olympic silver medalist took the gold. Anzhelika Sidorova, RUS, showed the talent that comes from Russia in the jumps, taking the silver, and Jirina Svobodova, CZE, took the bronze. Anna Rogowska, POL, was fourth, and Jenn Suhr, was fifth. Jenn Suhr had taken her last three jumps at 4.75m, passing 4.70m, to try and win the whole enchilada. It did not work this time.
Women’s Pole Vault, Final, 1. Yarisley Silva, CUB, 4.70m, SB, 2. Anzhelika Sidorova, RUS, 4.70m, 2. Jirina Svobodova, CZE, 4. Fabiana Murer, BRA, 4.70m, SB, 5. Anna Rogowska, POL, 4.65m, 5. Jennifer Suhr, USA, 4.65m, 7. Silke Spiegelburg, GER, 4.65m, 8. Mary Saxer, USA, 4.55m, 9. Holly Bleasdale, 4.55m, 10. Tina Sutej, SLO, 4.55m, 11. Anastasia Savenchenko, RUS, 4.45m, 12. Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou, GRE, 4.30m, #sopot2014
Men’s 800 meters: Aman takes gold (Moscow and Sopot), Poland goes 2,3! For a minute, and then with DQ for Lewandowski, Osagie takes third!
Thijmen Kupers, NED, took the field through 200 meters in 24.96, with Mo Aman in back, and Lewandowski and Kszczot in tow, with Osagie right there. Kupers hit the 400 meters in 53.29, and then the race got hot. Marcin Lewandowski took the lead at 500 meters and hit the 600 meters in 1:20.57. Aman started to move, but Adam Kszczot took the lead and tried to win it. Aman pulled him back as Kszczot, Lewandowski and then, Osagie made his move. Andrew Osagie just missed the bronze by .01! MoAman (1:46.40) wins the gold, Adam Kszcot takes silver (1:46.76) and Marcin Lewandowski takes the bronze (1:47.09),
Men’s 800 meter final, 1. Mohammed Aman, ETH, 1:46.40, 2. Adam Kszzot, POL, 1:46.76, 3. Andrew Osagie, GBR, 1:47.10, 4. Andre Olivier, RSA, 1:47.31, 5. Thijmen Kupers, NED, 1:47.74, Marcin Lewandowski, POL, DNF, ,#sopot2014
Women’s 4 x 400 meters, Final, 1. USA, 3:24.83, WL, (N. Hastings, J. Atkins, F. Mccorory, C. Tate) 2. Jamaica, 3:26.54, NIR, (P. Hall, A. McLaughlin, K. Spencer, S.A. McPherson), NIR 3. Great Britain & NI, 3:27.90, SB, (E. Child, S. Cox, M. Adeoye, C. Ohuruogu), 4. Poland, 3:29.89, 4. Nigeria, 3:31.59, Russia DQed,
Women’s 60 meter final: Fraser-Pryce just does it, 6.98 WL!
In a gut wrenching, allout sprint, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, JAM, caught Murielle Ahoure about 50 meters and went by, running a World leading 6.98! Murielle Ahoure, CIV, got out well, and just could not hold off Fraser-Pryce, with Ahoure running 7.01 for the silver. Tianna Bartoletta, USA, was bronze in 7.06, #sopot2014
Women’s 60 meter Final, 1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, JAM, 6.98 WL, 2. Murielle Ahoure, CIV, 7.01 SB, 3. Tianna Bartoletta, USA, 7.06, SB, 4. Asha Philip, GBR, 7.11, 5. Veronica Campbell-Brown, JAM, 7.13, SB, 6. Michelle-Lee Ayhe, NGR, 7.18, 7. Gloria Asumnu, NGR, 7.18, 8. Verena Sailer, GER, 7.18, #sopot2014
Men’s 60m hurdles,
In the men’s 60 meter hurdles, Omo Osaghae hurdled a 7.45 WL to take the gold. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, FRA, took second in 7.46, and Garfield Darien, also of FRA, took the bronze in 7.47 PB. Andrew Pozzi, GBR, ran a PB of 7.53 for fourth. Gregor Tabor, GER, was fifth in 7.56 PB, #sopot2014
Men’s 60 meter hurdles, FINAL, 1. Omo Osaghae, USA, 7.45 WL, 2. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, FRA, 7.46, 3. Garfield Darien, FRA, 7.47 PB, 4. Andrew Pozzi, GBR, 7.53, PB, 5. Gregor Traber, GER, 7.56, PB, 6. Erik Balnuweit, GER, 7.56, 7. William Sharman, GBR, 7.60, Andrew Riley, JAM, DNS
Men’s 4 x 400 meter relay
Coach Allen Johnson commented that he had to make a hard decision last night. He wanted to include the 400m finalists in the 4 x 400m for men. I reminded Allen that John Chaplin told me that head coaches are remembered for one thing: if they win the relays.
Well, both the men and women won their 4 x 400m relays, so we guess the coaching staff will be remembered! Great Job, Team USA!
Men’s 4 x 400 meters, FINAL, 1. USA, ( K.Clemons, D. Verburg, K. Butler III, C. Smith), 3:02.13, WIR, 2. GBR & NI (C. Williams, J. Bowie, L. Lennon-Ford, N. Levine), 3:03.49 SB, 3. Jamaica, (E. Nolan, A. Fothergill, A. Gauntlett, E.Steele), 3:04.39 NIR, 4. Poland (K. Kozlowski, R. Omelko, M. Pietrzak, J. Krzewina), 3:04.39, SB, 5.Russia, 3:07.12, 6. Ukraine, 3:08.79,
