by Larry Eder
EME NEWS (JUL 9, 2015) UPDATE
Gatlin wins the 100 m battle, Chicherova is back, Taylor beats Pichardo
LAUSANNE (SUI, Jul 9): Field event action highlighted the 40th Athletissima Lausanne IAAF Diamond League before the capacity crowd. The men’s triple jump was the top event, with Christian Taylor leaping over 18m twice, his best of 18.06 puts him 4th best all-time. The man one place ahead of him on that list, Pedro Pablo Pichardo had to settle for second with 17.99; only 5 men have gone further. 2015 is the first year since 2009 with two javelin throwers over 90m, as Keshorn Walcott unleashed a 90.16 effort to set a MR. Olympic champion Anna Chicherova is back. She cleared a WL of 203 to win the women’s high jump. Two other Olympic champions, Renaud Lavillenie and Sandra Perkovic, suffered surprise defeats. Clash of superstars in the 100 m was clearly won by Gatlin. In summary one World lead, four meet records, one DL record.
Event By Event
Men
100m (non-DL): There was no match for Gatlin. He led from the start, finishing in 9.75 (1.4), just 0.01 behind his best. Powell and Gay crossed the line together in 9.92, with the Jamaican getting there marginally first. Bledman was 5th with 10.03.
200m: Hughes came off the bend very well to win in a new PB of 20.13 (0.0) out of lane two. Jobodwana closed at the end to take second in 20.21 and he now leads the DR, despite having no wins.
800m: Rudisha and Amos moved away from the others down the back straight, making it a battle of two, which Amos won with a better closing sprint. His 1:43.27 2nd best of 2015 led Rudisha’s 1:43.76. Cheruiyot closed well with 1:44.44. Aman tried to chase the leading pair, but faded to 8th in 1:46.03.
5000m: Farah dictated the pace, with Kejelcha on his shoulder. Ndiku was involved in a fall with 500m to go. Then Kejelcha overtook Farah on the back straight of the final lap, but Farah had the final kick, winning with 13:11.77 over Kejelcha’s 13:12.59. Soi took third with 13:17.17. Final 400 m in 54 seconds.
400mH: Jackson deployed his usual tactics, running strongly to win in 48.71, despite clipping the last hurdle. LJ Van Zyl (48.92) and Kudryavtsev (49.01) were his nearest challengers. Gordon continues to struggle, finishing 8th in 50.07.
PV: Lavillenie records a rare second loss in a row. The French athlete could only manage to clear his opening height of 576 on his second attempt for third, but still leads the DR. Wojciechowski cleared 584 second attempt to win. In between them, Holzdeppe cleared 576 first attempt. Braz also underperformed, clearing 561.
TJ: Taylor went over 18 twice, first 18.02 (0.8) and then 18.06 (1.1) in the final round to set a MR, equal the DLR and beat Pichardo. The Cuban recorded a high quality 17.99 (1.8) in the third round, before Taylor’s 18+ exploits. He still has the DR lead.
SP: Storl extended his DR lead with a massive 22.20 PB in the fourth round, the best outdoor European mark since 1988 and the 6th best European outdoor mark of all-time. That performances pushed world leader Kovacs down to second with 21.71. Hoffa (21.30) and Cantwell (20.94) were next.
JT: Walcott stunned with a NR and MR of 90.16 in the first round. His previous best was 86.43, which he set in Birmingham last month. He passed all but one of his remaining throws. Vesely continues his consistent season with 87.97 for second and has a big DR lead. Pitkamaki (87.44), Yego (85.50) and Vadlejch (85.15 PB) also threw well.
Women
200m: Felix and Schippers battled down the home straight, but the US athlete had the better endurance, pulling away to clock 22.09 (1.9). Schippers ran 22.29 EL for second, with Ahoure in the middle ground between the top two and the rest, with 22.36. Felix moves to the head of the DR.
400m: Miller destroyed the field, pulling away strongly in the final 100m to run a PB of 49.92, surely this should be her event in Beijing now. The battle for second was between Richards Ross (51.12) and Williams Mills (51.15). Onuora ran a PB of 51.26 in 4th, beating a fast starting Hastings (51.29).
800m (non-DL): Selina Büchel pleased the home fans with a win in 2:01.68 over Molly Ludlow (2:02.08).
1500m: Hassan hit the front at the bell, holding the lead and then blowing everybody away in the final 100m, winning in 4:02.36. Kipyegon (4:03.38) beat an off-balance Simpson (4:03.54) in the sprint for second. Seyaum was only 11th.
100mH: It was close. Nelvis and Porter started well, then Stowers moved to the front, but Harper Nelson took the lead at the final hurdle, winning in 12.55 (1.7) from Stowers (12.58), Harrison (12.63), Nelvis (12.63) and Porter (12.66). Harper-Nelson and Stowers lead the DR.
400mH (non-DL): Petersen ran very fast from the start, winning in 55.01; which unlike her last four races, was not a NR. Nel made some ground up on the final straight to run 55.78.
Steeple: Nyambura had the pace at the end to beat Ayalew – 9:16.99 MR to 9:17.22 – and extend her DR lead. Coburn led the pack for most of the race, but couldn’t recreate the same form she showed at the US champs, placing third in 9:20.67.
HJ: Chicherova is back. She cleared a WL of 203 on her third attempt, her best since her 205 at the 2012 Olympics. She had won at 197, which she cleared first attempt, before making 200 on her first. Beitia cleared 194 on her first but couldn’t go higher and finished second.
LJ: Bartoletta leaped 686 against a -1.1 in the second round to win her third DL of 2015. Proctor had a more favourable 1.8 for her best of 679 for second. Klishina could only manage 8th with 657 (0.0).
DT: Perkovic loses and it wasn’t to world leader Caballero but to another Cuban: Yaimi Perez (67.13 PB). The Croatian was losing after three rounds on count back, with her best effort being 67.06; she then failed her three final attempts. In third, Caballero recorded 66.04.
