In the Aviva results, note that Jenn Rhines ran a nifty 3k in 8:53, her seasonal best and pushing many in the field to personal bests or seasonal bests. Rhines has been racing in Europe for the three weeks since the Trials, with a 15:11, for 5,000 meters and this 8:53 ( I think I am missing a race).
Note that Rob Myers lead nine under four minutes in the mile in the Brothers World Record Morton Meeting, with his 3:56.23.
Bolt clocking 19.76, Lukyanenko with 5.97m in Pole Vault, US world lead in 4×100 m
LONDON (GBR, July 26): The Aviva London Super Grand Prix, part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour, continued with its second day on today afternoon. The greatest eye-catcher of the day, men’s 200m, was no surprise but an excellent performance of Jamaican star Usain Bolt. The „Lightning Bolt”flew across the finish line in 19.76- the second best time of the year. Second fastest man in finish was American Wallace Spearmon clocking also solid 20.27 and third Paul Hession from Ireland ended in 20.37 – his season best.
Two pole-vaulters managed to fly over 5.97m but failed at the height of 6.02m. The better of the two, Yevgeniy Lyukyanenko from Russia managed 5.97m in the second attempt so was the winner of the men’s competition ahead of Australian Steeve Hooker. The next jumping star, Brad Walker from the USA finished third together with German Alexander Straub achieving 5.72m.
Men’s Long Jump brought 3 performances over 8m border. Home Greg Rutherford jumped 8.12m (0,2 m/s) in the third series and then he repeated such a good jump with 8.12 in the fourth series, and took gold. Second 8 meters man was surprisingly Ngonidzashe Makusha from Zimbabwe with 8.02 (0,4 m/s) from 4th series.
There was also no surprise at women’s 400m Hurdles. Melaine Walker from Jamaica clocked 54.22 ahead of second Anna Jesien from Poland (54.98). The same event in the men’s category went to American world champion Kerron Clement as he achieved solid 48.36. Home Richard Yates ran in new PB taking silver for 49.06s. The flat 400 meters was a solo of British Martyn Rooney achieving his new PB 44.83 sec, also European leading time 2008. The Canadian Tyler Christopher was finishing second in 45.29.
The women’s 3000m was filled with season bests and personal bests. 8:53.26 was the value of the win which went to Jennifer Rhines from USA, her season best. The only Kenyan in the field Pauline Korikwiang ran also her season best on second position (8:56.98) and third Laura Kenney from GBR achieved a new PB clocking 8:57.39. 5 from 10 competitors on the track broke 8minutes. Among men, Boniface Kiprop (UGA) performed an excellent run achieving new national record of Uganda 7:36.95. Kenyan Mike Kigen took silver for 7:37.66 (SB) and Irish Alistair Cragg bronze 7:38.60 (second best European time of the year), in the field where 4 athletes from 12 ran their new PBs.
Anna Chicherova from Russia came with perfect performance at women’s High Jump winning with 2.01m.
American Lolo Jones was the favorite of 100m Hurdles and she confirmed it winning in 12.58s. However, Australian Sally McLellan was very close to her finishing in 12.61s.
Flat women´s 100m was filled with great competitors. Finally, it was a duel of two Jamaicans. Win went to Veronica Campbell-Brown achieving her season best 10.87s (0.0, fifth fastest of the year). Her compatriot, Shelly Ann Fraser, went also sub 11 seconds clocking 10.95.
Home Marilyn Okoro pleased the London crowd winning the women’s 800m in her PB 1:58.45. The last sub 2 minutes runner was Elisa Cusma from Italy clocking 1:59.33. The winner of men’s 800m, Abraham Chepkirwok (UGA) clocking 1:45.64, led British Michael Rimmer to run his season best 1:45.76 and took silver. Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa and Canadian Gary Reed, last year’s world championships silver medallist, got tangled up in a collision some 200m into the race, and didn’t finish.
German Christina Obergfoll stared among women’s javelin throwers sending her spear on the mark of 65,93m (SR).
Men´s 4x100m relays could be a proof of the Olympic relays. The team USA RED (R. Martin, T. Padgett, S. Crawford, D. Patton) won in impressive SR and world lead 37.80s ahead of Trinidad (D. Brown, M. Burns, A. Armstrong, R. Thompson) clocking their national record 38.00s. Great Britain was third in 38.34.
Women’s 4 event challenge continued with its 2 last disciplines. Shot Put was won by Laurien Hoos (NED) with 15.06m. Home Kelly Sotherton was second with 14.36m. In the last event – 200m, she stayed second with 23.63 behind Gi-Gi Johnson winning in 23.48. In overall, Kelly Sotherton was the winner of multi event competition with 3964 points. Silver went to Johnson for 3813 points and bronze was taken by Dutch Laurien Hoos for 3621 points.
OLYMPIC TEAMS
MALAYSIA: This Asian country is sending three athletes to Olympic Games. Male high jumper Lee Hup Wei is national record holder with 227. The other two are women. Pole Vaulter Roslinda Shamsul and walker Yuan Yufang.
OTHER RESULTS
ALBI (FRA, July 26): Former world champion Ladji Doucoure demonstrated improved shape at French Championships as he clocked legal season best 13.33 (+1.4, second fastest in Europe this year) and faster but wind assisted 13.28 (+2.6) in the finals. Salah-Eddine Ghaidi improved to 49.44 at 400 m Hurdles to win. 200 m title for 100 m record holder Ronald Pognon (20.45, +3.3). World medalist Romain Mesnil is finding his shape with 571 pole vault win and Salid Sdiri got the Long Jump (815, +2.4). In women events Muriel Hurtis-Houari was the best at 200 m (22.77, +1.3) and Reina-Flor Okori clocked excellent 12.78 (+1.5) to win the 100 m Hurdles. 800 m runner Elodie Guegan won the 1500 m (4:20.28) and Melanie Skotnik the high jump (190). Wind helped top two in Long jump to achieve the same 660, but former world champion Eunice Barber lost on count-back. Another heptathlete Antoinette Djimou was better. Stephanie Falzon won the hammer (73.40) ahead of national record holder Manuela Montebrun (72.11).
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE (ESP, July 26): During first day of 88th Spanish Championships shot putter Manuel Martinez improved his season best to 20.39 olympic qualifier. Ruth Beitia got her expected High Jump title (198) and Carlota Castrejana registered solid 14.39 in Triple Jump. Eliseo Martin won the steeple title in tactical race (8:37.60) and Luiz Meliz leaped to 805 (+1.6) in Long Jump. Sprinter Angel David Rodriguez and hurdler Jackson Quinonez were not able to fight for titles due to their injuries. Solid 10 000 m track walk by Beatriz Pascual (43:14.45) and world medalist Maria Vasco (43:34.93).
TAMPERE (FIN, July 26): On Saturday at Finnish Championships Petteri Lax took surprisingly the Long Jump title with PB 811 (+0.1) as national record holder Tomi Evila had a no mark. Kirsi Ahonen took the women javelin title with 58.86. Men´s javelin is on Sunday.
OORDEGEM (BEL, July 26): Leon Buyle Memorial as next meet of Flanders Cup saw some high quality marks. Vincent Kiprop of Kenya clocked 7:42.76 to win the 3000 m. Ethiopian Mimi Belete improved to 4:06.84 at 1500 m ahead of Canadian Malindi Elmore (4:07.53). Slovak Jozef Repcik won the 800 m in his second career mark 1:45.53. Home sprinter Kristof Beyens clocked solid 20.45 (-0.4) to win the 200 m ahead of Egyptian Amr Seoud (20.65, he missed his NR only by 0.01). They also clashed in B-race of 100 m as Beyens beat Seoud and both achieved 10.35 (-0.6). In the first race Ghana´s Aziz Zakari was faster with 10.31 (-0.8). US Amber Robinson was better as home Olivia Borlee in women´s 200 m as both clocked 23.22. Australian Clinton Hill dominated the 400 m (46.00). US hurdles wins for Joel Brown (13.60, +0.1) and Yvette Lewis (12.98, +0.9) ahead of Andrea Miller of New Zealand (13.12, NR). Canadian Ruky Abdulai got 652 (+0.5) in Long Jump and Anna Iljushenko of Russia 191 in High Jump. Estonian Tiidrek Nurme achieved his first sub 3:40 at 1500 m with 3:38.8 but was second behind Kenyan Daniel Sawe (3:38.7).
EINDHOVEN (NED, July 26): Home European indoor champion Gregory Sedoc won the 110 m Hurdles in 13.45 (-0.3) at International meet here. Dutch Pole Vault world champion Rens Blom was only third with 540, won by US Jeff Ryan (545). Chilean world junior champion Natalia Duco won her event the shot put with 17.71.
KUTNA HORA (CZE, July 26): Czech Pole Vault meet on square saw Michal Balner to win with 550 as second Stepan Janacek achieved the same height. Jirina Ptacnikova was the best woman with 425 cm.
ADDITIONS
DUBLIN (IRL, July 25): A crowd of 3,000 people filled the terraces in Morton Stadium, Santry, Dublin last night for the largest athletics event in Ireland’s capital for a number of years last night. Spectators were provided with excellent displays of sprinting, distance running and field events in the inaugral Brother Ireland Morton Memorial in good conditions.
The men’s 3 mile which was won by Josphat Boit of Kenya in a time of 13:37.62, just ahead of Stephen Haas of the USA. The men’s and women’s 100m were exciting races with crowd pleaser Bernard Williams (USA) holding off Mario Forsythe of Jamaica (10.30) and Andrew Hinds of the USA (10.32) for a 10.29 (+0.5) win. Toyin Olupona of Canada had an excellent start in the women’s 100m and won in 11.64 (-0.3). The 400m events were close affairs with Greg Nixon lasting the longest in the men’s race to win in 45.75 and Jamaican champion, Rosemary Whyte winning the women’s in 51.53. The highlight of the evening was the men’s Brother Ireland Morton Mile in which nine athletes broke the magical four minute barrier in a blanket finish led by Americans Rob Myers in (3.56.23), Will Leer (3.56.75) and Stephen Pifer (3:57.27). The Brother Ireland Morton Memorial commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1958 Summer of World Records in which three new world records were set in events organised by Billy Morton.
RAKVERE (EST, July 25): The final score of Anders Raja was 8069 what means Olympic qualifier.
Used with permission of publisher, Alfons Juck, EME News.
The Dublin mile race was a real humdinger of old. Ten or more lads strung out for first three laps, then like an accordian bunched up for the final 200m eyeballs out up to the finish line. No doubt a few ran personals bests, this is what honest competition (outside of sport too…) is about trying to beat your competitor but bettering yourself in the process. Plus the lad who finished second had a tasty tash ala dave bedford.